mec film

Zarqa is Jordan’s second largest city with close to 1,000,000 people, political Islamists are a powerful force in this industrial center, and Zarqa was the birthplace of Abu Musa al Zarqawi, the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq before being killed by American forces in 2005. Many in town knew al Zarqawi, many in his family remain, and Zarqa continues to be a source of new recruits to the jihadist cause.
There, Abu Amar, an ex-mujahideen struggles to reconcile his faith and reality. But he faces setbacks at every turn as he is forced to collect cardboard in the streets of Zarqa, an occupation barely sustaining his family. As his situation deteriorates he has to make a radical decision to save himself from humiliation. Abu Amar found himself disillusioned with the chaos Afghanistan was left in during the 80's and tried to clear this confusion by writing a book on Jihad. However insightful and moderate, he has failed so far to publish his work. In the meantime his attempts to build a normal life in the impoverished town Zarqa are failing. While the locals share their insights on Al Zarqawi and the current situation in the Middle East, the effects of their constraining environment become clear as Abu Ammar heads towards a life-changing decision.

Recycle is a documentary with an insider's view on the community of al Zarqawi's hometown, hereby addressing the intricate realities of life in the Middle East during spiralling international tensions. Inspired by his reporting on al Zarqawi and Al Quaeda for international news agencies, Jordanian/Palestinian filmmaker al Massad returned to Zarqa, where he grew up, to make Recycle. With ravishing cinematography that belies the unforgiving landscape, Mahmoud al Massad charts the daily life of a religious Islamic man trying to survive in one of Zarqa’s poorest neighborhoods.
Mahmoud al Massad, 82 min, Jordan/ The Netherlands/ Germany/ France/ Switzerland 2007, 35mm, Arabic with German subtitles

with Abu Ammar El Azzam, Ahmad Thaher, Abu Bakr El Azzam, Rashid Sulilma | Script and Camera Mahmoud Al Massad | Editing Majed Ameri | Sami Chekhes, Mahmoud al Massad | Sound Emad Ramahy | Sound Mix Geil van Gelaovn | Graphic Jasper Hesseling | Production Majdi el Hussiny | Director Mahmoud al Massad | Produced by iSee Film (Mahmpud al Massad) in association with Jo Image (Omar Massad) and mec film (Irit Neidhardt)

World Sales: Wide Management Paris

Screenings
26.2.-1.3.2009 Kinemathek Karlsruhe
15.-21.01.2009 Kino in der Brotfabrik Bonn
11.-14.01.2009 Karlstorkino Heidelberg
04.-07.12.2008 Kommunales Kino Luebeck
04.-10.12.2008 naTo Leipzig
27.11.2008 Kino am Kocher Aalen
20.-30.11.2008 Werkstattkino München
13.-16.11.2008 Filmgalerie Regensburg
13.-25.11.2008 Breitwand Kinos Seefeld/Sternberg/Herrsching
03.-09.11.2008 Filmmuseum Potsdam
30.10.-5.11.08 3001 Kino Hamburg
09.-14.10.2008 Koki Hannover
02.-07.10.2008 Cinema Münster
02.-21.10.2008 Eiszeit Berlin
21.9.2008 pre-premiere in the presence of the film-maker in Berlin, Eiszeit-Kino