Stopover In Dubai
 | This article may incorporate text from a large language model. (September 2024) |
| Stopover In Dubai | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Chris Mark |
| Written by | Chris Marker |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Kronos Quartet |
| Color process | Color |
Running time | 27 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | English |
Stopover in Dubai is a short documentary that uses found footage to reconstruct the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a key figure in Hamas, who was killed in a hotel in Dubai in January 2010. The documentary is based on CCTV footage provided by the Dubai State Security Service, which captures the meticulous operation carried out by a team of 26 assassins, allegedly Mossad agents, who planned and executed the hit.[1]
Plot
[edit]Chris Marker, a celebrated French filmmaker known for works such as La Jetée and Sans Soleil, took this raw footage and transformed it into a haunting visual piece.[2] He replaced the original sound with an atmospheric composition by Henryk Górecki, performed by the Kronos Quartet, creating an eerie and suspenseful tone.[3] The narrative unfolds without dialogues or commentary, showing only silent, routine footage of people walking through hotel lobbies, waiting for elevators, or casually strolling around the city.[4]
Production and Style
[edit]The documentary is an example of found footage, where raw materials—here, CCTV footage—are used in their original form, with minimal editing or re-enactments. Marker's key intervention was adding the score by Henryk Górecki, performed by the Kronos Quartet, to create a deeper and more immersive atmosphere. The lack of dialogue or narration intensifies the cold, methodical nature of the operation.[5]
Stopover in Dubai contrasts the seemingly mundane images—ordinary people going about their day in urban settings—with the knowledge that beneath these routine activities lies a carefully planned assassination. The attention to detail in the footage, such as disguises, identity changes, and the assassins’ methodical behavior, reveals the complexity of the covert mission.[6]
Historical context
[edit]Mahmoud al-Mabhouh's assassination took place on January 19, 2010, in a luxury hotel room in Dubai.[7] Al-Mabhouh was a key player in Hamas, responsible for weapons logistics and military operations. His death is widely attributed to Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, though he had numerous other enemies in the region. The operation involved agents using fake identities from multiple nationalities, along with disguises such as wigs and sports equipment, allowing them to infiltrate the hotel and exit without raising immediate suspicion.[8][2]
After al-Mabhouh's body was discovered, Dubai authorities released CCTV footage that documented the assassins’ movements before and after the murder, and this footage became the foundation for Marker's documentary.[9]
Soundtrack
[edit]Henryk Górecki's soundtrack, known for its melancholic and contemplative tone, plays a key role in the film's atmosphere. Performed by the Kronos Quartet, the music heightens the emotional intensity of the documentary, emphasizing the contrast between the calm visual footage and the underlying violence.[3]
Reception and impact
[edit]Stopover in Dubai was praised by critics for being a disturbing and thought-provoking piece. Despite its short runtime, the film made a lasting impression by combining real footage with Marker's minimalist artistic approach. It raises important questions about modern surveillance, the ethics of covert operations, and the power of images in shaping narrative.[6]
The film debuted quietly on a pseudonymous website called Gorgomancy, surprising many of Marker's admirers. Despite its politically sensitive subject matter, the documentary was received as a contemplative work of art rather than a direct political statement.[7]
Cast
[edit]- Chris Marker as Director
- Mahmoud al-Mabhouh as Victim
- Alexandre Reis as Figure
- Byel as Figure
References
[edit]- ^ "Stopover in Dubai". IFFR EN. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
- ^ a b "PALESTRA DE JAN BAETENS + LA JETÉE, CHRIS MARKER". Agenda Cultural do Porto (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-09-24.
- ^ a b "When People Die, They Sing Songs: Chris Marker's Stopover In Dubai – greg.org". 2012-07-31. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
- ^ "Stopover in Dubai | transmediale". archive.transmediale.de. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
- ^ "Stopover in Dubai (Chris Marker, 2011) - La Cinémathèque française". www.cinematheque.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-09-24.
- ^ a b "One Thing Leads To Another". Carroll / Fletcher Onscreen. 2015-10-12. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
- ^ a b "The Dubai Operation: Mossad, Murderer & Mayhem in the Desert". spyscape.com. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
- ^ "- Short film programme: Thousand Eyes". www.edith-russ-haus.de. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
- ^ Jon Rafman (2014-04-14). STOPOVER IN DUBAI, 2011, CHRIS MARKER. Retrieved 2024-09-24 – via YouTube.