Much like his character Tom (Pepijn Caudron) explains to Nadia (Sana Mouziane) the meaning of irony, “Los (“Cut Loose ) director Jan Verheyen, who raked the Cairo International ilm Festival’s Silver Pyramid and Best Screenplay Awards, found himself explaining that individual characters in cinema did not stand for “Arabs or “Muslims or “Flemish.
Despite these clarifications, a recent article in the Arabic-language daily Al-Badil titled “Belgian ‘Lost’ accuses Arabs of Terrorism ironically commits the same error, singling out a riot scene as the sole characterization of Arabs in the movie.
In fact, the movie has little to do with terrorism. It follows the problems an otherwise liberal-minded Tom is having with supporting euthanasia and integration, when faced with a terminally-ill grandfather and a Pakistani asylum-seeker as girlfriend. Yet it refuses to look at these issues bleakly.
The character of musician Jamal (Achmed Akkabi) is a symbol of non-violent resistance. He is inspiring to the frustrated journalist in Tom, “At least he has the guts to speak his mind.
There is a “difference between riots and terror. Verheyen said, adding that “not every young Arab rioting in streets of Paris is by definition a terrorist.
Verheyen told Daily News Egypt in an exclusive interview, that he would never watch a movie if he heard it was about such weighty issues.
“But when you counter the seriousness inherent in the themes with comedy then I’m intrigued, he said, “because then you see something that you don’t see everyday.
Despite the movie’s refreshing and deliberate comic bent, director Verheyen conceded “some of the humor does not travel well.
When Nadia brings a present of a kitsch clay bird for Tom, audiences back home immediately responded to the humor. Here there was only a sprinkle of laughter.
“What is kitsch in one territory, said Verheyen, “is well-liked in another territory.
Understanding is not simply a matter of taste, however. Inherent in the failure of Tom and Nadia’s relationship is a failure of communication, “the difficulty in communicating with somebody who does not speak the same language.
Living astride two cultures has created a “schizophrenic situation, said Verheyen, speaking of many second- and third-generation immigrants, who are expected to be Arabs at home, but Belgian as soon as they step outside.
“Many in the Arab community don’t watch Flemish television, said Verheyen, “they have a satellite dish and they watch the same channels they watch in their home country.
“There is no integration, said Verheyen, “if I live in Belgium, and I’m still going to talk and live like an Arab.
So could cinema really bridge the gap? “I’m not necessarily optimistic, said Verheyen. “Festivals are a meeting place, but there is huge gap between the festival circuit and the commercial reality of cinema.
The idea of cinema as “a truly international medium that will “bring us all together struck the director as “a bit naïve.
“Many of the films in the festival are not seen by the audience, said Verheyen, adding, much less did the average person in Egypt see Belgian films, and vice versa.
When it comes to bridging the gap, Verheyen would place his bet somewhere else altogether.
“I think in fact if there is a medium that will unite us all, it’s the internet.
“A vast library of knowledge to anyone who has access, the internet “cannot be controlled.
Moreover, the connection, that establishes a “direct link between the average Joe in different countries, is more immediate and allows for freer exchange of ideas.
“Los attempts to “talk to the audience, with Tom constantly sharing his dilemmas and asking, “What would you do?
Yet, it is a while before the audience can actually talk back to the character, across the cultural and language divide, if only to say, “Say what?
