Born in Aleppo in 1954, Anzour graduated from college with a degree in mechanical engineering. His father Ismael Anzour directed the first Syrian film ever made and is the one to have the greatest impact on his artistic orientations, and was his guide through cinema and art.

He directed his first commercial at the age of 18, and then worked in Jordan for more than 15 years, directing a variety of very successful projects. His first TV feature ‘Nozha Ala Al Rimal’ (Promenade on the sand) won him the bronze award at the first Bagdad international TV festival in 1987.

The first Jordanian film he directed ‘Hikaya Sharquiya’ (Eastern Tales) participated in 23 international film festivals and granted him many awards.

He returned to Syria in 1994 and took part of the great Syrian drama renaissance at the time and founded the visual school of TV. In 1994 he directed the famous TV series ‘Nihayat Rajol Shoujaa’ (The End of a Brave Man), which was considered a breakthrough in the quality of Arab drama.

His documentary ‘Al Bahs Ann… (Looking for…) won the silver award in Aljazeera Documentary Film Festival.

DFI: As the son of Ismail Anzour, the director of Syria’s first silent film in 1932 `Taht sama’a Dimashq (Under Damascus Skies), how much of your father have you inherited as a filmmaker?
Najdat: I think that my father was able to shed light on the importance of cinema at a difficult time in our century. Imagine a young man studying film in 1922; he must be distinguished. Following his footsteps, I always try to be different and take our stories to an international audience.

DFI: Now that we are in the month of Ramadan, can you tell us about your series this year?
Najdat: I have two projects screening in Ramadan, the first is ‘Fi Hadrat al Ghiyab’ (In the Presence of Absence), a biography of the great Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish. It is being screened on many Egyptian and Arab TV channels.

The other series is ‘Chiffon’, by scriptwriter Halad Diab and starring a number of first-time actors. It is a sort of experiment with a different esthetics and content that will start screening straight after Ramadan.

DFI: Unfortunately, it is only during the holy month of Ramadan that we witness a burst of TV series. What do you think of this phenomenon? And what are the reasons behind it?
Najdat: The incorrect programming policy in the Arab TV channels is the reason behind the screening of so many series during the month of Ramadan for competition purposes as they claim. And the director or producers are at the service of this month only. While the rest of the year, we watch only re-runs, in addition to dubbed Turkish soap operas.

I believe there should be a focus on different seasons besides Ramadan, for major and important productions. It should be well promoted so we can change the perception of Ramadan screenings. At the end of the day, it is up to the programmers and not the production.

DFI: Between TV series and film, where do you see yourself more and why?
Najdat: All my TV projects are a prologue for cinema. The major attempt in this regard was the international feature ‘Sanawat Al Azab’ (The Years of Hardship), which portrays how Libyans were treated during the Italian occupation of Libya. I worked for more than two years on this project and we started filming in one of the Italian islands, with a number of internationally acclaimed actors. However, the project was suddenly cancelled, for undeclared reasons. I personally think it was cancelled to maintain the Libyan-Italian political relationship.

DFI: You shocked Arab audiences with your daring topics criticizing extremism in all its forms, like in ‘Hoor al Ayn’ (Beautiful Virgins). What are you trying to say?
Najdat: In my latest projects ‘Hoor al Ayn’ (Beautiful Virgins), ‘Sakf el Alam’ (Roof of the world) and others, we try to portray a moderate Islam that rejects violence and calls for coexistence and positive dialogue. We try to forge the way for this new generation that is slipping out of our hands like sand. I think we have succeeded, and these series had great impact on a large audience. This has encouraged us to make the bold TV series “Chiffon”, which is state-of-the-art, despite some censorship challenges on Arab TV channels.

DFI: You also have a taste for historical dramas, how popular is this genre nowadays?
Najdat: I directed many that had a great impact on audiences and contributed to the development of Syrian drama. I believe that whether the project is historical or contemporary, if it tackles new and different themes with a beneficial purpose then I feel that I’ve achieved my goal. What made the Syrian drama one of the best nowadays is this: New faces, beautiful places, big productions, love for film, and the respect Syrian actors have towards each other. Today we fear the loss of all these great virtues at the service of greedy producers who only wish to make profit, distort society and lead a proxy war to implement others’ agendas. That’s what I am truly worried about.

DFI: What are the main problems you face as a Syrian filmmaker?
Najdat: The real problems lie in the marketing, and when organizations with no artistic sense try controlling the art producers.

DFI: Will we be seeing a return to cinema for you soon?
Najdat: I will soon come back to cinema with a major international film I have been working on. It’s been a while now. I wish this project wouldn’t be subject to political concession. I long to present an Arab film that introduces our real society to the world.

DFI: What is your message to the Arab youth wanting to engage in the media field?
Najdat: Syria and the region are going through some complex political issues and that must have a certain impact on TV production, which mainly depends on marketing to the Arab TV channels. The screening selection of Syrian series on Arab TV channels must have been politically affected, because it seems that an unspoken decision was taken by Arab and especially Gulf TV channels not to buy Syrian works. This decision didn’t apply to series which had been previously commissioned, or to series which they co-produced. All this had a negative impact on the marketing process, which will in turn have a bad impact on the Syrian dramatic field next season. In any case, the siege on Syrian drama is nothing new, but this time it seems to go in a different and violent direction. Maybe this will also affect the Syrian intellectual creativity. Things have become tough especially in the private sector. I say to the Arab young generation studying mass communication, don’t be afraid to have nationalistic approaches and declare it to the world. Be proud of presenting yourselves as Arab modern media persons, who preserve traditions and look for a better future.