Docudrama retells story of Kuwaiti martyr

Docudrama narrates the story of a martyr

A human body is dumped just before sunset near a garbage bin on a street in Surra. The sight of the corpse, wrapped in black cloth, is horrifying.

But wait! This is not an actual crime - it's an outdoor shoot of a Kuwaiti docudrama that was being filmed in December about martyr Wafa Al-Amer. She was only 23 when she was killed by Iraqi soldiers after they found she was a partisan and member of a resistance group. For those who were in Kuwait in August 1990, these events evoke terrifying memories of the Iraqi invasion, which sought to totally obliterate the identity of Kuwait.

But for the younger generations who were born after the invasion and didn't witness this period, the incident is just an event in history they learn about at school. The new film 'Martyr Wafa Al-Amer' aims to familiarize them with the events of this dark period.

Remembering Wafa

Actress Manal Al-Jarallah is playing the role of Wafa, and was very happy to participate in this patriotic venture. "I didn't hesitate for a minute when the director approached me to play this role. I was very pleased and happy, as the martyr Wafa is an honor for our country. Shooting took place over seven days. It's a difficult role, and I hope I will present it in the best way," she told Kuwait Times.

"I was only two years old during the invasion, so I was not aware of the outfits, accessories and makeup to recreate that period. So the team prepared everything for me to look the same as Wafa. It's a new experience for me and I'm a bit worried, but the staff has made it easy for me. When I read a novel about Wafa before shooting this documentary, I couldn't put it down, as it was so exciting!" she noted.

The other main character is Kuwaiti actor Maytham Bader, who plays the role of Dr Abdulnaser Fakhroh, Wafa's cousin. "Fakhroh was the person closest to Wafa. He helped her move in various areas transporting weapons for the 'Kuwaiti defenders' group, although I don't know whether she was actually working with them," Maytham noted.

Like Manal, Maytham is also very pleased to play this role. "Participating in this film in an honor for me. I wish I could portray 10 percent of what the martyr Wafa did for Kuwait, who sacrificed her life for the sake of our country. This is my first time acting in a documentary, and I would like to thank the director for choosing me for this role," he added.

Detailed and prepared

Preparations for the film has been in the work for months. Salah Al-Hatem, general supervisor of the documentary, said work started three months back. "We started by interviewing real-life personalities like Wafa's brother, her cousin and other partisans who worked with her. These people provided new information which wasn't published previously about Wafa, her life and her role during the invasion," he told Kuwait Times.

'Martyr Wafa Al-Amer' will run for 80 minutes. "We took care of all details - even the smallest ones - as we want to avoid the previous mistakes we made in the first docudrama we produced about martyr Asrar Al-Qabandi last year. Some people complained about the errors in that documentary. We have rented used vehicles for this film from collectors of vintage cars, and these vehicles are exactly the same as those of the real people depicted. Also, the main actors Manal and Maytham look very much like the real personalities," explained Hatem.

This docudrama is produced by the Arab Information Center, and is sponsored by the Ministry of Information and the Martyr's Office, which supported this work by providing actual weaponry from that time. The premiere of the film will take place in February at the Jaber Cultural Center on the occasion of the National and Liberation Days. It will also be screened in cinemas and shown on TV.

By Nawara Fattahova