ABU’s “The World Is Blind” has become the official anthem for this year’s Gouna Film Festival (GFF). The 6th edition of the GFF emphasizes the theme of cinema for humanity. ABU echoed this theme in the song that calls for unity and awareness.
The song stemmed from a complete state of shock and frustration towards the millions of people who suffer daily. He reflected, “witnessing thousands of Palestinians, especially children being killed daily in front of the ‘eyes of the world’, compelling millions worldwide to condemn, march and raise their voices against injustice”.
ABU chose to break out of his natural mold and sing the song in English to reach a global audience. In doing so, he transcended his usual audience that was already familiar with the Palestinian cause and reached a global audience. In his own words, “an international language such as English would reach a worldwide audience and compel their conscience to stop ignoring the horror that’s being perpetuated.”
The Brains Behind The Art:
The heart-wrenching song was a collaborative effort between the talented Dr. Tarek Nadim, capturing ABU’s emotions into lyrics and the musical arrangement of Mounir Maher. Sara Shakeel’s beautiful artwork was the background to ABU’s performance during the opening ceremony. Through their joined talents, they created a song that touched the hearts of many.
Reflecting On The Theme:
The theme of ‘Cinema for Humanity’ calls upon the international community to contemplate and take immediate action against horrfic injustice. Through the themes, ABU felt his song complimented the festival key message. This year, the filmmaking industry have come together to raise awareness and send an important message. A message which stands for spreading love, and rejecting hate. ABU felt “honored to contribute his piece as the festival’s anthem for this year’s Gouna Film Festival”. Now is the time to stand for a collaborative statement of love, tolerance, and understanding for our fellow man.