Najdat Ismail Anzour (; born November 26, 1954) is a

Syrian Syrians ( ar, سُورِيُّون, ''Sūriyyīn'') are an Eastern Mediterranean ethnic group indigenous to the Levant. They share common Levantine Semitic roots. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend of both indi ...

television director of Circassian origins.

Biography

His father

Ismail Anzour Ishmael ''Ismaḗl''; Classical/Qur'anic Arabic: إِسْمَٰعِيْل; Modern Standard Arabic: إِسْمَاعِيْل ''ʾIsmāʿīl''; la, Ismael was the first son of Abraham, the common patriarch of the Abrahamic religions; and is cons ...

was the director of ''Taht sama'a Dimashq'' (translates to : ''Under Damascus Skies''), Syria's first

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

, in 1932. Anzour graduated as a

mechanical engineer Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations of ...

, but credits his father with encouraging him to direct films. Najdat created TV ads (numbering over 1,000), and later went into

TV series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...

, then

films A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

. On 6 June 2016, Anzour was elected as Deputy Speaker of the

Syrian Parliament The People's Assembly ( ar, مَجْلِس الشَّعْب, ) is Syria's legislative authority. It has 250 members elected for a four-year term in 15 multi-seat constituencies. There are two main political fronts; the National Progressive Fro ...

together with Syria's first female Speaker of parliament,

Hadiya Khalaf Abbas Hadiya Khalaf Abbas ( ar, هدیة خلف عباس, 1958 – 13 November 2021) was a Syrian politician who served as the Speaker of the People's Council of Syria from June 2016 to July 2017. She is the only woman to have held the post. Biography ...

, Ph.D., who was elected by the People's Assembly to head the parliament. On 21 July 2017, Najdat was appointed as an interim Speaker of the

Syrian parliament The People's Assembly ( ar, مَجْلِس الشَّعْب, ) is Syria's legislative authority. It has 250 members elected for a four-year term in 15 multi-seat constituencies. There are two main political fronts; the National Progressive Fro ...

TV series

Anzour directed over 20 TV series with a distinctive style. They are mostly set in an ancient era, in the Arabian desert or oases. The series has more realistic fighting scenes and much night shooting. They often tell the story of tribal conflicts, honor, romance, etc. Normally, his work is aired in the

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

fasting month of

Ramadan , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...

, where TV viewing is at its peak in the Arab world. *''Al Kawaser'' *''Al Jawareh'' (The Predators). *''Romh Al Nar'' (Spear of Fire) *''Searching for Saladin'' *''The Last Cavalier'' *''Roof of the World'' (2007): based on

Ibn Fadlan Aḥmad ibn Faḍlān ibn al-ʿAbbās ibn Rāšid ibn Ḥammād, ( ar, أحمد بن فضلان بن العباس بن راشد بن حماد; ) commonly known as Ahmad ibn Fadlan, was a 10th-century Muslim traveler, famous for his account of his ...

's tenth century travels and set in

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

(which Ibn Fadlan actually never visited, having gone to

Volga Bulgaria Volga Bulgaria or Volga–Kama Bulgaria, was a historic Bulgar state that existed between the 7th and 13th centuries around the confluence of the Volga and Kama River, in what is now European Russia. Volga Bulgaria was a multi-ethnic state wi ...

and

Great Perm Great Perm, or simply Perm, in Latin ''Permia'', was a medieval historical region in what is now the Perm Krai of the Russian Federation. Cherdyn is said to have been its capital. The origin of the name ''Perm'' is uncertain. Most common expla ...

). *'' Qamar Bani Hashim (The moon of Hashim tribe)'' (2008): the first ever television biopic drama series based on the life of the Islamic prophet,

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...

, it is also known as "Muhammad: The Final Legacy".

Films

Some of his recent films are aired by the

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

based Middle East Broadcasting Corporation and aim to end the terrorism committed by Muslim extremists. Although his work is supported by many Muslims, others object to his vilification of terrorist actions . *''Al-Hour al-Eyn (Beautiful Virgins)'' (2005) traces the lives of attackers, victims, and survivors of the November 2003 terrorist bombings of

Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the R ...

