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Willi Noelle is now an artist and writer. But, he used to be a cameraman for Austrian television. And, his job was not always easy. The sets that he worked on were mainly 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, the adventure that Willi Noelle had one night in Beirut was not only thrilling, but dangerous as well. It was 1972 and Beirut was at war!
Willi Noelle and his TV team had gone to Beirut to meet Yassir Arafat - and all on a budget of limited time. 4 days and no more. Staying longer in Beirut was simply too dangerous. Many journalists who had stayed longer had never been seen or heard of again. The kidnapping and shooting of foreign journalists in Beirut was then very good business!
And so, there they were, Willi Noeli and his team, waiting in one of the most guarded hotels in one of the most dangerous cities on earth. And, time was running out quickly. Their four days would be up in the morning, and, so far, all that they'd had had been doubt and suspense. And so, the only place left to go was the bar for one or two final drinks. And then, just after convincing themselves that nothing would happen, the telephone rang. They put down their drinks and hurriedly left. 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 in the morning. The air was electric and charged with suspense. And, then the car stopped.
They were in a small dimly lit courtyard. There were uniformed soldiers smoking and hanging around in small groups. And, the ground was full of glass splinters. Maybe, there had been recent fighting. And, Willi Noelle and his team were afraid, but, of course, 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, Willi Noeli and his team followed the clack – clack – clack of the officer's right foot.
And then they came to a door in a wall. There was a very dim light. The door opened and down and down they went. And, they kept going down. And there, deep under ground was a bunker.
And, it was the most comfortable bunker Willi Noeli had ever, ever seen. There was an English 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, this comfortable bunker had a feeling of fear. It was a hole in the ground. A place only for hiding. And, where was Yassir 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! And, he was right. The wall wasn't a wall. It was a screen. And, there behind it was the unshaven and smiling Yassir Arafat. He had been there all the time. And then, with only minutes to spare, they started to talk.
And, Willi Noelle and his team got back to their hotel without any mishaps, and, as planned, they left Beirut just 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 seen and heard nothing at all!
And the Hungarian student? He was really no student at all. His job was checking the camera, it could have been a bomb or a gun. And their four day wait became clear as well. That was the time for checking and watching. There's no such thing as trust in a war!
Of course, Willi Noelle completed many more missions, some dangerous, some not, and it was later that he turned his eye towards art. And, he did well. 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, captures instead with his brush. And, looking death in the eye is no longer a part of his daily routine
Willi Noeli. He went to Beirut and went for a drive after dark, and then, after following the clack-clack-clack of an unusual officer, met an interesting man. Willi Noeli – danger and vision were part of his life!
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
