Origin: Unknown | Fiction | Director: Yousef al- Deek | 90 minutes

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The gentleman prisoner

Yousef Al Deek, docudrama 90 min, release volgens plan augustus 2015, maar
geen info over première gevonden!!

About the great escape of 65 Palestinian prisoners from Shatta Israeli Jail
1958.

From: www.facebook.com/The-Gentleman-Prisoner-881054058624092/info/?tab=page_info

"The main idea of the film came when I heard the story of the great escape
of 64 Palestinian and Arab prisoners from the Israeli prison of 'Shatta" in
1958. My research of the story led me to several interesting facts in two
story lines: first : The amount of suffering of the prisoners, and the
hidden details about the munity that took place that day, how they got
organized and planned controlling the prison and planned their escape. Such
details remained for long unknown, even to the Israeli Investigation
Committee that issued its report in more than 1119 pages following the
escape. in more than 26 pages, the report demonstrates that the prisoners
never said or knew how the plan was executed, and that the planners
successfully escaped with all the details with them. only some maps were
left behind.

The second layer is about the mysterious character among the prisoners,
Ahamad ali Othman, who never said what his role was. Othman was an Egyptian
journalist, who came to Israel holding a French passport and posing as a
merchant . He was captured by the Israeli security under the pretext that
he was a spy. Othman was considered to be a "Gentleman prisoner" by the
Palestinians and "the spy" by the Israeli Authorities.
Throughout styled scenes we see how the prisoners were treated, and how
they suffered and were humiliated daily. for example, they were not allowed
to take off their shoes all day, or sleep and have some rest on their
blankets. They were only allowed short breaks to walk, and the rooms were
very crowded. Following such harsh living conditions, a group of prisoners,
consisting mainly of Othman, Ibrahim serdana, abu hoqu , nemer doghmosh and
Ahmad khalil with the help of a very young prisoner, Ali, who was allowed
to move more freely within the prison , started to plan the escape. Ali,
supported them with information about the area and helped them draw up a
map. Using their lighters, they were able to make a fire bomb.

On August 1st, 1958 the prisoners know that there was a plan by the prison
authority to move some of them to other prison. This piece of information
led them to take the decision to execute their plan a day earlier than
their original date. That day, Sobhi, the prisoner who was tasked of
collecting and throwing away the garbage out in the yard, left the main
door open without the guards realizing it. At supper time, Othman threw the
bomb towards the guards, while Ahmad khalil was able to confiscate the
weapons from them. Othman captured one of the guards called Gelik, and
locked him up in one of the prison bathrooms. The other prisoners go
straight to the weaponry room, broke the door and were able to take control
of several guns and weapons. Fire exchange took place, leading to the
killing of 13 prisoners as well as 2 prison guards. During two hours, 64
prisoner escape before the Israeli forces that were called in and
surrounded the prison. Othman injured and not able to escape. Mahmod Batat
come back to help him, but he was ambushed inside the prison and was shot
dead by an Israeli soldier.

Othman remained in prison and was later released in 1964, he went back to
Egypt where he stayed until 1988, then moved to Hungary . In 1996 he came
back to Israel following an invitation sent to him from an Israeli
journalist . During that visit, he visited the Guard Gelik.
After that, no one knew where he is, but we are trying to locate him in
order to know straight from him what the plan was and how it was execute.
Style: this film is based on the first hand testimonies of the people who
heard or participated in the escape from the Shatta prison. their voices
will be sound over styled scenes of the munity , documents of the
Investigation Committee, and newspapers. Two short videos will be used as
well. Visual effects will be used mainly during the fire exchange scenes,
as well as the search for the escaped prisoners that was conducted by the
Israeli forces near faquaa village in the Jenin Area. We will build a
replicate of the Shatta jail as we are not allowed to shoot there. Original
music will be composed specifically for the film.

Not yet released?

Contact Yousef Al Deek: +970 599 589 654. alfeneeks@gmail.com

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View trailer