With wisdom, a sense of humor, and political and social awareness, Mamdouh Hamada managed to enter every home without knocking on doors. One of the most prominent screenwriters in Syria, and a Syrian journalist, writer, and novelist distinguished by his simple yet profound style, he entered hearts and minds.
From “Ailet 6 Njoom” to “Day’ah Day’ah,” “Al-Waq Waq,” and “Al-Kherbeh,” Mamdouh Hamada managed to bring laughter mixed with deep messages to every viewer through his comedic dramatic works, which carried a political and social critical nature.
Son of the Golan
Hamada was born in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights in 1959. He was displaced during his childhood and lived with his family in As-Suwayda until he traveled to the Soviet Union to study at the Faculty of Journalism at Belarus State University, where he graduated in 1994 with a PhD. He returned to Syria but did not succeed in finding work there, so he decided to return to Belarus, where he worked as a lecturer at one of its universities for more than ten years. Afterwards, he studied film directing at the Belarusian State Academy of Arts and graduated in 2009.
He directed two films: the first is “Guarantees for the Future,” a 30-minute short fiction film which was his graduation project, written and directed by him. He also directed another film derived from the Syrian war titled “I Am Still Alive,” which is 7 minutes long.
Caricature and Comedic Style
During his studies and residence in Belarus, he practiced the art of caricature intermittently and published his drawings and articles in Belarusian newspapers, especially the satirical magazine “Vozhyk.” He also participated in a number of caricature festivals around the world. He worked intermittently for a number of Arab newspapers as a freelance journalist. As for his career in screenwriting, it began in 1995 and was distinguished by his critical comedic style. He achieved great success with director Hisham Sharbatji, and he also succeeded with director Laith Hajo through the series “Spotlight” (Boqat Daw) and the series “Day’ah Day’ah.”
All the series he authored, which mimic our reality, achieved wide popularity and unparalleled success, making him one of the most important writers in Syria. Besides that, he practices story writing and publishes some of his works from time to time.
