Iraqi actor Mohammad Qassem, the main character of a parody sketch video of Bab al-Hara, an adaptation of an iconic long-running Syrian television drama, adjusts his face mask while acting on set in Iraq's southern port city of Basra on April 22, 2020. Artists in Iraq's southern port city of Basra have adapted the beloved characters of "Bab al-Hara" - the 10-season period drama watched across the Arab world -- to convince their compatriots to take the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic seriously. The language of comedy could convince people to take preventative action against the virus in ways government orders could not. AFP / Hussein Faleh
Iraqi actors act out a scene of a parody sketch video adaptation of Bab al-Hara, a long-running iconic Syrian television drama, to raise awareness through videos on the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in Iraq's southern port city of Basra on April 22, 2020. AFP / Hussein Faleh
Iraqi actor Ayad al-Atabi, (L), gets his makeup done on the set of a parody sketch video of Bab al-Hara, an adaptation of an iconic long-running Syrian television drama, in Iraq's southern port city of Basra on April 22, 2020. AFP / Hussein Faleh
(L to R) Iraqi actors Ayad al-Atabi, Mohammad Qassem, Oussama Mahdi, Kamel al-Azraqi, and Youssef al-Hajjaj pose for a group picture on the set of a parody sketch video of Bab al-Hara, an adaptation of an iconic long-running Syrian television drama, in Iraq's southern port city of Basra on April 22, 2020. AFP / Hussein Faleh
The set's makeup artist (L) takes a selfie photograph as he poses with Iraqi actors (L to R) Ayad al-Atabi, Oussama Mahdi, Youssef al-Hajjaj, and Mohammad Qassem on the set of a parody sketch video of Bab al-Hara, an adaptation of an iconic long-running Syrian television drama, in Iraq's southern port city of Basra on April 22, 2020. AFP / Hussein Faleh
Iraqi actor Ayad al-Atabi poses for a picture on the set of a parody sketch video of Bab al-Hara, an adaptation of an iconic long-running Syrian television drama, in Iraq's southern port city of Basra on April 22, 2020. AFP / Hussein Faleh
Iraqi actor Youssef al-Hajjaj poses for a picture on the set of a parody sketch video of Bab al-Hara, an adaptation of an iconic long-running Syrian television drama, in Iraq's southern port city of Basra on April 22, 2020. AFP / Hussein Faleh
Iraqi actor Kamel al-Azraqi poses for a picture on the set of a parody sketch video of Bab al-Hara, an adaptation of an iconic long-running Syrian television drama, in Iraq's southern port city of Basra on April 22, 2020. AFP / Hussein Faleh
Iraqi actor Oussama Mahdi poses for a picture on the set of a parody sketch video of Bab al-Hara, an adaptation of an iconic long-running Syrian television drama, in Iraq's southern port city of Basra on April 22, 2020.AFP / Hussein Faleh
Iraqi actor Mohammad Qassem poses for a picture on the set of a parody sketch video of Bab al-Hara, an adaptation of an iconic long-running Syrian television drama, in Iraq's southern port city of Basra on April 22, 2020. AFP / Hussein Faleh
Iraqi actor Mohammad Qassem, the main character of a parody sketch video of Bab al-Hara, an adaptation of an iconic long-running Syrian television drama, wears a face mask while acting on set in Iraq's southern port city of Basra on April 22, 2020. AFP / Hussein Faleh
Iraqi actor Mohammad Qassem, the main character of a parody sketch video of Bab al-Hara, an adaptation of an iconic long-running Syrian television drama, wears a face mask while acting on set in Iraq's southern port city of Basra on April 22, 2020. AFP / Hussein Faleh
