The inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival is one of those rare events where the theme, Waves of Change, has a wider connotational merit.
Taking place at Jeddah’s historic Al-Balad district until December 15, the festival comes at the heels of the first Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and precedes the Ad-Diriyah Biennale, the country’s first contemporary art biennale. Together, the events represent a concentrated push by Saudi Arabia to establish itself as a global cultural destination.
While major ripples of this new cultural tide could still be felt in Jeddah by the protracted roar of Formula One cars, the arrival of Arab and international celebrities for the festival has rejuvenated the wave with swank and ceremony.
Stars including Catherine Deneuve, Yousra, Clive Owen, Anthony Mackie, Mohamed Henedi, Hillary Swank arrived at the red carpet opening dressed to the nines, as did Thierry Fremaux, director of the Cannes Film Festival, and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Farhan Al-Saud.
For Saudi Arabia, the festival is a marked stride to present itself as a global name in cinema after years of abstinence. For local aspiring filmmakers, it is a long-awaited sign of support. This was the sentiment expressed by Haifaa Al Mansour during her acceptance speech after she was honoured at the festival.
In 2012, Al Mansour became the first female Saudi filmmaker with Wadjda and has since established herself on a global platform with films like Mary Shelley and television drama The Good Lord Bird.
“This is a new moment in our history as Saudis,” she said of the festival. “As a child, watching a film was a dream. Making a short film was a dream. To make a film in Saudi Arabia was a dream. And now, that I’m here being honoured among my people in the first film festival is a big moment.
"Cinema gave me my voice. As a woman, I grew up in Saudi at a time when women and culture were not at the centre. Now we are at the centre. It is a new page, we will lead the country.”
More than 100 films from around the world will be showing throughout the 10-day event.
The festival opened with Peter Dinklage's film Cyrano. Directed by Pride & Prejudice filmmaker Joe Wright, the musical takes a novel approach on the enduring love story by Edmond Rostand.
Before the film’s start, Mohammed Al Turki, chairman of the festival, said the event was a turning point in the country’s history as it begins to embrace “the waves of change”.
“It is a true honour to host such a wealth of both international and Arabic talent at our opening ceremony in a celebration of filmmaking unlike any other that the kingdom has seen before," he said. "Over the next 10 days, we will honour the very best of filmmaking from our region and beyond, and we could not have wished for a better way to begin than tonight.
"The festival is a watershed moment for our burgeoning Saudi film industry and the opening ceremony has set a high bar of what is to come in our festival’s future.”
Several films by established regional filmmakers will be making their Arab premieres at the festival, including Huda’s Salon by Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu Assad and Communion by Nejib Belkadhi. Favourites from the global festival circuit, including Haider Rashid’s Europa and Nabil Ayouch’s Casablanca Beats will also be showing, as will international spectaculars including Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast and Kabir Khan’s Bollywood film 83.
Coming in after an almost two-year delay brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, the festival seems to have been biding its time well. Theatres by Vox Cinemas have been set up around Al-Balad district, as has a concert stage in the park opposite the historic Bab Jadid. Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean threw a surprise concert at the gala event in, performing popular tracks including No Woman, No Cry and Maria Maria.
As much as the festival’s star power was a head-turner, it is Al-Balad district that inspired awe.
The area’s cobblestones paths, tall and slender palm trees, as well as picturesque facades of the old coral houses make it easy to lose yourself to your surroundings as you navigate through the festival.
The festival has brought a palpable change to the atmosphere in the district, but many things remained charmingly unperturbed by the bustle and glitz of the event. Textile shops around the area remained open, with shopkeepers curiously looking out the window from behind piles of polychrome rolls of fabrics.
Elderly dominoes players continued on with their games, as did the children who played impromptu football matches with crumbled water bottles. Every now and then they did stop their games, smiling and nodding politely and in welcome at the well-dressed passersby. More than a few times, I was asked where I had travelled from – a marked sign of excitement by the district’s dwellers at having their pocket of Jeddah visited by droves of tourists.
"It’s definitely changing,” Shabab, a taxi driver told me, dropping me off to the hotel after the opening night. “It’s been changing for the last two years. But these last two weeks, it’s been a completely different atmosphere. It’s good. We want people to come, to see not only the history of Al-Balad, but what’s possible here. Things are happening. In a few years, I’m sure I won’t even be able to keep up.”
Red Sea International Film Festival runs from December 6-15. More information is available at redseafilmfest.com
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreators%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Amer%2C%20Ramy%20Youssef%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Amer%2C%20Teresa%20Ruiz%2C%20Omar%20Elba%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
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Report to local authorities
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Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Studying addiction
This month, Dubai Medical College launched the Middle East’s first master's programme in addiction science.
Together with the Erada Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation, the college offers a two-year master’s course as well as a one-year diploma in the same subject.
The move was announced earlier this year and is part of a new drive to combat drug abuse and increase the region’s capacity for treating drug addiction.
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
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iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
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Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
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The biog
Family: wife, four children, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren
Reads: Newspapers, historical, religious books and biographies
Education: High school in Thatta, a city now in Pakistan
Regrets: Not completing college in Karachi when universities were shut down following protests by freedom fighters for the British to quit India
Happiness: Work on creative ideas, you will also need ideals to make people happy
The specs: 2018 Genesis G70
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Engine: 3.3-litre, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 370hp @ 6,000rpm
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Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
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World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
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BMW M5 specs
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Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
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MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
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Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Astra%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdallah%20Abu%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%20investment%20and%20development%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
RECORD%20BREAKER
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
PRISCILLA
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