Last weekend, Dan and I went and saw Jordan's first feature film in 50 years - Captain Abu Raed. It played in January at Sundance and won some award (but a lot of films win awards). Please watch to see if it is released in the US - per the filmmaker's blog discussions are in the works.
It is a really good movie about a janitor telling stories to children in Amman who think he is a pilot but it also touches on serious issues here in Jordan - spouse abuse, poverty and particularly the huge gap between the rich and poor. The "rich" scenes were filmed in our neighborhood - and one street scene is just two blocks from our apartment. The film is in Arabic with English subtitle and we both left feeling like our Jordanian comprehension is getting better. Stay for the credits so that you can see some great panoramas of Amman - including Jordan's largest flag.
In proof that Jordan is a small place, I recognized one of the extras from a company I visited and Dan issued a visa to one of the producers that was going to Sundance.
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