Archive for the ‘Qatar’ Category

Global People Project: Middle East

Thursday, September 15th, 2011


Filming across the Middle East for Global People Project has just been completed.

Over 100 interviews from Qatar, Oman, Jordan and Lebanon will shortly be a part of the Thought Map. They are currently being translated.

This production was made possible by:

NABIL GABER. Nabil produced and conducted the first interviews shot in Doha.

HAMIDA ISSA AL KUWARI. Hamida produced and conducted the second group of interviews in Doha.

AZMI ABU-JALALA.Azmi conducted the Doha majlis interview and is translating Doha interviews.

SCANDAR COPTI.A warm thanks to Scandar for helping at the Doha Film Institute for being sucha great help with filmmakers in Doha and the Middle East.

ALIA RASHEED. Alia produced and conducted the interviews in Muscat.

SAMI JAFFER. Sami produced the interviews in Muscat.

RULA NASSER. Rula produced and conducted the interviews in Amman and its surrounds and Wadi Rum.

QABAA. Qabaa made the Bedouin interviews in Wadi Musa both possible and plentiful.

ROWINA BOU HARB. Rowina produced and conducted the interviews in Beirut and is helping with the Lebanon translations.

NANCY AZOURY & NICOLAS KHABBAZ. Nancy & Nicolas co-ordinated the Beirut and Mount Lebanon teams and Nacy is helping with the Lebanon translations.

NANCY ISAAC. Nancy helped set up several interviews and recorded sound in Beirut.

NAJI BECHARA. Naji produced and conducted the Mount Lebanon interviews.

KHADIJA HAMZEH.Khadija produced and conducted the Deir Ntar interviews in south Lebanon. Thanks Also to Khadija’s brother Mohamad for introducing Khadija to the project.

STEVEN & GEORGE CHALOUHI. A warm thank you to Steven for such kind help in introducing the project to people in Lebanon and to George for introducing Steven.

 

Spotlight on Qatar: Electric Skyline

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

 

 

When the sun goes down, the Qatar sky lights up.

Flourescent patterns fill the night sky.

Each roof top  a unique dome reaching into the crane filled air.

 

 

Spotlight on Qatar: Summer Air

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

 

Summer in the Souq is hot!

The top average temperatures in Qatar peaks at around 41 Celsius in June and July. In the sun in the middle of the day when temperatures can reach or pass 50 degrees Celsius.

Many of Doha’s inhabitants think that adding a permanent covering or installing air conditioning in the the Souq Waqif would make it loose it’s character and effect the atmosphere.

The solution? Ingenious ventilators fill the central cafe areas. They spray out a fine, cool mist on the gatherings of people drinking tea, enjoying shishas and taking in the atmosphere.

 

Spotlight on Qatar: Neon Chicks

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

The Bird and Animal Market features an array of rainbow coloured birds. But not in the way that you would expect. Many of the birds are dyed fantastic neon colours; hot pinks, bright yellows and luminous limes! No-one was able to explain why the birds are dyed these colours but they attract the eyes of all the children who visit the market .

Spotlight on Qatar: Fairytale Souk Waqif

Saturday, July 9th, 2011

Once upon a time there was a Souq in the centre of Doha. It was called Souq Waqif. 

In the beginning, when Doha was a village, where people came to the Wadi to buy and sell wares included meat, milk and wool.

The Bedouin market grew. Alleyways wove together forming a labyrinth where traders sold their wares.

Herbs and spices were stacked high in glass jars and bespoke perfumes were mixed from the contents of hundreds of small bottles. Frankinsense traders sold incenses ‘oud’, a sweet smelling agar wood, burnt in houses for hospitality. Swords, daggers and large cooking pots all passed hands.

The Qatari’s loved their Souq but it was old. They decided to build it anew but using the same materials and techniques as the 19th century souq.

They set about rejuvenating the memory of the place: modern buildings were demolished; metal sheeting on roofs was replaced with traditionally built roofs of dangeal wood and bamboo with a binding layer of clay and straw, and traditional insulatation methods were used to the buildings to prevent against extreme heat.