These days mark the 13th anniversary of the departure of the Iraqi comedian star, Rasem Al-Jumaili, after a career that spanned more than half a century, through which he drew a smile on the lips of millions of viewers.

On December 1, 2007, the artist Al-Jumaili died at the age of 69, after 10 days he spent in intensive care in a hospital in the Syrian capital (Damascus) as a result of a health problem.

Al-Jumaili (right) in one of his artwork (communication sites)

His artistic beginnings

The artist Al-Jumaili was born in 1938, and entered the field of art early in his childhood, when he participated in the first theatrical work called "Al-Katateeb". He also took over the management of the children's program section, and a competitions program that gained wide fame inside and outside Iraq.

Al-Jumaili was prepared and talented to be an artist in the future, and evidence for this is that he presented his first theatrical work in elementary school when he was in the fifth grade of elementary school, according to writer and journalist Abdul Alim Al-Banna

In his interview with Al-Jazeera Net, Al-Banna indicates that the late artist was from his childhood a master in artistic aspects, then he continued his career until he became one of the first directors of Iraqi cinema, and one of the best film production directors in the cinema department, and his wide participation with a group of brilliant Iraqi artists, such as Professor Diaa Al-Bayati.

He adds, his preparatory education was in Ghazi High School, and due to his high talent, love for art and his participation in activities, he entered the Academy of Fine Arts, and was also one of the proficient in it.

In turn, the artist and director Sinan Al-Azzawi mentioned that Al-Jumaili graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in 1964, after which he began to participate in mass shows for many directors;

He represented Mohsen Al-Azzawi, Mohsen Al-Ali and Qassem Mohamed in the Troupe of Popular Theater and Modern Art.

He added to Al-Jazeera Net, based on his fame in the popular theater, his military assignment was performed in the military theater, which he formed at the time with a group of well-known Iraqi artists;

Such as Mahmoud Abu Al-Abbas, Jawad Al-Shakurji, Mohsen Al-Ali, Jasem Sharaf and Sami Mahmoud, and here his star shone more.

Shiny works in it

The late artist excelled in dozens of his artistic works through theater, cinema, radio and television, as "The Kingdom of the Beggars", "Hayit Nassis" and "Sharia" were among his most prominent theatrical works. He also composed and directed many plays, including "The Emperor" and " Saeed Action, and Live Watch.

As for his most prominent cinematic works, they were "Another Day", "Aswar", "Love in Baghdad", "100%", "Badia", "Mr. Director" and others.

The journalist enumerates the construction, a set of roles presented by the late, including "Minawi Al-Basha" and "Night Wolves", "Bashawat of the Last Time", "Anbaa Al Watan" as the leader, and other important television works.

Al-Banna notes that Al-Jumaili was not only a theatrical, television and cinematic actor, but was considered a distinct phenomenon in the artistic community.

For his physical formation that would qualify him to perform his own comedic roles, and in this case he was distinguished by his obesity, which he invested as did the artist "Amal Taha", in providing many successful comedic roles, which express the comedy of the situation, and not a shallow, simple, naive or flat comedy Or cliche.

He points out that Al-Jumaili had important roles in Iraqi cinema that made him one of the brightest comedy stars in Iraq. His most notable work was his starring in the movie “Mr. Director,” and he demonstrated his capabilities in cinematic works.

He continues that the jokes and anecdotes that Al-Jumaili makes to the ears of his colleagues, which give a lot of positive spirit to his workers, and provide them with opportunities for relaxation after work exhaustion.

After the US invasion of the country, Al-Jumaili immigrated to Syria, and worked in series that were produced during that period, during the migration of Iraqi artists, and artworks in the country were suspended due to security disturbances.

Between comedy and television

The late artist, Rasim Al-Jumaili, was a large school, and its doors were open to anyone who wanted to learn from it, says Iraqi artist Sami Kaftan.

Kaftan said in his interview with Al-Jazeera Net that Rasem Al-Jumaili is a school that will not be repeated.

Because he specializes in a certain color, with a balanced comedy that is not equal to the rest of the comedy we are watching now, this school has no competitors and will remain open doors, even after he leaves.

And he continues, "The first work that brought me together with the late Professor Rasim Al-Jumaili, was on the radio in 1966, when I was a soldier, and he was my commanding officer. We worked together in directing radio and television programs, and we participated in more than one job."

And he goes on to say, "As for television, he presented a program (3 Questions), and traveled with it to Arab and international countries, and presented many entertainment programs; but the theater took a lot of its time, in addition to television, cinema and radio."

Al-Azzawi points out that Rasim Al-Jumaili was an important radio director, and he directed nearly 100 radio programs of a critical comic nature, and formed an influential duet with Muhammad Hussein Abdul Rahim.

Sinan Al-Azzawi said that Al-Jumaili directed nearly 100 radio programs with a critical comic nature (Al-Jazeera)

Popular secret

The reason for the late artist's popularity is that he left the poor areas, where he started his life with his father Al-Attar, working in Sadr City - currently - (east of Baghdad), according to the director of theaters Mazen Muhammad Mustafa.

He added to Al-Jazeera Net that Al-Jumaili's upbringing in the popular areas made his love for people and his dealings with them in a simple, realistic and real way.

Therefore, we see this popularity extended, as his character did not arrogant or arrogant to others, and he used to deal with excessive humanity with everyone.

He noted that Al-Jumaili was an important and wonderful figure and still in the memory of Iraqi society, and that it affected him completely even on subsequent generations, and Mustafa expresses his great admiration for the spontaneous performance of the late Rasim Al-Jumaili, pointing out by saying that this spontaneity is now lacking in the representative milieu.

For her part, the Iraqi artist Hind Kamel confirms that Al-Jumaili had a great influence on his audience, and his influence even in comedic-drama works, and he had famous comedies, perhaps the most comedic figure entrenched in the memory of the Iraqi public - but not the current generations.

He is "Abu Dawia" in the series "Fahd Moss Al Hallaq", by the late comedian "Salim Al-Basri".


She added during her interview with Al-Jazeera Net, that the true natural talent of the late "Rasim Al-Jumaili" was far from artificial and pretentious, which made him enter the hearts of the elite audience or the simple audience.

Not far from art, writer and journalist Abdul Aleem Al-Banna says that the late established a restaurant serving authentic Baghdad food and drinks in a Baghdad house and managed it himself, as it witnessed widespread polarization, in which songs and the like were presented, and its pioneers - from the elite - were artists and intellectuals.

Rasim al-Jumaili died in Syria far from his friends and loved ones, and was buried in Damascus, and was buried in the Cemetery of the Strangers, next to the late poets Muhammad Mahdi Al-Jawahiri and Abdul-Wahab Al-Bayati.