Al-Laith Hajjo unveils the image of the father and the "censorship scissors"

After a thrilling dramatic journey that lasted for thirty episodes, the curtain fell on the series “The Hero,” which captivated the hearts of viewers with its touching events and characters. However, the surprises did not stop there. While speculations were circulating about the fates of the heroes, the distinguished Syrian director, Al-Laith Hajjo, surprised his audience by revealing hidden secrets related to the work, through his personal account on the “Instagram” platform, shedding light on details that were not clear during the airing of the series, and revealing the challenges that its makers faced under delicate production conditions.

Father's Image: A 30-episode puzzle solved by artificial intelligence algorithms One of the most prominent questions that kept haunting the minds of “The Hero” followers throughout its airing revolved around the identity of the owner of the picture hanging in the house of the character “Professor Youssef,” who was brilliantly embodied by the great star Bassam Kousa. The picture was said to be of the character’s father. After a long wait, the answer of Al-Laith Hajjo came to reveal a surprising secret. The director explained that this picture was not of “Youssef’s” father in the literal sense, but rather was a creative product of artificial intelligence techniques. The features of the star Bassam Kousa were combined with a picture of the late martyr, Major General Omar Al-Abrash, in a clever and innovative attempt by the creators of the work to circumvent censorship restrictions at the time, and to highlight the character of the martyred hero Omar Al-Abrash in a symbolic and hidden way, especially since the filming of the series took place before the fall of the Syrian regime.

A tribute to the heart of drama...and the censor between major and minor sins Commenting on this creative technique, Al-Laith Hajjo said: “We used artificial intelligence to merge the image of the character ‘Youssef’ Bassam Kousa with the image of the martyred hero, Major General ‘Omar Al-Abrash’. This image remained a permanent presence in the series. Perhaps we were able to pay tribute to this hero.” In the context of his speech, there was a sarcastic touch directed at censorship, as he added: “We are absolutely confident that the security censor, due to his concern for the nation’s security, will not pay attention to major sins and will remain preoccupied with minor ones.” With these words, Hajjo cleverly pointed to the challenges facing drama makers in light of the imposed restrictions, and how they resort to creative solutions to express their visions and deliver their messages indirectly.

"Faraj Aldasht" is a new name for a character who faced the "censorship scissors" The secrets of “The Hero” were not limited to the mysterious image of the father, but extended to include other details related to the characters and censorship amendments. Al-Laith Hajjo revealed that the character of “Faraj Al-Dasht,” presented by the brilliant Syrian star Mahmoud Nasr in the work, faced some problems and amendments from the censorship authority. He confirmed that the censorship decided to change the original name of the character from “Nasr” to “Faraj,” for fear that the first name would carry connotations that could be interpreted as distorting the image of “the leader’s victories against his people.”

According to the director, and other sources previously indicated, the character of Faraj Al-Dasht was subjected to numerous censorship-imposed changes, which ultimately affected some scenes and the sequence of events.

Stars in the Sky of "The Champion"... Teamwork that Challenges Difficulties It is worth noting that the series “The Hero” achieved remarkable success during its airing, thanks to the exciting story and the distinguished performances of a group of Syrian drama stars, who included, in addition to Bassam Kousa and Mahmoud Nasr, Hema Ismail, Nour Ali, Wissam Reda, and other artists who enriched the work with their talents and acting abilities. This collective work was a model of dedication and determination to present high-quality Syrian drama, despite all the challenges and difficulties that faced its makers.

By revealing these hidden secrets, director Al-Laith Hajjo opens a new window for a deeper understanding of the behind-the-scenes making of "The Hero." He highlights the creativity and intelligence of Syrian drama makers in the face of constraints and challenges, emphasizing that art always finds ways to express itself, even if that requires the use of artificial intelligence techniques or changing character names.