SOHR exclusive | Syrian actor, Gamal Soliman: unfree is incomplete human … Art alone isn’t able to change society

Art’s objective is to form the consciousness of human that enable them to get involved in tackling the big important causes that are related to the destiny of people and nations. Arming people with consciousness enable them to fight extremism and hardline thoughts. Art tops the active tools for promoting self-discipline and alleviating human behavior.

Gamal Soliman, a Syrian prominent actor told SOHR in an exclusive interview that “art must tackle the public situation and live the people woes, and seek to change the reality into a better place.”

Question: Your role in the TV series “al-Tawoos” where you have been acting the leading role along with the tycoon actress Samiha Ayoub and Ahmed Fouad Sleim, was so successful and met with applause and appreciation of top critics in the Arab world… How do you evaluate that experience that was considered as a game between you and Samiha Ayoub.

Answer: Certainly, I was glad to act in front of Samiha Ayoub and Ahmed Fouad Sleim and the other actors and actresses who performed in an exceptional manner, under the supervision of a professional director with a clear vision. “Al-Tawoos” has discussed a very important issue which is practicing violence, harassment, and rapping against women and all kinds of violations that targeted women. All such issues should have been strongly tackled via drama and art.
The sharp social treatment of the “al-Tawoos” that we have discussed has provoked worries in the societies and incited popular outrage, which made my coming art choices very difficult.

Question: In one of the TV programs “Wahid men al-Nas” that is aired on Hayat TV, you said “I regretted my role in “Zay al-Shamas” series as a guest of honor and it was a mistake that I wouldn’t repeat it” why did you regret it?

Answer: True, I regrated taking that role and I wouldn’t repeat that mistake aging. I wasn’t valued by the agency that put the advertisement placards in the streets and put my photos in an inconvenient way. I didn’t want my photos to be used in any advertisement because I don’t care about such minor details. I took part in “Zay al-Shamas” because I thought that series is good and carries a message. I also took part in that work because it was directed by kamalah Abou Zekri who had very high-level successful cinema works. I haven’t imagined that my name will be added in that marginal way. I should have been treated as an actor who devoted himself to Arab art for more than thirty years. I have been disvalued by the producing company, and such behaviors provoke concerns and fears of actors to play a secondary role in the future.

Question: Why Arab TV drama is accused nowadays of exporting negativity to the people, and do you think that drama should cover the bitter reality the people live in the Arab region not to harm the people feelings or drama should uncover pains so the people could overcome their mistakes?

Answer: We couldn’t govern the Arab drama in an absolute way. There are kinds of drama that export negativity, while other positive artistic works that are devoted to promoting serious values and principles that help the people in tackling some problems. Certainly, artistic works are tasked with entertaining the people and also presenting some issues that should be tackled. Series and plays are not lectures. They are artistic works that should be amusing and interesting. There are some works that discuss important problems. What is most important here is to put the TV drama in a social and historic context and learn lessons from it.

We should present some negative issues in an advertising manner that encourages practicing them, but we should by the end of the work find treatment for such issues.

Question: Do you think art can change society? What are the challenges that face the art for making such changes?

Answer: Art alone couldn’t change society, because the process of change is a long and accumulative process that requires effort and time. However, art could be an illuminating activity for playing the role of prevailing new principles in society. Art is a message from which we seek to set human principles and make changes that serve the public opinions, but it couldn’t make complete changes alone.

Question: Emmanuel Qant says “freedom is the only remaining jewelry amid the daily pressures crowdedness,” do you think we find an echo of that saying in what the Syrians living momentum?

Answer: Certainly, freedom is the supreme value in our life, we struggle for our freedom, and unfree is incomplete human who couldn’t contribute innovatively in building his society. Freedom is the wide space through which the people could express themselves and ambitions and could find their innovative ingenuity.

Question: “Death of the important director Hatem was a painful humanitarian loss for me. He was the friend I love, and the companion who shared me lots of secrets without conservation,” these were your words in an interview with the Middle East Newspaper, was his death a tragic death for you?

Answer: Yes, his death was a tragedy at both personal and public levels. I lost a dear friend, a lifetime friend. Hatem death was a painful humanitarian loss for me, He was the companion of my trip where I shared with him my inner feelings without conservation. His death was also a loss for his profession as a director who made for himself and for the Syrian drama great glory, and who contributed in adding value to his dramatic works. Hatem was a story of struggle and his talent wouldn’t be repeated many times.

I worked with him in several successful works like “Melouk al-Tawaef”, “Rabei Qourtabah”, “Saqr Qourish”, Asiy al-Dama’”, and “al-Araab” and other works. Our journey wasn’t a transit, but it was an interactive journey with joint memories and innovation.