User Reviews

A passionate performance highlights this stirring tale of being condemned for who you are and not for what you have done. Director and star Fareed Al-Oboudi has symbolically used the interrogation to reveal how we deal with each other as human beings. His suspect cannot fathom why people who do not really know him can think the worst before factually investigating the truth about their inherent feelings. For rather than finding out more about each other we have found ways to exclude and label each other. Director Al-Oboudi and cast have deliver a cautionary tale about our prejudices. This "Portrait" is a reflection of all who think they inherently right and that someone else must be held to account for their myopic opinions.

Truthful and gripping performances elevate this independently produced television play. Fareed Al-Oboudi, as director and writer, knows how to escalate the action until the unreasonable seems logical. His "Suspect" is a flawed human being who encounters those who supposedly uphold the laws of their respective nations. His personal journey brings him face to face with authorities who assume that racial profiling in it's various guises is the sure bet to get at criminals, assuming that certain ethnicities have a greater tendency for violent behavior. In light of recent events and the desire to profile other human beings as undesirables, this parable is a warning of the abuse of fundamental human rights. Mr. Al-Oboudi symbolically uses the interrogation format to make his point again and again. His Suspect points out that life is indeed beautiful "if only people could see."