Embassy of Jordan in Washington, DC hosts special screening for Award Winning "Captain Abu Raed"

May 20, 2008, Washington, DC- The Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan hosted a special screening this evening for the award winning Jordanian film, “Captain Abu Raed,” marking the first time the film is shown to Washington’s diplomatic and policymaking circles.

Captain Abu Raed, the first Jordanian feature film ever exported to the world’s cinemas, is a winner of the Audience Award at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and the Dubai International Film Festival. “We are very proud of the film’s success here in the United States’ vast and competitive movie industry. Films are indeed a potent intercultural weapon that we hope to use more often to enhance people’s understanding of the complex beauty of our region” said His Royal Highness Prince Zeid Ra’ad, Jordan’s Ambassador in the United States as he welcomed guests at the screening. He added; “we can only expect more Jordanian winning films in the near future; especially given the rich pool of young and talented Jordanians aspiring to become part of the world of film and the arts.”

Captain Abu Raed presents a universal story of friendship, inspiration and heroism set in contemporary Jordan. It is also a story of everyday people intersecting across social boundaries and of individual destinies coming together into one. The film also captures breathtaking footage of Amman and especially of East Amman; where the first settlers of the Capital gave life to the city.

The special screening was followed by a vibrant discussion with the talented writer and director Amin Matalqa and the esteemed executive producer David Pritchard. The discussion was moderated by Foreign Editor of the Washington Post, Scott Wilson who lived in Amman-Jordan as well as Jerusalem as the Post’s chief Middle East correspondent.

The special screening is part of the Embassy’s cultural program, organized by the Jordan Information Bureau, which aims to introduce the American audience to Jordan’s rich cultural heritage and its hospitable and complex people.

For More Information Contact 202-265-1606 or jordaninfo1@aol.com