“JAMRA” an anthology series by Tanya Shamil and Very Crude,Very Crude and Tanya Shamil's recent collaboration on the production of the two films: ' Amal ' & 'Aby ' are both compelling tales of love & loss . 'Aby ' (the Arabic word for “my father”) follows Hamza, who is haunted by the ghost of his father's absence, and stumbles upon a tarnished timepiece, a silent sentinel of happier days. While ' Amal’, after her mother's passing, cracks open the door to a long-lost relative, a familiar face etched with the lines of estrangement. This hesitant reunion ignites a tapestry of love, broken bonds, and the bittersweet balm of acceptance.
When asked about her source of inspiration for this film and what motivated her to work with Very Crude, Tanya spoke of the keepsakes we keep, old trinkets of time stored in shoeboxes. Omar (@aswatomar) cited personal encounters in his childhood, blending that environment with modernism as his main source of inspiration. Meanwhile, Abdu (@abdudesires) finds that his own love for every aspect of film-making inspired him every step of the way.
Subtle marks of the directors can be found throughout the anthologies. For Tanya, who is known for her prominent social commentary through creative art pieces (you may have seen them on her account (@theglutenclub), she confided that her current style favors subtlety. It all started with her reflecting on identity, specifically how being perceived as Arab outside Oman often triggers a strange reaction. Pity, stereotypes, disgust, you name it, they expressed it. Tanya was adamant on letting characters exist authentically, rather than building them around a certain issue. With Omar, his passion for fashion’s artistic power shines through. Omar joined forces with friend and acclaimed designer Mayed Almesmari, they crafted Amal's signature look, surpassing even their initial vision. To further load the film with regional flavor, they partnered with prominent brands like Shabab, Aomi, and The Qode, resulting in outfits that beautifully mirrored the characters' identities. As for the melodious tunes that pull at the viewer’s heartstrings, a credit to the great efforts of Abdu and Pullover to put together the perfect soundtrack.
When the topic of the Omani film industry was brought up Tanya admitted her excitement about being in a relatively new industry, given the power to mold a unique culture, build on the successes, avoid the pitfalls of others, and ultimately set a new standard. She also mentioned: “ Omani creatives are like no other, our issue isn’t a lack of ideas, creativity or skill. It’s a lack of accessible film financing, but I think this will change within the next 5 years. The Omani community is hungry for original content- content that represents our form of being, nuances, and culture. I think as long as the demand is there, the financing will follow.”
At last, when questioned about the film’s intended audience, Omar said it encompassed people of ages, but specifically the youth. He talks about the hardships they face, paired with the extreme difficulty they find with voicing them. He hopes that people could relate to the characters in both movies, and in turn, feel safer in the movie of their own lives.
Abdu, however, insisted that this movie is made for all kinds of people, in the interview he said: “The film, from start to finish, was not made with a specific ‘kind’ of person in mind, because it always conveys experiences that countless people from all sorts of backgrounds could relate to; the focus was always the story."
Films, books, folktales, whatever form of storytelling that exists has a way of shaping us as people. Through the interview, the director’s passion and care for this movie and the imprint it will leave on us is a brilliant example of the Arab artistic voices you should keep on your radar, and we cannot wait to see what carefully-made masterpiece they will present us with this time.
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