Rami Yassin: A Fire in My House Inspired Bloodline

Rami Yassin: A Fire in My House Inspired Bloodline
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Rami Yassin: A Fire in My House Inspired Bloodline

Rami Yassin: A Fire in My House Inspired Bloodline

Jordanian director Rami Yassin says that the fire that broke out in his house and his mother's heroic response, saving him and his brother, inspired his latest film Khat Dam (Bloodline). The film sparked widespread controversy in the Arab world after it was marketed as the first Arab vampire movie.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Yassin explains that a number of the scenes that were mocked by some were "black comedy" scenes that had been intended to be funny.

The movie, which is currently available on a digital platform, tells the story of a married couple, Nader and Lamia. After a car accident, one of the couple's twin sons goes into a coma that lasts for about a year and a half, with no hope for recovery. So, the couple decides to turn their son into a vampire! The plan works, and the son awakens from his coma, setting off a series of events that change the family forever.

Yassin starts by saying: "I have been a fan of horror movies since childhood, especially vampire movies, but I also love deep drama films that reflect the human condition and mirror society. I have always wanted to combine the two styles and make a drama thriller."

On his childhood inspiring the film, he says: "While my father was at work at the television station, and my mother was breastfeeding my younger brother upstairs, my other brother and I were playing with matches in the basement, which started a fire in the house. To save us from certain death, my mother showed supernatural heroism. So I grew up with the idea that a mother can do the impossible to protect her family. That is how the film's idea crystallized in my mind, and I liked it because it is new and had never been incorporated into the world of vampire movies before."

Vampires were featured before in Arab cinema, in the Egyptian film 1993 Anyab (Teeth), directed by Muhammad Shibl and starring Ali Al-Hajjar, Ahmed Adawiya, and Mona Gabr. However, Yassin believes that “the film is a new step in the world of Arab cinema, not just because of the subject; but also because of the character development, plot, cinematography, location, and even the makeup and costumes. I wanted to present it in a modern setting, but classically, so I expected to receive mixed reactions. Many enjoyed the film and loved its novel style, and others did not like it. The important thing is that the film generated debate, and this is something that filmmakers love.”

Yassin says he has the right to present his film in line with his personal artistic vision. People also have every right to express their opinion, saying: “When I directed the film, my goal was not to present a pure horror movie, but a film that mixed drama with thrilling horror, and I wanted to draw viewers in by telling the story one scene after the other.”

In response to the sharp criticism of the film, he says: "The film is not made for a mainstream audience, but for those who love this type of film, which is a drama mixed with classic, thrilling horror. Even the scenes that made some people laugh were deliberate. They were meant to give some space for what we call black comedy situations."

Yassin considers himself lucky because Egyptian actress Nelly Karim and Tunisian star Zafer El Abidine accepted roles in the film: "Since the first day of filming, I could see my characters, Lamia and Nader, as I had imagined them. I even was calling them by their characters' names the entire time. Their performances exceeded all my expectations, of course. I do not think that anyone else could have played these two characters with the same depth and played the roles precisely as I wanted."



Family Returns to their Lebanese City to Find a Crater Where their 50-year-old Home Once Stood

Family Returns to their Lebanese City to Find a Crater Where their 50-year-old Home Once Stood
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Family Returns to their Lebanese City to Find a Crater Where their 50-year-old Home Once Stood

Family Returns to their Lebanese City to Find a Crater Where their 50-year-old Home Once Stood

In eastern Lebanon's city of Baalbek, the Jawhari family gathered around a gaping crater where their home once stood, tears streaming as they tried to make sense of the destruction.

“It is heart-breaking. A heartache that there is no way we will ever recover from,” said Lina Jawhari, her voice breaking as she hugged relatives who came to support the family. “Our world turned upside down in a second.”

The home, which was a gathering place for generations, was reduced to rubble by an Israeli airstrike on Nov. 1, leaving behind shattered memories and twisted fragments of a once-vibrant life.

The family, like thousands of Lebanese, were returning to check on their properties after the US-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect early Wednesday.

Intense Israeli airstrikes over the past two months leveled entire neighborhoods in eastern and southern Lebanon, as well as the southern suburbs of Beirut. Nearly 1.2 million people have been displaced.

The airstrikes have left a massive trail of destruction across the country.

A photo of the Jawhari family's home — taken on a phone by Louay Mustafa, Lina’s nephew — is a visual reminder of what had been. As the family sifted through the rubble, each fragment recovered called them to gather around it.

A worn letter sparked a collective cheer, while a photo of their late father triggered sobs. Reda Jawhari had built the house for his family and was a craftsman who left behind a legacy of metalwork. The sisters cried and hoped to find a piece of the mosque-church structure built by their father. Minutes later, they lifted a mangled piece of metal from the debris. They clung to it, determined to preserve a piece of his legacy.

“Different generations were raised with love... Our life was music, dance, dabke (traditional dance). This is what the house is made up of. And suddenly, they destroyed our world. Our world turned upside down in a second. It is inconceivable. It is inconceivable," Lina said.

Despite their determination, the pain of losing their home and the memories tied to it remains raw.

Rouba Jawhari, one of four sisters, had one regret.

“We are sad that we did not take my mom and dad’s photos with us. If only we took the photos,” she said, clutching an ID card and a bag of photos and letters recovered from the rubble. “It didn’t cross our mind. We thought it’s two weeks and we will be back.”

The airstrike that obliterated the Jawhari home came without warning, striking at 1:30 p.m. on what was otherwise an ordinary Friday.

Their neighbor, Ali Wehbe, also lost his home. He had stepped out for food a few minutes before the missile hit and rushed back to find his brother searching for him under the rubble.

“Every brick holds a memory,” he said, gesturing to what remained of his library. “Under every book you would find a story.”