#Youssef Choukri

[serradirtablog]

PODCAST: Entrevista a Pasqual 

Podcast realitzat per l'alumnat de PAC dins de l'assignatura Àmbit Lingüístic.

Autors: Othman Farit, Mohamed Amine Saidi, Mohamed Amine Salim, Eliezer Rosario, Pau Plana, Youssef Choukri, Ricardo Sesur, Leo Moaga, Sebastian Rondon, Rodri Roca.  

L’alumnat del PAC ha conegut al llarg d’aquest trimestre què són les albaes (en concret, les gaspatxeres), com es fan i com es canten. D’aquesta manera hem treballat el text poètic (a fi de comptes, aquestes albades són composicions de quatre versos d’art menor amb rima assonant o consonant). A més, hem aprofitat per a treballar el text conversacional preparant una entrevista a un gaspatxer conegut per la seua afició a les albaes (i la seua traça a l’hora d’escriure-les i de cantar-les). Es tracta de Pasqual Pasqual, l'home que ha treballat perquè l’albà no es perda al nostre poble. Li estem molt agraïts a Pasqual per haver-nos concedit aquesta entrevista. 

[obigem]

"You take that back! Baby Ariel wishes she had my career. Nobody buys that eternal teendom gig she does!"

"I'll take you to the cleaners, Diana! Take every dime you've got," Youssef sneered.

"Youssef, you're broke! Me and my lawyers will bury you."

"Somehow, some way, I will make you pay for this!"

"Whatever," Diana waved him off, "Just get your stuff and get gone. By the way, you now have 5 minutes before I just dump it all in the dumpster."

As she walked away, the memory of "sweet loving" immediately gave her hives.

[basants-]

Photographic Awareness

SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD:

https://www.lensculture.com/articles/peter-hujar-peter-hujar-speed-of-life

From an exhibition at BAMPFA titled ‘Speed of Life,’ meant to be a methodological reflection on the timeless, by Peter Hujar. 

This photo appears to be taken indoors, the shade and light are apparent even though it is black and white, where a window behind the model seems to light the back of his head as his face is slightly darker, and as apparent from the blurred background that the lighter area is slightly squared. This seems to be a portrait taken at a lower aperture such as F4, possibly with a higher shutter speed to get a still and detailed photo of the model, who appears to be mid-movement, maybe taking off the scarf or further tightening it. To me, this photo conveys some sort of frustration or anger, it is not a relaxed setting, but rather one foreshadowing to some form of blow-up or radical change.

SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD:

https://cairostudentphotography.weebly.com/lama-aboushair.html

Portrait Photo was taken by AUC student Lama Aboushair in Fall 2012, and the concept seems to be taking portrait photos of people on the streets of Cairo.

The photo appears to be taken on the street during the afternoon, as apparent from the sunlight giving off an orange undertone but is still not too harsh. It seems to be a portrait photo but is actually quite zoomed in to capture such detail and yet have someone so obviously unaware of the camera’s presence. To blur the background this photo is taken at a lower aperture, but to still the movement and blurriness it is taken at a higher shutter speed. To me, this photo conveys a sense of hardship, the man in the photo seems distraught. Yet the lighting conveys a sense of hope, maybe the man is waiting for something that will help him get to where he needs. 

POSITION UP:

https://www.lensculture.com/articles/shahria-sharmin-call-me-heena-hijra-the-third-gender#slideshow

Photo by Shahira Sharmin captured in 2013, a part of a collection of photos titled ‘Call Me Heena: Hijra, The Third Gender’

An interesting photo, possibly captured at noon given the brightness focused on the model’s face. This pond that the woman appears to be swimming in is probably surrounded by shady areas and further manipulated to show the contrast in photoshop. Most of the picture has a greyish tint to it, one can’t really decipher a color difference, and the lighting is too much on her face. Therefore I assume the picture is purposely overexposed to emphasize on contrast. The aperture and shutter speed may be adjusted to portray movement, therefore the shutter speed is at a medium speed maybe 1/80. The photo is also quite zoomed in. To me, it seems as though the model is showing relaxation and nonchalance, but the stark contrast shows that there is some kind of darkness looming around her or approaching. Possibly fitting the transgender theme that I understood from the collection. 

