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The Red Sea Film Festival announced the list of films participating in the “Arabian Masterpieces” program within its fourth session, scheduled to be held from the fifth to the 14th of next December.
The program includes 5 films from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Algeria. From Egypt, the movie “Abdo and Sania” directed by Omar Bakri, starring Inji El-Gammal, Roger Simon, and Marilyn Villafne. The film takes place in 97 minutes, and tells the story of a couple from the Egyptian countryside who immigrate to New York, where they try to overcome the challenges of life in the big city while working in the restaurant industry.
The program also includes the Algerian film “The First Row” by director Merzak Allouache, which was previously screened at the 49th Toronto Film Festival. This is Allouache's 19th feature film, a comedy-drama that tells the story of an Algerian family facing daily struggles as mothers and their children strive to secure front-row seats on the beach, leading to a series of chaotic situations. The film reviews the social and economic challenges facing the poor in Algeria, presenting examples of diverse characters.
From the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 3 films are being shown as part of “Arabian Masterpieces”, which is “Salma and Qamar” directed by Ahed Kamel, whose events take place in the 1980s, and tells the story of a Saudi girl named Salma who suffers from the loss of her father, so her relationship with her Sudanese driver Qamar is strengthened and she draws strength from him. To overcome its crisis.
And the movie “Night and Day” by director Abdel Aziz Al-Muzaini, which presents a comedic story about a famous opera singer who is accused of racism after a video clip of him spreads on social media. He announces his marriage to a black woman in a surprising move.
As for the movie “Hobal” by director Abdel Aziz Al-Shalahi, it deals with the story of a Bedouin family living in isolation in the desert under the strict grandfather who forbids them to leave it, and they are exposed to the danger of an infectious disease that claimed the life of one of its members.
Antoine Khalife, director of the Arab and Classical Film Program at the festival, said that the festival seeks to present films with stories that deserve to be told, due to the quality of their narration and distinctive presentation.
Visions of the Red Sea
The “Red Sea Visions” section includes 5 Saudi films: “Yalla Parkour” by director Oraib Zuaiter, which is a documentary whose events take place in Gaza, where parkour becomes a symbol of rise and ambition, as young people exploit their energies and legacy from wars in this sport. And the film “Othman in the Vatican” by director Yasser Bin Ghanem, which expresses the international language of art through a Saudi artist’s journey to the Vatican. “The Roshan” by director Muhammad Osh celebrates the architectural legacy of the Roshan in Mecca, Jeddah, and Medina. As for the movie “Kimokazi,” directed by Abdul Rahman Al-Batawi, it shows scenes from artistic life in Jeddah, and focuses on the film’s hero’s journey to discover himself. Finally, “When the Light Shines,” directed by Rayan Al-Bishri, documents the efforts of the Layan Cultural Foundation to preserve Saudi heritage for future generations.
The festival had previously announced a list of 12 films among the international selections for the fourth session. Kaleem Aftab, Director of the International Program, explained that these films deal with humanitarian topics and contemporary social issues, as well as the quest for meaning in a world full of complexity and chaos.
From Egypt, the film “East 12” by director Hala Al-Qusi is screened after being screened at the Cannes Film Festival. It is a film that addresses the weaknesses that dictators face in front of the young generation. Al-Qusi mentioned in previous statements that she had made modifications to the film after obtaining production grants, but she faced delays due to the Corona pandemic, which forced her to wait for a new censorship permit even though the script did not change, and filming took only 22 days. Egypt is also participating in the movie “The White Dress,” directed by Gilan Aouf, and starring Yasmine Rais and Ahmed Khaled Saleh.
From Tunisia, the film “Agora” by director Alaeddine Slim is screened after participating in the Locarno Film Festival.
Among international films, “Evos” from the United States, directed by Carson Lund, won the Best Screenplay Award at the Silk Road International Film Festival in China. The film “A Family Touch” by director Sarah Friedland from the United States will also be screened after participating in the Venice, Villa Medici and BFI London festivals.
From China, the film “Black Dog” by director Guan Hu, winner of the “Un Certain Regard” award from the Cannes Film Festival, is being screened. Also showing are “The Legend of the Bohemian Queen of Lagos”, a co-production between Nigeria, South Africa, Germany and the United States, the Ukrainian film “You Are the Universe” directed by Pavlo Ostrekov, and “Freedom Road” from Nigeria by director Afolabi Olalekan, which participated in the Toronto Film Festival.
From France, the film “Little Jaffna” directed by Lawrence Valen, the French film “The Quiet Life” directed by Alexandros Avranas, and “Santosh” directed by Sandhya Suri from the United Kingdom are being screened.
