How is “Netflix” changing the rules of the production game in the Arab world?

Enab Baladi – Yamen from Morocco

The entry of the American network “Netflix” into the Arab production market has posed a challenge for producers of Arab series, with the high level of works produced by the American company and offered exclusively through its digital platform, and its dependence on specific production models.

The challenge lies in the capacity of Arab production companies, accustomed to a certain mode of work and production, to cope with series for which the network allocates a huge budget and enjoys a margin of freedom that goes beyond societal barriers.

The entry of the controversial American company opened the door to a discussion on the ability of the Syrian and Arab series to take advantage of it to develop its activity and disseminate it beyond the borders of the Arab world.

Entry affects Arab production market

The entry of “Netflix” into the Arab market was a surprise for two reasons. American society has not resorted to the Syrian or Egyptian dramas, which have been the cornerstone of Arab drama in recent years, either through individual works or even in their functioning, as the society has produced its own. first Arab series in Jordan 2019, and bore the name “Jin”.

The second reason is that “Jinn” aroused great controversy among the followers who went beyond the borders of the producing country, Jordan, and moved to various Arab countries, because of the words it contained that the followers consider it “shameless”, in addition to scenes classified as “hot” scenes among the young heroes of the work.

Despite the controversy, the company did not stop production, and in 2019 it announced the production of another series called “Al-Rawabi School for Girls”, followed by the Lebanese series “Dollar” the same year, then announced the next year about the series “Beyond Nature”, quoted From a famous series bearing the same name by the late Egyptian writer Ahmed Khaled Tawfiq, and starring Egyptian actor Ahmed Amin and directed by Omar Salama , both among the main Egyptian artists of the present day.

In an interview with Enab Baladi, Egyptian film critic Amir Al-Omari believes that the entry of American society will undoubtedly increase competition with Arab production, and thus improve the latter’s productions, which Al- Omari considers it positive.

Syrian director Hisham Zaouki stressed that it is logical, in principle, for production to improve in form and content, since the American network has a fixed form and conditions of production linked to the script, the dialogue, the shooting. and interest in all elements of the series industry, and this leads to the formation of a challenge for Arab dramas and Arab producers that motivates them to work at this level.

However, Hisham Zaouki said in his speech to Enab Baladi that the production model of Arab drama is different from any other production in the world, and that it has its financial conditions in addition to the viewer’s opinion, of censorship and the topics it raises, and some of these conditions, methods and privacy are subordinated to the logic of the Arab market and viewer, and this is where the main challenge for Arab production companies lies.

Meanwhile, Syrian director Delir Youssef has indicated that the entry on “Netflix” could push drama producers to move away from the Ramadan season and present series with 30 episodes full of nonsense, just to occupy time, and thus produce intense and high-quality series.

Arab countries produce dozens of drama series each year for the representation of what is called the “Ramadan season”.

The Syrian drama as a model … to overcome crises?

With the entry of “Netflix” into the Arab market, and recently hired by a number of Syrian actors, in particular in its latest series, titled “Al-Manassa”, and in which Maxim Khalil, Saloum Haddad played, Samer Ismail and Lynn Gurra, the question arises of the possibility of profiting from the Syrian drama in A major crisis, both productively and technically, from the existence of “Netflix”.

Netflix previously hired Syrian director Samer Barqawi to lead the “Dollar” series with Adel Karam and Amal Bouchoucha in 2019.

The same year, the network also broadcast on its platform the series “The Writer”, starring Basil Khayat and directed by Rami Hanna.

Director Hisham Zaouki believes that the Syrian drama cannot benefit from the “Netflix” network, because the crisis that the Syrian drama is going through in the first place is not just a crisis of production.

Zaouki added that the Syrian drama suffers from a crisis in society and political reality, and a crisis in artistic work, directors and writers, and although there are good literal directors in Syria, the realization requires a complete strategy, as well as an artistic work.

The Syrian director added that “in Syria, the actors converse in front of the camera on three known shots without any soul. This case is due to the fact that directors in Syria work on the principle of craftsmanship, not science, knowledge. and the methodology required, and the drama has become simply a literal application of the script. However, he doesn’t deny it. There are good series, he says.

For the first time since the flow of money from the Gulf to invest in Syrian drama in the 1990s, only ten Syrian series aired in the Ramadan run for the final 2020 season, and this small number, compared to years ago. previous ones, reflects certain aspects. crisis facing the Syrian drama industry.

Art companies in Syria have already produced a large number in terms of quantity, as the year 2007 saw the production of 37 series, and in 2009 there were 30 dramas and 22 series in 2011.

In a previous interview with Enab Baladi, Syrian director Ayham Salman said that the Syrian drama is going through a “different and real” crisis today, as it has lost the artistic energies of writers, actors and technicians, be it those who took a stand. in support of the Syrian revolution or those who left Syria to have better employment opportunities in Arab countries. Besides the productive crisis, the lack of financial resources to invest in the theater, the absence of a local poster market and the inability to shoot soap operas in Syria for a long time.

Hisham Zaouki linked the current dramatic crisis in Syria to the absence of an “integrated and real team”, because there are only good actors who need directors who know what they want and have the capacity to leading the art team, adding that based on this absence, “I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw works reproduced from (Netflix) or others, such as stories, atmospheres and method of staging.”

Netflix opens the door to the creation of Arab platforms

With the wide spread of the American network in the Arab world, the Arab platforms began to enter the Arab market, so the Saudi platform “Shahid” changed course and Egypt launched the platform. “Watch It”.

The “Watch” application was launched in 2011, and was the start of a website belonging to the “MBC” group, before the platform launched an application for tablets and mobile phones.

The app includes a wide range of Arab series and films, and has recently started producing its original and exclusive works, which are mainly Egyptian and Gulf series and films, while the platform has not launched any Syrian series until today.

As for the “Watch It” application, it belongs to the company “Egyptian Media”, owner of the Egyptian television channels “CBC”, “ON TV” and “Al Hayat”. The company also owns the newspaper “Youm Al Sabea”, in addition to several electronic media websites.

And the company launched it to show the latest dramas and motion pictures through it, in May 2019.

Egyptian film critic Amir Al-Omari believes that the lesson of the competition is not to create only Arab platforms, but to be able to produce, control huge budgets, and use known talents, be they directors, technicians or actors, and not just buying and showing series.

Al-Omari noted that in general, competition can lead to the emergence of new forms and other independent experiences.

For his part, director Hisham Zaouki said that the Arab world should give the opportunity to those who really deserve it, so that it can succeed and have a local and international impact, citing an example with the Israeli works produced by ” Netflix ”.

Zaouki believes that Israel produced his works in a very elaborate and dangerous manner, documenting the story from his point of view, adding: “If anyone came to watch documentary films about Palestine and Israeli works appearing for him, he would be completely convinced of his story. . “

“Netflix” has produced dozens of Israeli works that tell the latter’s point of view in the conflict with the Arabs, which has aroused the ire of followers in Arab countries.

Zaouki added that the role of “Netflix” in the world today is the role of Hollywood before. He decides for people what to do and can set the mood for the spectator, and if the Arabs don’t join in on themselves, they will quit the race. early by putting specialists from directors, writers and others into highly professional teams that work and create spirit.

As Syrian director Delir Youssef believes Arab platforms will emerge in the coming days, referring to why the whole world is moving towards alternative platforms for TV channels, and businesses. Arabs will also change their plans to keep pace. with this development, and the “witness” platform is the best proof of this.