Arabian Sands May 21, 2008
Posted by jewaira in Film & Ads, Life, Links, Men.8 comments
As I was driving this morning, I listened to/watched a program on the KTV1 morning show. A young Kuwaiti actor named Abdullah Al-Tararwah was being interviewed for his role in the film about renowned explorer and travel writer Sir Wilfred Thesiger (also known by locals as Mubarak Bin London)
The film Arabian Sands رمال عربية is the work of Emirati businessman, director producer Majid Abdul-Razak (who also plays the role of Thesiger in the film)
The film is based on Thesiger’s book Arabian Sands which is an account of his travels across the Empty Quarter and the southern Arabian deserts with Bedu nomads notably two young men called Salim bin Ghabaisha
(who is reportedly still living in Abu Dhabi) and Salim bin Kabina.
It is a short film of 52 minutes in English with subtitles. I don’t know if it has already been shown in Kuwait but what reviews I read were not very positive and perhaps that is because of the historical nature of the film. I would love to see it and I hope I have not missed the showing here in Kuwait.
I enjoyed listening to the interview with the Kuwaiti actor Abullah Al-Tararwah who played the role of bin Ghabaisha, Thesiger’s second guide and companion.
The young Kuwaiti actor described how during filming, they would make long four hour trips to the site. That would mean finishing make-up and scene preparations and leaving at 2 am to reach the filming site. He describes the intense heat of 50 C and swears that the sands were 70 C and after filming a scene, or when taking a break, actors would be very quick to tend to the burning bare soles of their feet. The film was made during the summer.
Tararwah mentioned how Thesiger was reluctant for bin Gabaisha to join the exloration as he was almost camel-like in his walk but soon discovered he was a skilled desert hunter in the Bedu tradition.
Indeed, Thesiger had a very close bond with the two young boys and according to one article I read he truly loved bin Kabina, the first companion.
