“Write something Charlie Chaplin would star in,” noted producer Richard Prichard advised Matalqa. The result? A film reminiscent of Chaplin’s classic work, one he would be proud of. Captain Abu Raed, starring Nadim Sawalha, focuses on an elderly widowed janitor at an airport who’s mistaken for an airline pilot by the children in his neighborhood, then charms them with adventure tales about his imaginary journeys. When the lonely man’s pretense is discovered, he still tries to help these children, even at great cost to his own safety.

Born in Jordan, Matalqa has always dreamed of making movies. When he was 14, he moved with his family to Ohio. He holds an MFA in Directing from the American Film Institute and a Business degree from Ohio State University. Matalqa made 25 short movies while writing screenplays before bringing together a multi-national cast and crew to film Captain Abu Raed, a movie that definitely showcases his knack for comedy, drama and suspense. 

Matalqa’s interview airs on BlogTalkRadio on Tuesday, July 14, at 4 p.m. Eastern Time (1 p.m. Pacific Time). During the live show, listeners are invited to call in and to participate in a chat. An archived segment will also be available. This should be a fun and enlightening show!

CALL-IN NUMBER:  646-478-5668

HOST:  Betty Jo Tucker

GUEST HOST: A.J. Hakari

CO-HOST: Jazz Shaw

PRODUCER:  Nikki Starr

LINK TO LISTEN: Click here. 

(Read ReelTalk's review of Captain Abu Raed by clicking here.)