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The Neighborhood Court (1967)
[edit]The Neighborhood Court (1967) {mah-ka-mat al fi-reej} is a semi-improvised live television sketch produced by the Ministry Of Information in 1967. It was the first of its kind in Middle-Eastern television. It set the bar for Kuwaiti media, as well as the region as a whole. It was produced by Funoon Center and Directed by Khalid Al Sideeq. The piece of work featured a court, where the people of the neighborhood would discuss their issues and appeal before a committee of judges and await their verdict. However, these issues were not hardcore crimes, but rather home-scaled issues inspired by the problems that happen in the public neighborhoods of Kuwait.[1]
| The Neighborhood Court (1967) | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Khalid Al Sideeq |
| Produced by | Ministry Of Information |
| Starring | Abdulhussain Abdulredha
Khalid Al Nifisi Saad Al Faraj Ghanem Al-Saleh |
| Cinematography | Multiple-Camera Setup |
Production company | KTV1 |
| Distributed by | Funoon |
Release date | 1967 - 576i |
Running time | 1 hour - Split into multiple short episodes |
| Country | Kuwait |
| Language | Arabic |
- Abdul'hossein Abdulredha - Main Judge
- Saad Al Faraj - Lawyer
- Khalid Al Nifeesi - Main Judge
- Ghanim Al Saleh - Divorcee
- Ali Al Buraiki - Homosexual Husband
- Hussein Al Saleh - Main Judge
- Kan'an Hamad - The Scale
- Saleh Hamad
- Hussain AlQattan
- Mohamad Jaber
Production
[edit]Shot in 1967, this sketch is a black and white satirical drama act carried out in front of a live audience. The set of the sketch is a bleak police station of sorts, in which a council consisting of 6 members conduct a neighborhood court session where members of their society seek solutions for their personal issues. With predominantly three cameras running the show, this sketch was digitally filmed using three different angles throughout the course of the sketch, providing the viewers with the necessary points of view. The quality of sound is hindered due to a lack of professional equipment and primitive practices of production. No graphics of special sound effects can be seen on display in this sketch. The lighting is sufficient enough for the viewers to differentiate between the different cast members, but the picture quality is far from high definition. Over the course of this sketch, the council deals with 7-8 different cases, one of which requires them to utilize the onsite jail cell for offenders of the law. The entirety of the sketch is filmed in a single location with three different cameras providing multiple angles of the set.
Symbolism
[edit]
Neighborhood court (or Mahkamat Al-Fareej) introduces three metaphorical themes that are highlighted throughout the sketch:
Scale of Justice: A male figure is seen standing behind the judges holding a scale of Justice that is crooked which symbolizes the gap between the Kuwaiti social interpretations of what law is versus how it is actually implemented in reality. This is further highlighted by the cases appealed before the court and the controversial nature of the legitimacy of law.
Pigeon:One of the cases features a conflict between two merchants over a business transaction regarding a pigeon, where the pigeon was sold on the basis that it is a male but it turned out that it is actually a female. The claims made by the two sides and the final verdict made by the judges entail that the pigeon symbolizes the fight for peace within the Kuwaiti society.
The Hammer: The judges are seen using a claw hammer to regain order in the court rather than a Gavel. This symbolizes the social illegitimacy and inefficiency of law and the court to asses and thereby solve the public issues.
Frankincense:The court table features a no-smoking sign, ironically, a man holding an evaporator filled with frankincense to symbolize that the law is not above all citizens and that the one who holds power get a pass from legal consequences.
Controversy
[edit]Homosexuality:
Although successful, the sketch ricocheted and sparked taboo issues as exemplified by the case of the married couple who appeal before the court because the wife claimed that her husband is not satisfying his role as a husband. It is later explained that the husband is, in fact, homosexual, which caused a backlash as the audience, even more at that time, found this issue of utmost sensitivity. This is due to the religious as well as the social negative connotations that are associated with homosexuality in the region. However, this sketch was the first to represent a homosexual character on TV which is still a point of contention among Arab artists, as some regard this as a move toward liberated arts and others denounce this as a provocative attempt for publicity.
Distribution:
Multiple actors and people involved in the sketch have claimed that the file to distribute this sketch to the public was stopped by the Minister Of Information, but was still distributed by the order of Sheikh Jaber Al Ali and the Emir of Kuwait.
Relevance Today
[edit]Along with other plays and sketches, the neighborhood court is massive to Kuwaiti Pop Culture. The terms, metaphors and jokes used in the sketch are used in Kuwaiti everyday vocabulary. Because of it having a purpose, it is still relevant today and is still aired on Kuwaiti television on a regular basis. There have also been articles published on people rewatching this sketch to this day.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ "محكمة الفريج". alshahed.net. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
- ^ "تمثيلية محكمة الفريج". فن تيم Fn-team (in Arabic). 2017-09-09. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
- ^ "د. علي عبد الله جمال / محكمة الفريج!". www.alraimedia.com. Retrieved 2019-03-31.