We are excited to introduce you to Mohamad Albukaai,
Hurdle's translator, on the blog today.
We have been incredibly fortunate to work with Mohamad on Hurdle. Not only is he a talented translator, he is also an inspiring, kind human that anyone would be glad to know. We took a few minutes to ask Mohamad some questions to introduce him to you and to inform you about his work on the film. Hopefully you will get a chance to meet him at a screening someday!
—
Have you done any translation work before?
Actually, this was my first time doing translation.
What made you decide to work on Hurdle?
I remember Michael came to my shop around two years ago. I think that day I was talking on the phone with my friend, and then Michael came and asked me where I was from. I told him I was from Syria, and he asked me if I knew anyone interested in translating some videos from Arabic to English. I told him that I can give it a shot and try. At the beginning, I thought I couldn’t do it, but after I watched the first video I found out that I could. I was really surprised when I learned that the video was from a documentary about Palestine. I was really interested to see the rest of the film!
Have you learned anything from working on the project? Either personally or professionally?
I learned a lot actually. On the professional side, I think I improved my English. I had some difficulty some times, but at the end we made it. On a personal level, honestly I’m really happy because Hurdle gave a chance to meet these great guys Michael and Andrew and for sure still I want to meet Remoy.
Do you think Hurdle is an important film? Why?
I believe Hurdle is an important film because it shows a different vision of Palestine and the Middle East in general. It shows the struggle of young, talented guys who are dreaming to have freedom in their home. In the midst of the occupation, they still fight for life—they dance, play, and learn to rise and to make their dreams come true.
Hurdle shows us that a human being, with a little support, can do magnificent things.