Over the course of her career, Palestinian actress Manal Awad has
fought an uphill battle against the shackles of the occupation, gender
stereotypes and most recently,
COVID-19, hoping to use her gift to bring light
to the ongoing suffering her people.
اضافة اعلان
Awad started acting in elementary school, finding herself drawn to
the silver screen. Later on, she started appearing in local products and school
plays. She studied acting at the Institution Superior D'Art Dramatiuqe,
Tunisia. Then went on to do her master’s in theater, with a focus on directing,
at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
When Awad chose to major in theater, her parents told her to
take acting up acting as a hobby, not career, instead encouraging her to study
something “more practical” like business. “But simply acting as a hobby was not
enough for me,” she explained in an interview with Jordan News.
Awad soon realized that acting is time-consuming and fit into
her life better as a full-time job than a side gig.
“It is a feeling that you get that you need to do what you
want,” she said.
Her parents still insisted that “acting doesn't have a future.”
Awad finished school before the rise of social media, options
were few and so she resorted to acting in plays about political issues.
“The world wasn't open as
it is now. People loved theater, but
they still thought it wasn't a way to make a living," Awad explained.
“In Palestine, acting opportunities are limited because we are a
closed country,” Awad said.
Throughout her decades-long career, the occupation has stood in
the way of Awad’s growth as it continues to do with most thespians, producers
and filmmakers who cannot get in touch, let alone work together due to movement
restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities.
“It (the occupation is making Palestine’s situation more
difficult and setting limitations for local productions," the actress said.
Awad has tried
filming in Jordan and Palestine, and in her experience, actors in Palestine
have to put in greater effort into their work to make sure it succeeds. Whereas
in
Jordan, the cast’s wardrobe and script are prepared and set by professionals, in Palestine, they have
to prepare everything on their own; from deciding what their character wears to
writing the script.
"It puts great pressure on
us. In Jordan, it is easier,” she said.
The thespian has also had to push
back against gender stereotypes, like the assumption that women need to
prioritize a domestic life over their careers.
“It is hard for our culture to accept that women could choose their careers
over their lives at home,” she said. "Yes, the world has changed a bit
now, but it still isn't fully changed."
Awad also emphasized the
importance of incorporating activism and political commentary into her work. Her
career started with works that dealt with the occupation Palestine, a theme,
which still appears in many of her films and shows.
The Palestinian-Jordanian show
Watan Ala Watar in which she starred used a satirical lens to discuss politics.
“An artist should always support
their country, and their voices will be heard because many of them who are well-known
and can get their message straight to people,” Awad said. "You can even spread
awareness about Palestinian through your social media, it doesn't have to be
through your work or shows."
Due to COVID-19, the film
industry, like most others, has been forced to take hiatus. As a freelance
actor, Awad found that she had become accustomed to not working at times.
Awad was working on a film called
“Salon Huda” with the Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad when the
pandemic started. Despite the pause in production, the team did wrap up the
film, which will debut towards the end of 2021.
"If you have passion for something, be patient. This is not an
easy path. It is a career that needs sacrifice, and if you are patient, it will
pay off," Awad said.
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