The Yemeni actress, Bahiya Mohammed, wishes for TV drama production not to be limited solely to seasonal endeavors but to persist throughout the year, as art is a meaningful awareness-raising message that benefits others, as she mentioned to "Khuyut." For the second year in a row, Bahiya played the role of the victim in the program Counterattack (Hagma Mortada), which was broadcast on Al-Saeeda channel.
Bahiya is one among dozens of Yemeni actors who enter a state of alertness and heightened readiness for a mere three months each year, preparing for the production of TV drama series broadcast exclusively during Ramadan on Yemeni satellite channels, while the rest of the year they remain unemployed.
Actually, the observers of the Yemeni television drama scene over the past four or five decades notice a development in the aspects of scriptwriting, artistic treatments, and directing. This evolution is normal if compared to previous productions.
However, according to Dr. Nawal Al-Hazwarh, a professor of radio and television at the Faculty of Mass Communication, University of Sana'a, in her interview with "Khuyut," comparing Yemeni television drama production to the level of Arab drama production might be unfair. She notes that Yemeni drama suffers from script issues; Yet, it is rich in young talents who have begun to enter the field of scriptwriting, introducing and tackling new issues with creative approaches. Nevertheless, most scripts are prepared hastily in a short time preceding the Ramadan production season, leading to many instances of fragility and superficiality in the dramatic treatments.
“Necessity dictates the establishment of partnerships between the public and private sectors in the field of drama production. This is essential for increasing the budgets of dramatic works, thereby contributing to the production of outstanding works. Furthermore, it involves providing facilitations and exemptions from the government side, as well as the creation of conducive atmosphere and opportunities, granting freedom to producers in terms of mobility, and lifting all restrictions and obstacles that hinder the production of dramatic works.”
Furthermore, she points out that "the primary issue we face is with actors. We lack an institute or academy for training actors, and all training comes through personal effort from the actors themselves or the production team. Additionally, the rushed seasonal production shows the performance of many Yemeni drama actors below par, the lack of regularity and continuity, and the seasonal Ramadan production nature." She adds, "Yemeni drama is a non-profitable commodity, yet there is no marketing dimension for drama works on either the domestic or international level. Usually, dramatic works are only broadcast on the producing channel, and the lucky ones, might be aired on another Yemeni station."
Confining the concept and Neglecting the Art
Although the text in Yemeni drama has managed to address many social issues, a significant portion of them are superficial treatments. There are still priority issues and topics that have not been addressed, perhaps due to their sensitive nature, whether security-related or social, and perhaps due to the lack of interest from those in charge of drama production in addressing them. Moreover, a list of social and humanitarian issues that need to be focused on should be established.
Al-Hazwarh emphasized that "the main problem lies in the lack of interest from officials in governmental institutions in recognizing the importance of dramatic art in national development and its role in bringing about social change. This negligence has been reflected in the disregard for this art, whether in training and qualification academies or in official institutions responsible for its development and promotion, including the Ministry of Information or the Ministry of Culture. Until today, we do not have media or drama production cities affiliated with the state and under its supervision, with regular and continuous production."
She also pointed out that confining the concept of drama to television drama only and neglecting dramatic art in other media mediums is one of the primary shortcomings.
She emphasized the importance of "addressing these aspects and proposing practical solutions to enhance the dramatic art, especially if the efforts of the state are combined with the private sector, which must be provided with incentives to encourage continuous and regular production of dramatic works. Additionally, she suggested organizing festivals sponsored by the government to improve local drama production, as well as developing plans for marketing local drama internationally, and promoting joint drama production with Arab and non-Arab countries to create authentic Yemeni drama."
Encouraging Creative Writers
"The development of Yemeni drama should involve "encouraging talented and creative drama writers through the establishment of a State Drama Award, reviving and revitalizing theater in schools and universities, as it serves as a fundamental cornerstone for the development of drama in Yemen," as confirmed by Yemeni academic Dr. Abdulkareem Al-Wesabi in his interview with "Khuyut."
Al-Wesabi also advocated for the establishment of academies of arts and specialized technical institutes dedicated to the realms of cinematic and television production. These institutes would encompass various disciplines such as screenwriting, directing, cinematography and lighting, set design, acting, makeup, graphics, and visual effects. Additionally, he proposed the recruitment of experts and specialized technicians from abroad in these fields to impart training to Yemeni personnel and develop the skills of the talented.
On the other hand, he urged “the formation of specialized committees within television channels and production companies to scrutinize dramatic scripts prior to production. Moreover, he advocated for the organization of continuous training courses and workshops in the fields of screenwriting and acting. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of drawing from Yemeni literary heritage, noting the abundance of novels and literary works in the Yemeni library that could be adapted into significant dramatic pieces. He stressed the significance of leveraging the expertise of Yemeni novelists and storytellers in scriptwriting.”
He further added that the necessity dictates the establishment of partnerships between the public and private sectors in the field of drama production. This is essential for increasing the budgets of dramatic works, thereby contributing to the production of outstanding works. Furthermore, it involves providing facilitations and exemptions from the government side, as well as the creation of conducive atmosphere and opportunities, granting freedom to producers in terms of mobility, and lifting all restrictions and obstacles that hinder the production of dramatic works.
In addition to raising the wages of the production crew, especially the actors, whose salaries are considered extremely low, pushing them to seek other sources of income to make ends meet. Consequently, this hinders their dedication to professionalism in acting and the development of their abilities and skills.
Reasonable space
In this context, the academic and critic, Dr. Qaid Ghailan, emphasizes in his interview with "Khuyut" the importance of Yemeni drama carefully reconsidering the issue of the thirty episodes format, stating, "This is the basis of the problems and flaws. Hence, the stretching, padding, and manipulation of the viewer's time begin, with surplus scenes, shots, and dialogues unrelated to the storyline of the series."
Thus, Ghailan expressed his wish for TV series in the future to abandon this number and produce works that present the storyline within a reasonable and acceptable timeframe, satisfying the audience, while in return maintain the audience's respect. This year, we have seen respectable and diligently crafted series that faced harsh and severe criticism from the audience due to their disregard for the viewers' intellect. Nowadays, the audience has become aware enough to discern what is authentic in the storyline and what is merely padding and fallacies that tamper with their time for the sake of extending episodes.
Margins:
List of Yemeni TV Series
