Al Hariss is an endearing black and white film that was produced by Khalil Shawqi in 1967. Starring Zaineb…. And, it is the story of Hameed: A simple and trustworthy man who is a whistle-toting night guard for an apartment block in an unidentified neighborhood (somewhere around Baghdad I figured from the dialect) During the day he goes around the hood with his 7mar (donkey) and his 3arabana (carriage) distributing petrol to the locals. Nevertheless, this unglamorous double vocation does not deter our dear Hameed from believing that he can have the hand of the beautiful widow Umm Abd, his favorite client and the object of many other characters’ desire. He yearns for her love and seeks advice from the divisive outachi (Ironing guy) who in turn mocks him. But Hameed persists and decides to take the money he’s been saving up during 15 years of hard work (which by the way amounted to 150 dinars!) to buy a suit and Umm Abd a few gifts from the city to impress her.

Among the fascinating moments in Al Hariss is an unprecedented cock fight involving Hameed’s beloved rooster Mahboub, a cabaret scene with an overweight belly dancer’s attempt at what looks like modern jazz dancing and an adorably cheesy Iraqi dream sequence that went a little something like this:

Umm Abd: Hameed, how much do you love me?

Hameed: Why I love you more than the world…

Umm Abd: But Hameed, the world isn’t that big.

Hameed: Then my love for you is bigger than Baghdad!

Despite a seemingly flirtatious relationship between the two, Umm Abd laughs at him when he gets dressed up kashkha style one day and declares his love for her. She ends up marrying someone else and poor Hameed falls into a depression. In an act of desperation he breaks into an apartment to steal a portrait that was painted by Umm Abds neighbor and worships her image at night. Everybody finds out about the theft and in the climax of the film, they discover that their guardian is actually a thief. The story ends with a heartbreaking scene where he returns the painting to a teary eyed Umm Abd and is led out of the hood by a mob of residents. Yet another Arab story of unrequited love (sigh).

I discovered a masterpiece along the way kids, if there is any way for you to get your hands on a copy of this film, Les Assoifes really is a treasure in our cinematic history.

Information sourced from: www.imarabe.org; www.theguardian.co.uk (12 December 2002)