As the curtain fell on the fifth Red Sea International Film Festival themed In Love with Cinema in the historic and UNESCO World Heritage Site Jeddah’s Al Balad on December 13, Saudi Arabia added a bright feather to its hat. The festival signifies the cultural opening in the Kingdom, but more than that,it was a preview of the ongoing cultural transformation. The festival showcased the newfound appreciation for cinema, film, and art in Saudi Arabia. It is one of the flagship events of the Red Sea Film Foundation with the Red Sea Fund, Red Sea Labs, and the Red Sea Souk.
The foundation aims to transform Saudi Arabia into a global hub for film and filmmakers, and the festival has gained prominence since its launch in 2019. Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman has the will to take the Kingdom to new heights, in line with the promotion of the creative industries and the development of a vibrant Saudi society under Vision 2030.
Saudi Arabia is focusing on preserving its heritage and promoting its culture through initiatives such as Diriyah. Culture Minister Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan said that culture is a cornerstone of the future, and Saudi Arabia is building a thriving cultural landscape through the promotion of the arts, language, music, handicrafts, and film.
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As women in cinema was the major focus during this year’s festival, famous Hollywood personality and multiple award-winning musician, actor and producer, Dana Elaine Owens (known by her stage name Queen Latifah), who has acted in films like Chicago, The Last Holiday and End of the Road opened the festival on December 4 highlighting the need to support women in films, music and storytelling. Golden Globe-nominated Jessica Alba appreciated the festival for giving a voice and a platform to women artists and filmmakers. Lebanese actor, producer, and activist Nadine Labaki emphasised cinema as a vital tool for women to express hidden suffering and taboos.
Out of the 111 screenings at the festival, 38 films were made by women directors, and the festival celebrated women through the ‘Women in Cinema Panel’ and the ‘Women in Cinema Gala Event’. ‘Women in Film: Bring Your Story to Programme showcased films from the Arab world depicting women’s narrative, including Cleanse the Streets (Jordan), No Land in Sight (UAE) and Of Burning Memories and Wounds (Egypt).
The films screened during the festival not only focused on various aspects of life through the female gaze, but also resonated with the carefully crafted reality of women's empowerment articulated in Vision 2030. Saudi Arabia lifted the ban on women driving in 2018 and is gradually opening its society to new ideas. The Kingdom is also focusing on making public spaces accessible to women and on including them in the workforce. Films like Jareesh Salam (Saudi Arabia) and The Man’s Land (Georgia)brought issues of women’s property inheritance rights to the fore.
Other than that, the festival screened films dealing with issues related to social realities for women, for instance, The Seventh Month (Kyrgyzstan) depicted the tradition vs. reality dichotomy in the context of motherhood, and Moms Cry Too (Saudi Arabia) painted a poignant picture of post-partum depression. Of Burning Memories and Wounds (Egypt) sheds light on distinct perspectives on the family among older and younger generations of women, and El-Sardines (France, Algeria) depicts the dilemma of a young female bio-marine engineer who must choose between family and career. Dropless (India) depicted the plight of a housewife.
Furthermore, the festival reflected Arab narratives of the region's political realities by screening films about conflict, often told through poignant love stories or quests to survive. For instance, The Story(Egypt) recounts the June 1967 war through a love story, and No Land in Sight (UAE) focuses on the plight of people fleeing the war-torn Sudan who are stranded at sea. What if They Bomb Here Tonight(Lebanon) brought to the fore the fear of an Israeli strike, and Jeem 1983 (Lebanon) described the 1983 Israel-Lebanon war through the eyes of a seven-year-old child.
The Arab countries are ardent supporters of the Palestinian cause, and Saudi Arabia is no exception. In recent decades, it appeared that the support for the cause is waning-mainly due to the UAE and Bahrain signing the Abraham Accords and speculations about Saudi Arabia being the next signatory. However, after the Hamas attack of October 7, the Arab countries have expressed strong support for the Palestinians. Gulf countries that were considering the possibility of developing close ties with Israel are re-considering due to the unwavering domestic support for the Palestinian people.
Saudi Arabia, which had opened its airspace for Israeli aircraft and had the Israeli tourism minister attending the UN World Tourism Conference, is balancing its manoeuvres vis-à-vis Israel-Palestine,and the festival reiterated its support for Palestine. The Scene depicted the difficulties a Palestinian family faced surviving in the ruins, and All That’s Left of You (Jordan/Palestine) told the story of three generations of Palestinians and won the Silver Yusr Film Award. The Voice of Hind Rajab is set against the backdrop of the Gaza War, and Palestine 36 depicts the Arab resistance to British Mandate policies (1936-39).
Regional films accounted for a substantial share of the festival's screenings: 15 short films were presented from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Jordan,and Lebanon. Films from other regions were also screened at the festival; The Wizard of Kremlin (France, Latvia) depicted the final years of the Soviet Union, and Giant (UK) is about a British Yemeni Boxer. Primavera (Italy), The Secret Agent(Portuguese), Erupcja (Poland), Girl (Mandarin), Kokuho (Japan), Scarlet (Japan), Nighttime Sounds(China), and The World of Love (Korea) were also screened and were received well by the audience.
The festival was also an opportunity for Saudi Arabia to showcase the budding Saudi film industry with the screening of a number of films like Noor about a Saudi Footballer; Seven Summits about Badr al-Shibani’s quest to climb the highest peaks of the seven continents; Desert Warrior about Princess Hind of the 7th Century; and Human Tide about the Hajj pilgrimage. Hijra on the Hajj pilgrimage won the Yusr Juri Prize and the Al Ula Audience Award.
The festival also featured film personalities including Kirsten Dunst, Nina Dobrev, and Dakota Johnson. Regional Personalities popular in the region, such as Mai Omar (Egypt), Lebleba (Egypt), Amir al Masry (Egypt), and Ali Kalthamy (Saudi Arabia), received a coveted platform at the Al Balad festival.
The festival reflects the expanding Saudi soft power within the region and beyond. The participation of actors and the screening of films from outside the Arab world lend legitimacy to the opening of Saudi Arabia's society and entertainment industry. In the context of India-Saudi bilateral ties, the participation of Indian film personalities and the showcasing of Indian films underscore Bollywood’s popularity in the region. Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Kirti Sanon, Alia Bhatt, and Kartik Aryan, among others, attended the festival.
Saudi Arabia is focusing on enhancing its soft power within the region and beyond, and the festival is part of that effort. Also, hosting such festival projects a positive image for the region, which is mired in conflict and crisis. Cuban actress Ana de Armas highlighted the growth of cinema in the Middle East during the festival. In a nutshell, the festival is gradually redefining Saudi Arabia's image as it competes with other Gulf countries and the region as a whole.
The author is an Associate Professor at the Centre for West Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.