, and challenged the popular belief among many terrorists that they would be rewarded with seventy-two beautiful virgins each in heaven. This film was viewed by an estimated fifty million people. *"Renegades" (2006) is one episode is a series called ''Always'' by

Hatem Ali Hatem Ali ( ar, حاتم علي) (2 June 1962 – 29 December 2020) was a Syrian television and cinema director, writer and actor. Biography Ali was born in Fiq, Golan Heights, then his family was forced to move to Damascus after Israel occ ...

. In Anzour's "Renegades" episode the subject is how the terrorists who bombed the London underground in 2005 were not true Muslims because they acted with violence. The episode also points out that good Muslims were killed by the attacks as well as innocent non-Muslims. *

King of the sands ''King of the Sands'' is a 2013 Historical film, historical and biographical film, directed by Najdat Anzour, with the main characters starring Fabio Testi, Bill Fellows in the title roles. Story King of the Sands is a biopic of King Abdulaziz, ...

(2013) is a history film in English which was criticised by Saudi house power and mass

censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...

not only in

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

but also in countries who are allied with

House of Saud The House of Saud ( ar, آل سُعُود, ʾĀl Suʿūd ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is composed of the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the Emirate of Diriyah, known as the First Saudi state (1727–1818), and ...

in the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

and

Western countries The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to the various nations and states in the regions of Europe, North America, and Oceania.

. *"Fania wa tatabaddad (Mortal and Dispersing)" (2016), the story of an 11-year-old girl abducted by the

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...

and then rescued by the forces of the Syrian Arab Army. The movie shows tortures and abuses operated by Daesh in its conquered territories. *Re judiciary 2016 (in Arabic : رد القضاء)

Future films

''Oppression: Years of Torment'' (Arabic:الظلم : سنوات العذاب) is film whose production was due to start in 2008. The film is about the Libyan national hero Omar Al-Mokhtar, was written by

Muammar Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, . Due to the lack of standardization of transcribing written and regionally pronounced Arabic, Gaddafi's name has been romanized in various ways. A 1986 column by ''The Straight Dope'' lists 32 spellin ...

, and was announced to be directed by Anzour. High-profile actors including

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...

Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolades ...

and

Ben Kingsley Sir Ben Kingsley (born Krishna Pandit Bhanji; 31 December 1943) is an English actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning five decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, and two ...

have been courted, albeit without any current confirmation. At first

Omar Sharif Omar Sharif ( ar, عمر الشريف ; born Michel Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub , 10 April 193210 July 2015) was an Egyptian actor, generally regarded as one of his country's greatest male film stars. He began his career in his native country in the ...

had been also announced to be in the cast playing Omar Al-Mokhtar. However, he withdrew later stating that he had other engagements as a pretext.Yallabina! - Out of fear Omar El Sherif chooses Hasan We Morkos
Retrieved 2008-04-14 The shooting of the film was announced to start on the Italian Tremiti islands on 14 April 2008 for 6 daysSyria-News
"Anzour" to start shooting the film "Oppression: Years of Torment tomorrow on Tremi island(''sic'') "(''sic'')أنزور" يبدأ تصوير فيلم " الظلم - سنوات العذاب" على جزيرة "تريمي"
Retrieved 14 April 2008 , which is the same islands many Libyans where deported to during the Italian occupation of Libya. There are no recent indications, however, that filming ever commenced, and it appears that the project may be on hold.

References

External links

* Donna Abu-Nasr
"New Syrian TV Show Angers Some Arabs"
''ABC News'', October 10, 2005. * Craig Nelson

''Statesman.com'', November 28, 2005. * Michael Slackman

''New York Times'', July 6, 2006. * Deborah Amos. ttps://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6055951 "Ramadan TV Special Sends Anti-Terrorism Message" NPR's ''All Things Considered'', September 11, 2006. {{DEFAULTSORT:Anzour, Najdat Ismail Living people 1954 births People from Aleppo Syrian television directors Syrian people of Circassian descent