"Gaddafi destroyed art in Libya"

Myriam ali Al Ojaili Benghazi – Imad Agag   Myriam ali Al Ojaili was born on April 30th 1975. She graduated from the College of Media with a BA in Radio, and has worked in theatre, radio and television as an actress, producer, presenter and series writer. She began working in the media in 1996, working on family and childrens’ shows. One of her most important works was the program, Family Magazine, which was directed by Ibrahim Bin Omran. She began her theatre work with director Muftah Bady and performed alongside Salah Al Sheikhi as the lead role in her first play. The play was written by the late Mansour Fanoush and was directed by Faraj Al Rub in 1998. Ojaili has worked at various Libyan newspapers, the most prominent being Benghazi Newspaper where she was the entertainment editor. She joined Quryna Newspaper the first day it was published.   AT: What have been the most important theatrical and television works created since the February 17 revolution? MO: Only a couple of works have been created about the glorious revolution to date. The first was titled “The Goose’s Government”, which was presented by Saleh Al Abyad and directed by Daoud Al Hooti. The other was a show titled “Bashoof shofet Masmoo”, which was directed by Muftah Badi. AT: what’s your opinion on the variety in television channels after the revolution, and what do you think about naming one of the channels after a Libyan city? MO: They say that variety is healthy and we used to suffer from a lack of this under Gaddafi, but Libyan television severely lacks in human and technological resources. Had Libya focused on just one channel, rather than three, we would have been better off, because the channels frequently broadcast poor quality programs because of poor management and the lack of expertise. AT: Where do you see yourself when it comes to acting. Do you prefer television or the theatre? MO: I’ve never loved anything more than the theatre. It saw the birth of art, as even in 500 BC humans were interested in art. Imitation was known to be a form of entertainment. I am in love with the stage, curtains and the three drum rolls before the show begins. I don’t really like acting on television. AT: Who is the closest person to you? MO: My niece, who I consider my own daughter. AT: How many works have you done, and which was most important? MO: I’ve done almost 10 plays and three television works , along with dozens of audio programs. The play closest to my heart is “Hathyan”, which was written by Fathi Al Qabesi and directed by Muftah Khaled from Ajdabia. I am also very fond of the television series “Ghafeer Al Kaf”, which was written by Fathi Al Qabesi under the direction of Eyad Michael. AT: What do you think about art in the Gaddafi era? Do you expect things to get better or worse? MO: Under Gaddafi, we only had a handful of talented individuals who tried to build something. Art boomed during the 1960s and 1970s, but gradually disappeared in the 1980s for many reasons, including that writers could not live and experience reality. There was also a general disinterest towards art. What was interesting back then is that women began to participate in art, but by the 1980s Gaddafi fought everything to ensure his own authority, so theatre work decreased. In addition we don’t have professional theatre courses. Gaddafi destroyed art in Libya, but Benghazi has long been known for its theatre, even though art was only associated with Ramadan. I hope that my country will one day compete with Syria and Egypt in the art field. Garyounis University has just opened a new theatre department, which is amazing and a step in the right direction. Final words I wish that television presenters cared about what they say on air. Salem Issi has verbally attacked and criticised a number of artists who supported Gaddafi. Art is sensitive and full of feelings. It is a source of forgiveness, so I ask people like Issi to forgive those who supported Gaddafi. I hope all Libyans will unite and reconcile as one nation.