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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 9 November 2019
Palestinian photographer finds 2nd calling as wire sculptor

By MOHAMMED DARAGH- way to tell the news," he
MEH said.
Associated Press As a child, Khateeb says he
BILIN, West Bank (AP) — Af- learned how to use metal
ter 14 years as a photogra- wire to make toys that he
pher in the Israeli-occupied could not afford. "Today I
West Bank, one Palestinian use it differently."
man has found his second Sometimes he goes back
calling through sculpture, in history, building scenes
telling stories by recycling from the war surrounding
metal wire into art. Israel's creation, in which
He says that while the ef- hundreds of thousands of
fect of a news photo can Palestinians fled or were
be fleeting, a work of art forced from their homes, or
remains over time. the first and second upris-
In the garden of his small ings against Israeli occupa-
house in the village of Bilin, tion.
43-year-old Haitham Kha- His dozens of works include
teeb twists and binds wires a portrait of the late Pales-
into images of the Pales- tinian leader, Yasser Arafat,
tinian experience — both with his famous keffiyeh, the
tragic and joyous. iconic Palestinian heads-
He says that by working carf. He's also sculpted ref-
with metal, he's giving a In this combination of photos taken Saturday, Nov 2, 2019, sculptures that depict Palestinian daily ugees fleeing their homes
sense of permanence and life by Palestinian artist, Haitham Khateeb in the West Bank village of Bilin near Ramallah. and clashes between Pal-
durability to scenes of Pal- Associated Press estinian stone throwers and
estinian daily life "because the Gaza Strip's boundary protests against the wall and Israeli supporters took Israeli troops.
we need to convey it to the with Israel. that continued for several part in the demonstrations, Khateeb displays his works
world and (future) genera- For over a decade, Kha- years. which helped them build on social media, and is pre-
tions." teeb's village was itself "I carried the camera, and I momentum and brought paring for his first exhibition
His artworks range in size a flashpoint for protests began documenting what worldwide media atten- soon. He also hopes to do
and include pastoral against Israel's separation was going on in my village, tion. larger pieces that can be
scenes of olive harvests wall. The wall cuts off many and sent it to the media," But as the demonstrations placed in public squares.
and farmers cultivating villages from their fields and he said. have quieted down in the "I worked as a photojour-
their land. pastures, as was the case in At times clashes erupted, past two years, Khateeb nalist for a long time, and
They also depict confronta- Bilin. and two protesters were says he found himself with now I found that art could
tions with Israeli troops and Starting in 2005, residents of killed by Israeli fire. Activ- more free time. be a more effective way of
the ongoing protests along Bilin began staging weekly ists from around the world "I started to think of another reporting," he said.q

5 screenwriters get career jumpstart with film academy honor

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. La Jaula," Renee Pillai's the granted interview, with
Associated Press "Boy With Kite," Sean Mal- only the $160 donated by
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — colm's "Mother" and Walter her friends to pay the visa
Five emerging screenwrit- McKnight's "Street Rat Allie application fee. She ulti-
ers gained the film acad- Punches Her Ticket." mately obtained the visa
emy's stamp of admission "I want to write scripts in Hol- and took 30 hours to travel
into Hollywood with help lywood. What kind of fool by air from Malaysia to Los
from an ensemble of actors would want to do that?" Angeles — that included
that included Tyrese Gibson asked Pillai, sarcastically, layovers in China and Se-
and Amandla Stenberg. while pointing at herself attle. "If it wasn't for the
The Academy of Motion before the audience burst academy and my friends, I
Picture Arts and Sciences into laughter. She is the first wouldn't be here," she said.
honored each screenwriter Nicholl fellow from Malaysia "I would've missed out (on)
at the Nicholl Fellowships in and faced a series of ob- not only this ceremony,
Screenwriting awards and stacles that almost kept her but also the seminars and
presentation on Thursday from attending the event. preparations for the life
night. The five individuals Pillai applied for her U.S. you want to live. This is the From left to right, Nicholl fellows Karen McDermott, Aaron Chung,
each received $35,000 fel- visa, was told the earliest start of my career." Winners Walker McKnight, Renee Pillai and Sean Malcolm pose at the
Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Awards and
lowships and had their work appointment she could get will receive guidance from Live Read at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
brought to life through live would be the day after the academy members as Samuel Goldwyn Theater on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019, in Beverly
readings by Gibson, Sten- ceremony. But a fellowship they complete a feature- Hills, Calif.
berg, Rosa Salazar and official contacted the cul- length screenplay during Associated Press
Wes Studi. The event was tural affairs office at the U.S. their fellowship year. The screenwriters. The acad- winning novelist Jeffrey
held at the academy's Embassy in Kuala Lumpur winning screenplays were emy says it doesn't acquire Eugenides and Oscar-win-
headquarters in Beverly on Pillai's behalf, arranging chosen from just over 7,300 rights to screenwriters' work ning screenwriter Susannah
Hills, California. a meeting to appeal to the submissions. Since 1986, the and doesn't involve itself Grant ("Erin Brockovich").
The five screenplays select- consul general to expedite competition has awarded commercially in the com- The films "Finding Forrester"
ed include: Aaron Chung's her visa request. hundreds of fellowships, pletion of scripts. Past fel- and "Transformers: Age of
"Princess Vietnam," Karen Pillai then drove two hours aiming to identify and en- lows include writer-director Extinction" were also written
McDermott's "Lullabies of to Kuala Lumpur to attend courage talented new Allison Anders, Pulitzer Prize- by past Nicholl fellows.q