Text: Front up

Image: Al-Nawfara Cafe, Old City, Damascus. May 09

One of my favourite television shows ever was Front Up on SBS. In it the presenter, Andrew Urban, roamed the streets of Melbourne, Hobart, Alice Springs, Newcastle, wherever, looking for friendly passer-bys to interview. Though a tall, strapping, (and wonderfully) hairy man, Urban approached people with sensitivity, a quiet charm and a keen interest in their story. Usually his questions elicited the most amazing, heartfelt stories from people whom you could walk past and never notice. Certainly not celebrities. More like next-door neigbhours.

I would love to do something similar with a microphone and camera in the streets of Damascus. Damascus because (it is a city I love and) if the world is truly a global village, there are no limits on us extending our physical horizons and our interior borders.

To someone brought up in Australia, Damascus is cerainly an exotic city, which would mean there would be plenty of wonderful backdrops! But the DNA of a Damascene is as close to mine as my neighbour's is. Their hearts beat, their blood flows, their minds move in familiar human patterns. Hence, their stories should resonate as much as those on Front Up ever did.

From the interviews, I would like to learn ordinary stuff like why the woman in the foreground of this photo chose to marry the father of her child. How did they meet? What is the glue in their marriage? What does she feel about having a daughter? What is the hardest thing she has had to bear? What has given her great joy and great sorrow? What does she talk about with friends? What makes her smile? Cry? Laugh? What is her philosophy of life? (Maybe my list of questions is getting too long. Perhaps I should look back at Front Up.)

The idea is to have the stories, smiles and gestures, thoughts and dreams of people in a Damascus cafe or street touch us. To recreate the magic of Front Up so you feel caught in a virtual human embrace.

In Urban cinefile, Andrew Urban writes that from Front Up the most important lesson he learnt about people was "never assume anything".

Ref: http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=647&s=Features

Derived from

Urban cinefile

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17.12.09 — Andrew Davies

Hi Susan, Really enjoyed
Hi Susan,

Really enjoyed this. I was a regular viewer of Front Up as well! Thought you'd like to know that we've featured this on our Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/ABCpool

Andrew, Pool Team
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18.12.09 — susan.dirgham

Thanks, Andrew. That's

Thanks, Andrew. That's great!

16.12.09 — GB

I love your stuff Susan and
I love your stuff Susan and I remember Frontup. There is a similar show on where someone interviews people in a hospital foyer - they are taken off guard and usually end up saying quite a lot. Quite emotional and very interesting.
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17.12.09 — susan.dirgham

Hi Gabrielle, Thanks so much

Hi Gabrielle, Thanks so much for your kind comment. I must look out for the interview show you mention. BTW, I love your photos of frogs and lorikeets - both animals I love. We used to get big green frogs in our dunny in outback Queensland when I was a kid. Is that possible or is it my imagination?

17.12.09 — GB

Entirely possible - we get

Entirely possible - we get green frogs in the bathroom and we are on the 2nd floor. I looked up that show and it's "The Waiting Room' on channel 9 with Dr. Andrew Rochford. I think it will be on next year as well.

18.12.09 — susan.dirgham

Thanks, Gabrielle. I'll

Thanks, Gabrielle. I'll check it out. Now I am wondering how I can get (or help)to organize interviews in Syria! Especially of women.