Sabine Gisiger
Switzerland | 2008 | 70 min
Languages : Arabic, German
Insulted as ‘Ya sharr mout’ (‘son of a prostitute’) at the Congress of Arabic Music, Turkmani, a virtuoso on both the guitar and the oud, responded with a musical project bearing the same name and featuring work which many traditionalists would describe as daring. The musician is now taking the project on tour.
Turkmani’s childhood calls to mind that of the Jackson 5. Then came the war. He trained in the Soviet Union and found love in Switzerland. Turkmani tells the adventurous story of his life with a friendly, nearly blissful smile, and the carefully chosen images that poetically accompany his dramatic story seem just as conciliatory.
In Ya sharr mout Sabine Gisiger offers a sensitive portrait of an artist as well as a plea against fundamentalism and in favour of open-mindedness as well as nuance – whether in music or when interpreting the frequently invoked culture war between East and West.
Jenny Billeter (Translation BMP Translations)
