The cast of “The Guard of Jerusalem” series holds a press conference

The General Establishment of Radio and TV Production held a press conference at the drama hall in al-Assad House for Culture and Arts on the occasion of ending the filming the TV series and a film titled “The Guard of Jerusalem” by scenarist Hassan Yousef and director Bassel a-Khatib.

Yousef said that archbishop Cappucci was distinguished for his wisdom and foresight, noting that 41 years ago, Cappucci said that civil war in Lebanon aimed to weaken Syria.

Actor Rasheed Assaf said that embodying this character is very important for him, because it offers thanks and gratitude to a great national and spiritual personality. He added that the series clarifies that the road for the Arab people is clear and the compass is Palestine.

Assaf  plays the character of  Cappucci, who as the head of the Greek Catholic Church in Jerusalem, was arrested in 1974 by the Israeli occupation authorities  and accused of smuggling arms to Palestinian resistance men. On Dec. 9, 1974, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Addressing the court, he said in Arabic that if Jesus were alive they would have wept together.

Director Basel al-Khatib said that the film and the series authentically document the biography of a man who offered great sacrifices for his country Syria and for Palestine.

Priest Elias Zahlawi expressed pleasure over filming the series stressing that this work carries Syria’s message to the Arab homeland and the world as a whole.

“The Archbishop, The Guard of Jerusalem deals with the biography of archbishop Hilarion Cappucci who employed his high religious position in service of the Palestine question and just Arab causes. The cast includes a number of prominent Syrian actors including Salim Sabri, Sabah Jaza’eri and Amal Arafeh.

Kh.Q.