In a world where adventure films are overwrought with CGI and dizzying special effects, Theeb brings to life a stripped-down tale of survival under chilling circumstances.
The film is set in 1916 in the Arabian desert, during World War 1. It follows the story of a young Bedouin orphan, Theeb (Arabic for “wolf”), who tags along with his brother, Hussain, on a mission clouded in mystery. Hussain has been assigned to lead a British soldier (Jack Fox, one of the only experienced actors in the film) and his companion, Marji, to the Roman well. There, the four of them find themselves in peril as a taunting group of raiders surround them. Theeb learns to tap into his gut instincts, and must deal first-hand with slaughter, mortality and hair-raising desertion at an incredibly tender age.
Jacir Eid, the 11-year-old boy who plays Theeb, received an elongated round of applause on Sunday night, after the Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF) screening of the film. He said he felt “very, very happy” watching the film. Jordanian director Naji Abu Nowar shared the sentiment.
“Jacir is an incredible talent,” he shared. “He’s one of those people who’s born with that kind of talent — and the best thing to do is just get out of the way — not try and give him too many directions, not try to get in his way, just let the magic happen.”
Abu Nowar, the recipient of the Variety Arab Filmmaker award this year, managed to create a true classic by taking non-professional actors — the majority of the cast were lifted from local tribes and underwent eight months of workshops and training — and putting them in a harsh, sparse climate. The only other signs of life were the insects and animals, mainly camels and flies.
Talking to tabloid! on the red carpet before Theeb’s official film screening, Abu Nowar gave us insight into the biggest challenges and delights of filming under such circumstances.
Q. Congratulations on winning the Orizzonti Award at the Venice International Film Festival. Did you expect that to happen?
A. Never in my wildest dreams. We started the festival pinching ourselves that we were even there. We showed the film, and we got a standing ovation for 10 minutes, and that was beyond our wildest dreams and more than we could ever ask for. And then we got the award. So it was just one crazy thing after the other — it’s been an incredible experience.
Q. A 10-minute ovation is not an everyday occurrence. What do you think resonated?
A. It’s a point-of-view film. I feel that if a film works, you’re feeling what the boy feels, and you’re journeying with the boy, if you’re having that experience, then hopefully you will have a great, powerful, emotional experience.
Q. Did filming in the desert in Jordan present challenges?
A. It was extremely difficult. We were working with the three kind of no-nos. We were working with children, animals, and in a remote location — and amateur actors as well. So, most of the time, we were getting stuck in cars and avoiding flash floods and sand storms, and all this kind of stuff.
Q. How do you think the film will be received in the UAE?
A. I really hope that the film goes down well here, because we received support from Abu Dhabi, from Sanad [the festival’s development fund], so I’m hoping they will feel we’ve done them justice and given them a film they can be proud of. I’m really excited to see what the Arab world thinks about the film. The film was made for the Arab world. It’s everything to me that the audience here loves it. I’m very nervous, because I really want them to love it — so hopefully, they will.