Der Nahe Osten hat seine erste Web-Soap: insgesamt 30 5-Minüter begleiten den 17-jährigen Suleiman durch die libanesische Hauptstadt Beirut. Klar, was passiert: S. trifft auf Ruweida, „a beautiful girl with a dark past whose singing aspirations place her in the company of some sinister individuals“ (Lebanon News). Weitere Protagonisten: Chadi, Suleiman’s Freund und Vertrauter, und Fadi, Ruweida’s dubiouser Manager. Kurz: Plot orientalisch vorhersehbar, Aufmachung und Präsentation durchweg professioneller Standard.
Wie Lebanon News weiter schreibt: „Geared toward Lebanon’s youth culture, Shankaboot and Waheed El Booz are supported by a number of interactive features, available in both English and Arabic, on the website – a formidable endeavor considering the country’s shaky internet connections. In addition to “point and click” games and other common multimedia elements, visitors are encouraged to give advice to characters and even propose plots for future episodes.
„As the project develops further series (a second season is currently in the works), the audience will gain an increasing say on how the story plays out. … . Shankaboot is just one of a variety of projects initiated and funded the world over by The BBC World Service Trust, which utilizes “the creative power of media to reduce poverty and promote human rights” according to its homepage. The web was chosen by the Trust as the ideal forum for the Shankaboot series as it would best appeal to their target audience, Lebanese youth.
planwirt 