Willi
Noelle is a man of great vision. He's an artist and writer,
and until recently was a cameraman for Austrian television news.
And, his job was not always easy. The sets that he
worked on were often the hot spots of trouble, and, more often
than not there was more of a story behind the getting of a
story than the story itself! And what happened one night in war-torn
Beirut was probably the most perilous of all!
It
was the early 70s of last century.
Willi
Noelle and his team had gone to Beirut to interview Yasser
Arafat. And actually
getting to meet Yasser Arafat was no easy matter. It was a mixture
of suspense,
waiting and patience.
And, all on a budget of limited time. 4 days was their maximum.
Staying longer in Beirut was simply too dangerous. Many journalists
who had stepped over this mark were never seen again. The kidnapping
and shooting of foreign journalists was very good business!
And so, there they were
waiting in the most guarded hotel in the most dangerous city
on earth for an interview that might or might not happen, and, for
them, time was running out quickly. Their four days would be up in
the morning. And then, just after convincing themselves
that nothing would happen the telephone rang. They put down their
drinks and left the hotel. And there, outside in the dark was a
car, and, it was waiting for them.
It was pitch black as they were
driven through the streets full of shadows and danger. They knew
nothing about where they were going. And, only Willi Noelle who was
sitting in the front was able to make out the signals that the driver
was flashing with his headlights. The shadows were guarding their
route. But, nonetheless, they couldn't help wondering
if they would still be alive when the morning grey came! The air was
electric and charged with suspense. But then the car came to a
halt. They had arrived. But where?
They were in a small dimly lit
courtyard. The ground was full of glass splinters; there had been
recent fighting. There were uniformed soldiers who were smoking and
hanging around in small groups. And, Willi Noelle and his team
were afraid, but didn't dare show it!
But then through the menacing
still of the night came a sound. It was a clack clack clack. And,
there was the officer. A small lame man with a hunchback
and wearing an oversized uniform which made him ridiculous! No
words were exchanged. Only signs. And then, doing as was ordered,
they followed the clack – clack – clack of the officer's right
foot hitting the ground. And, still not knowing where they were
going.
And then came a door in a wall.
There was a very dim light. The door opened and down and down they
went. And there was a bunker.
It was comfortable. There was a
red leather three piece suite, a wall which was covered with a print
of a mountainous landscape. And, the offer of a strong Lebanese
coffee and an even stronger Turkish cigarette was just that was
needed. But, where was Yasser Arafat? The answer was not long in
coming.
It was whilst Willi Noelle's
camera was being examined by an Hungarian photography student that
Willi Noelle thought he saw the wall move! Had the day been too much?
But, he was right. The wall wasn't a wall, it was a screen, and
there behind it was the unshaven and smiling and ready to speak
Yasser Arafat. He had been there all the time. And he spoke and the
interview happened.
And,
Willi Noelle and his team got back to their hotel without any
mishaps, and, as planned, they left Beirut a few hours later.
And then, high up in the sky it all became clear.
No
passwords had been used to enter the bunker, the key had been the
clack – clack – clack of the officer's right foot. If they had
been taken or captured, they would have had nothing to reveal.
They had heard and seen nothing at all!
And
the Hungarian? He was really no student at all. All he had been doing
was checking the camera, it could have been a gun. And their
four day wait became clear as well. That was the time for checking
and watching. There is no such thing as trust in a war!
Of
course, Willi Noelle didn't stop there, he completed many more
missions, some dangerous, some not, and it was later that he turned
his eye towards art. And, he succeeded which is hardly surprising.
Both filming and painting require an eye that is trained, and it is
the same understanding that's needed for the filming of people and
the painting of nature!
And
so, Willi Noelle's vision goes on – but now, in a way that's no
longer filled with suspense! His life is now being being himself.
He no longer shoots with his camera, but his eyes are still seeing.
And, looking death in the eye is no longer a part of his work!
Vocabulary
ambush
– Hinterhalt
convincing
– überzeugend
hunchback
– Buckel
lame
– hinkend
mishap
- Unglück/Mißgeschik
no
matter what – egal was
nonetheless
– nichts desto weniger
patience
– Geduld
perilous
– gefährlich
reveal
- enthüllen
ridiculous
– lächerlich
suspense
– Spannung
..
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