Director of photography Yazan Sharbatji announced the departure of his father, the great Syrian director Hisham Sharbatji, on Tuesday, at the age of seventy-five.
Yazan wrote on his Facebook page, "Thank you for everything, mercy for your soul." The Syrian Artists Syndicate also mourned the late artist on its Facebook page.
Sharbatji's death comes days after his daughter, director Rasha Sharbatji, said her father's health condition had improved, but he died today in a hospital in Damascus from the repercussions of a stroke he suffered two years ago, during which he suffered health setbacks.
Sadness in the artistic community
As soon as the news of Sharbatji's departure spread, a large number of his friends, fans and colleagues in the artistic community were keen to mourn him through their pages on social media.
The artist Yasser Al-Azma mourned him, writing, "On the day of my birthday, a dear friend leaves us, we began together the march of long art, so we were tormented by the beginnings, may God have mercy on you, my dear friend."
On the day of my birthday, a dear friend leaves us, we started together the long march of art, so we were tormented by the beginnings, may God have mercy on you, my dear friend Hisham, and my sincere condolences to his daughter Rasha and his son, director and photographer Yazan and all his family and relatives, may God
inhabit him in his paradise, and forgive all his sins,
and what remains only for the face of God#Hisham
_Sharbatji#مرايا pic.twitter.com/SEYbmEgy4P
— Yasser Alazma Yasser Al-Azma (@YaserAlazmeh) May 16, 2023
He described the artist as Yakhour as a maker of laughter and teacher of the profession and wrote on his Facebook page "Farewell, O maker of laughter and maker of drama and teacher of the profession and Sheikh hater goodbye Hisham Sharbatji, all condolences to Mrs. Rasha Sharbatji and friend Yazan Sharbatji and Professor Ayman Sharbatji and the family of the deceased, may God have mercy on him and inhabit his spacious paradise patience and solace that we belong to God and to him we return."
The artist Sulafa Mimar mourned him, through her Instagram account, and wrote, "Sheikh Al-Kar, the maker of pleasure, Mr. Hisham Sharbatji, is in the grace of God." Sulaf Fawakherji wrote, "Al-Kabir passed away and left us a great artistic legacy and lessons that everyone who had the privilege of working with him would know."
As for the artist Qusai Khouli, he mourned him on his Twitter page, saying, "Sheikh Al-Kar never fired free of charge Hisham Sharbatji for everything he asks in this profession for every detail. Starting with the camera, sound, image, lenses, editing, techniques, the latest and oldest, about the actor's management, the script, and finally the directing, you had his answer."
Sheikh Alkar.
Hisham Sharbatji was never released for free.
For everything asked in this profession, for every detail
starting from the camera, sound, image, lenses, montage, the latest and oldest techniques.
About the management of the actor, the script and finally the direction was his answer to you.
Every detail was thrown under this majestic eyebrow and the hawk's gaze that won't... pic.twitter.com/v67fZR12P3
— Kosai Khauli 🇸🇾 - 🇺🇸 (@kosai1khauli) May 16, 2023
Actress Nadine Khoury wrote, on her Facebook page, "The great professor and director, who enriched the Syrian drama library with many wonderful and distinguished works, I had the honor to participate in most of his works, words cannot describe where the road that brought us together was long and full of respect and appreciation."
Writer Rana Hariri described him as a good and undying influencer, writing on her page, "Whoever leaves a mark and whoever gives for nothing remains alive forever in memory."
Sheikh Al-Kar and the generation of the renaissance of Syrian drama
The late director Hisham Sharbatji was nicknamed "Sheikh Al-Kar" or "Sheikh Kar of Syrian Comedy" for the comedies he presented during his career, the most famous of which are the series "Maraya" with actor Yasser Al-Azmeh, and the series "Spotlight", "Diary of a General Manager" and "Five Star Family".
The late director was born in Damascus in March 1948, he lived in the neighborhood of immigrants, where his father worked as a barber and accompanied his father in Old Damascus to listen to people's stories and stories, which contributed to the formation of his artistic background, and his artistic tendencies emerged when he was young and won a competition organized by the United Nations for the children of the world in photography.
After completing his school studies, he decided to travel to Egypt, where he obtained a Bachelor of Dramatic Arts, then moved to Germany to complete his studies, and then decided to return to Syria to become one of the generation of founders of the Syrian drama renaissance.
His works were very popular not only in Syria but also in the Arab world because of the comedic theme for which he is famous.
He collaborated in his work with great comedians such as Duraid Lahham, Yasser Al-Azma and Ayman Zeidan, and he began his career in the early eighties of the last century and presented nearly 40 works, starting with the series "Fun TV", then the series "Maraya", the series "Al-Bina", "See the People", "The Other Face" and "Five Star Family", as well as "Director by Chance", "The Stranger and the River", "Ahlam Abu Al-Hana", "Diary of Jamil and Hana", as well as "The Search for an Identity", "Very Good", "Secrets of the City" and" Enta Omri", "Mabrouk", "Marzouk on All Fronts" and "Tash Ma Tash 8", and his last work was the series "Family Crisis" in 2017.
Director Hisham Sharbatji is married to an Egyptian woman and has three children, including two working in the field of drama, Yazan and his daughter, director Rasha Sharbatji, who inherited his profession and presented prominent works.