From Rasha Sharbatji to Rana Risha... Family Relations in the Scenes of Syrian Drama

Recently, a wide wave of controversy has been escalating within the artistic community about the phenomenon of kinship and the distribution of roles, following the recurrence of the appearance of actors who have a family relationship with directors or filmmakers.

This phenomenon has become a daily topic of discussion and debate among followers on social media platforms, especially with the emergence of remarkable models that raised questions about professional justice in the distribution of dramatic roles and nepotism, or the so-called "paralysis  ".

- "Rasha Sharbatji" in the front between a supporter and a critic

Syrian director Rasha Sharbatji  has faced repeated criticism after her husband, the artist Ibrahim Al-Sheikh, participated in most of her recent works  

Among them are "The City Kitchen" and "Al-Nuwailaty" directed by her brother   Yazan Sharbatji, which Rasha also co-directed.

A satirical photo with the phrase "How do you know that the series is directed by Rasha Sharbatji? If you see Ibrahim al-Shaykh on the poster for work."

Rasha responded to the criticism, stressing that her support for her husband is not a compliment, but a belief in his talent, saying : 

"If I am giving great opportunities to many young people, it is natural that I give them a chance as well, and he continues his way afterwards ."

Despite the age difference between them, Sharbatji stressed that the harmony between them is what unites them, and that their common interests and Ibrahim's  "calm and affectionate"  presence were the key to the relationship, as she revealed that she discussed with him before marriage the subject of procreation, and told him frankly that she could not do so, to which he replied that he does not think about children at all.

Rana Rasha...Defending from another angle

The criticism did not stop at Sharbatji, as the actress "Rana Risha"  found herself facing a similar wave due to her recent participation in the Ramadan drama season in the series "The King'  s Family" directed by her husband

"Mohamed Abdel Aziz" Risha responded to the attack with a direct question : 

"I mean, if the actress has a director whose husband is a director, she has to divorce him in order to work?”

This response opened a wide door for a discussion about the double standards in the selection of the protagonists of dramas,

While some considered that the public exaggerates the link between kinship and nepotism  .

 And that the phenomenon is natural and not worth stopping there.

 Questions about the results of this phenomenon and its impact on drama...

This phenomenon raises a set of professional and logical questions:

- Does kinship give unfair opportunities? 

  Some believe that the repetition of the same faces in the works of close directors limits the diversity of talents and creates the impression of unequal opportunities in dramas .

  Others considered that working with someone close to you facilitates artistic harmony and reduces risks, especially in a complex production environment recently, and that the viewer has become more sensitive and overly involved today with the expansion of social media platforms, he has become observing the details, holding drama makers accountable for their choices, and issuing judgments that may not be correct and unprecedented .

Does this situation reflect an imbalance in the dramatic industry, or is it just a natural reflection of the relationship of trust within the artistic community, which the audience amplifies more than it deserves?