Obituary … Syrian playwright and filmmaker Dr. Mohammad Qaresly passes away

Syrian playwright and filmmaker Dr. Mohammad Qaresly passed away last Tuesday leaving behind a rich legacy of cinematic and theatrical works in Syria and abroad. Born in Damascus in 1950, he showed an early tendency towards art as he was brought up in an artistic atmosphere. His mother, Iqbal Qaresly, one of the pioneer artists in Syria influenced him and encouraged him to choose the field of art and culture. He travelled to Moscow where he obtained a Ph.D. in cinematic direction.

In 1990, he started an eventful career and his first theatrical performance won four awards. His success in Syria pushed him to travel to several Arab countries including Lebanon, Egypt and Morocco where he was highly acclaimed as an important theatre and cinema director who employed various theatrical and cinematic techniques successfully. In Libya, Dr. Qaresly founded a directing department in the visual arts faculty from which scores of actors and directors graduated. Throughout his long career, Dr. Qaresly directed 96 short and feature films and twelve theatrical performances. His nine minute film “Tomorrow” won the prize of the best film in Asia. 

Apart from directing, he wrote a number of scenarios for TV series including” The Days of Anger”, ” Return Forward ” and “The Story of the Long Road”. His scripts were distinguished for dealing with social and political questions of top concern to Arab people.

K.Q.