POSITION UP:

https://cairostudentphotography.weebly.com/youssef-el-hennawy.html

Photo by Youssef El Hennawy captured during the Spring Semester of 2016, focusing on the details within the Windsor Hotel. 

This photo of the stairwell is quite dark or shady, as can be told by the blue undertone of it. A standard photo taken from an unusual upwards angle, looking down at the stairs and trying to capture as much as possible from the setting. Some form of light is hitting the stairs from above, and that is the only source of light in this photo. What I can focus on is the light spot and how the photo with Cairo written it is kind of clear and in the center. A detail probably overlooked by passers-by, but deeply appreciated by this photographer. 

CREATIVE MOVEMENT:

https://www.lensculture.com/articles/cate-wnek-raising-goosebumps

By Cate Wnek from a photo collection titled ‘Raising Goosebumps’, showcasing photography as an escape or alternate universe where this mother can face her fragility and the ‘march of time.’

The photo is taken in the evening, the sky is not pitch black yet. Yet, the lighting used to take the picture of both boys is artificial, maybe some kind of torch. Slightly overexposed, the still boy’s face is a bit too bright. This is an intentionally low shutter speed to highlight the other boy’s movement. There is an obvious contrast between both boys as there is in the picture where the lower half is much lighter than the top. It seems manipulated to give it some sort of vintage feel. 

CREATIVE MOVEMENT:

https://cairostudentphotography.weebly.com/karim-mourtada.html

The photo was taken by Karim Mourtada during the Spring Semester. Mostly zoomed in photos of the lights and Nile. 

This photo was taken at night without any artificially added lighting. Slightly underexposed but with a very low shutter speed. The still lights are bleeding into the surroundings. The high aperture shows through the sharpness of faraway objects. The photographer probably wanted to portray some kind of fast moving life in Egypt, even at night. 

FOCAL LENGTH- LANDSCAPE (A) 

https://www.lensculture.com/articles/unseen-amsterdam-preview-unseen-photo-fair-amsterdam-2018

Bol - Buduma, from the series Chronicles of the Lake Chad Basin, 2017.

FOCAL LENGTH- STANDARD (B)

https://www.lensculture.com/articles/unseen-amsterdam-preview-unseen-photo-fair-amsterdam-2018

From the series The Anarchist Citizenship, 2018. By Nadine Stijns.

FOCAL LENGTH- ZOOMED IN/PORTRAIT (C)

https://www.lensculture.com/articles/unseen-amsterdam-preview-unseen-photo-fair-amsterdam-2018

Red Nails, from the series Experimental Relationship, 2014. By Pixy Liao.

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Photos A, B, and C are all from the same Preview titled ‘Unseen Photo Fair Amsterdam 2018′

Photo A has very vibrant colors and the nearby model is very sharp whereas the background is slightly blurred, with a high shutter speed to capture the color ever so vividly with this intense sharpness. Taken in natural lighting possibly during noon but the sun is not very direct or harsh. I can tell it’s wide angle because the boat angle is slightly diverged towards the bottom of the photo.

Photo B is standard, the lines are not converging or diverging. The colors are also quite vibrant so it seems to be taken at the correct exposure as well. Taken in natural lighting, maybe during the afternoon. Conveying a certain feel of challenging to authority. I sense a feeling of woman empowerment or strength. 

Photo C is a portrait taken in a studio with artificial lighting, giving off a morning vibe. It also gives challenging or stubborn feelings. It is quite a serious look. Taken in the correct exposure as the colors seem vibrant and as they would be in real life. 

FOCAL LENGTH- LANDSCAPE (1)

https://cairostudentphotography.weebly.com/nada-mawsouf.html

By Nada Mawsouf, Spring 2018. 

