Syrian screenwriter Qamar Al Zaman Aloush has recently adapted Isabel Allende’s novel The House of the Spirits into a drama entitled Al Arwah Al Muhajira (Emigrated Spirits), according to the Syria Times.
The script deals with the period 1900-1950, casting light on a number of social and political changes starting with the toppling of the Ottoman Authority, and reaching the French occupation and the military coups that started at the end of the 1940s. The series shows the impact of these events on an aristocratic family.
The series centers on the character of Mahran Al Ashhab, an aristocrat’s son, who finds himself facing a dangerous challenge, namely restoring the glory of his bankrupt family. He is a clever young man, but one who refuses to acknowledge the dawning of a new reality. He causes endless problems for the people he deals with, especially women.
The series is being filmed in several Syrian governorates, including Lattakia, Tartous, Aleppo, Damascus and Hama.
Tunisian director Shawqi Al Majeri said that the script had tempted him because it was based on a literary text.
The distinguished Syrian actor Abbas Al Nuri, who plays the main character, told the daily that the series “is one of the most important works of my life, because it involves a difficult role abounding in contradictions.”
He said the aristocratic character manifested the traits of cleverness, courage and magnanimity.
In reply to a question about his choice of the novel, and how he could adapt it to Syria’s local environment, the screenwriter said he found certain aspects of the novel that suited those of Syria.
In this regard, he said, the work covered the period of feudalism and the relationship between the farmer and landlord, particularly the oppression of villagers and their families.
The series also focuses on Ottoman period and its socio-political impact on Syria – Albawaba.com
