Jordanian documentary film director Ahmed al Fares highlighted the importance of documentaries as medium for change and how essential these works are to improving our world, our minds and our common future, than ever before.
In an interview with Arab Today, Fares said the importance of short investigative documentaries stems from their ability to monitor minor details, which could lead to a change in life style and legislation. He cited one of his documentaries featured low income and work discrimination through testimonies of private sector teachers.
“The documentaries spotted light on negative phenomenon and caused senior government officials to hold accountable before they were referred to trial over negligence,” said fares.
“A short documentary bears a certain message presented in a short time and its message is usually stronger than normal movies,” he added.
He also cited one of his most prominent documentaries titled the “Black Wednesday.” It featured two Jordanian families who were celebrating their children's weddings at the Radisson SAS hotel when a powerful bomb was suddenly detonated leaving sixty dead and scores seriously injured.
The 2005 Amman bombings were a series of coordinated bomb attacks on three hotel lobbies in Amman, Jordan, on 9 November 2005. The attacks killed 60 people and injured 115 others. The explosions toke place at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, the Radisson SAS Hotel, and the Days Inn. The three hotels are frequented by foreign diplomats. The bomb at the Radisson SAS exploded in the Philadelphia Ballroom, where a wedding hosting hundreds of guests was taking place. Al-Qaeda in Iraq immediately claimed the attack. After the incident, the Jordanian government pledged to take new anti-terror measures to ensure that this would not happen again.