FOCAL LENGTH- STANDARD (2)

https://cairostudentphotography.weebly.com/jude-elsayed.html

By Jude ElSayed, Fall 2017

FOCAL LENGTH- ZOOMED IN/PORTRAIT (3)

https://cairostudentphotography.weebly.com/nour-choukry.html

By Nour Choukry, Spring 2017

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Photo 1 was taken at around noon since the sun seems to be closer to a more vertical angle as apparent from the shade under the rock. The lines are slightly distorted as the floor slightly divergent. Low aperture to give the blurred background effect and to focus more on the rock. Correctly exposed and therefore at a higher shutter speed. Gives me a sense of abandonment. 

Photo 2 was taken at night without any additional artificial light added by the photographer. The lines are straight and not converged or diverged. The photo is slightly underexposed and the shutter speed is a bit low allowing the light from the truck to bleed around it a little. Also gives a sense of abandonment. 

Photo 3 was probably taken during the afternoon, zoomed in. Low Aperture (Bigger opening) to give the blurred background effect. A higher aperture speed is used to give the photo this sharpness. The nearby trees are not even slightly blurred and I could guess that the boy is probably slowly walking. The photo comes from a series or a collection of portraits of people on the street, just showing general feelings on the Egyptian Streets. I also get a sense of abandonment but also hope. The small smirk is slightly challenging. 

[arablit]

Friday Finds: Excerpts from a New 'Penguin Classic' Edition of Youssef Idris's 'Cheapest Nights'

Friday Finds: Excerpts from a New ‘Penguin Classic’ Edition of Youssef Idris’s ‘Cheapest Nights’

Earlier this week, Penguin Classics brought their second modern classic from Egypt, a new edition of Yusuf Idris’s The Cheapest Nights in Wadida Wassef’s 1978 translation. The book has a new foreword by Ezzedine Choukri Fishere:

An English translation of this book, the best-known of Youssef Idris’s short-story collections, was originally released as part of Heinemann’s classic “African Writers…

[serradirtablog]

Podcast: Els espantacriatures

Podcast realitzat per l'alumnat de PAC dins de l'assignatura Àmbit Lingüístic.

Autors: Othman Farit, Mohamed Amine Saidi, Mohamed Amine Salim, Eliezer Rosario, Pau Plana, Youssef Choukri, Rodri Roca

Descripció: Segrestadors d’infants  com el moro Mussa, el Rossegacabres o l’Home del sac; dimonis com Banya Verda o el Butoni; bruixes com Maria la Bruta; encantades com la Donzella de la Cova; o gegants com Trucafort o Lladrefaves representen una llarga tradició que perviu en la nostra memòria, però que malauradament es va difuminant en la foscor dels temps. El present podcast va dedicat a ells, als nostres Espantacriatures. El programa comença fent esment d’un interessant article de Francesc Gisbert. Després, els nostres alumnes ens llegiran una narració protagonitzada per aquelles criatures fantàstiques que van llevar la son als nostres avantpassats en la seua infantesa.

[obigem]

"Listen, I'm not really into dragging out the inevitable, so I'm just gonna come out with it. Our marriage is over, too."

"What?! But Baby Cakes, we're perfect together. All that sweet loving. We're it! Don't let our love die."

"Sweet loving? Ugh!" Diana practically gagged in her mouth. "Youssef, you disgust me. You have 10 minutes to throw your belongings in a trash bag and get out of my apartment."

"I disgust you?! News Flash, Baby Cakes, You're no Baby Ariel, yourself!

[obigem]

"Look if you want, I can give you a little money just so you have something to get started, but I'm gonna need you out tonight."

"A little money?! I'm gonna take you for all you have!"

"Ivy, don't forget. I know some very bad people in high places. Just take the money and go!"

While the ugliness of Alekai's sham of a marriage was happening, Diana's beau, Youssef, finally made his way out to the hallway to see the commotion.

"I can't believe they're actually getting a divorce." He said incredulously.

"Yes, it's a crying shame," Diana retorted dryly.