Not a single cinema hall but Saudis hold their first film festival

Saudis, known for banning popular Bollywood and Hollywood films, are now organising the country's first ever film festival. Till date, there are no cinema halls in Saudi Arabia. In fact, when Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Black' was screened privately at an exclusive club and the news leaked out, a leading Imam condemned the Indian film for violating Islamic norms. Now, the eastern Saudi city of Dammam is hosting a four-day film festival showcasing the best of Saudi's cinema, writes Pervaiz Alam.

Saudi Arab's first film festival in Dammam started with a recitation of Quranic verses Tuesday, May 20. The auditorium of the Saudi Society of Arts and Culture in Dammam was filled with more than 650 viewers in the men’s section Tuesday night attending the opening of the first annual “Saudi Film Competition.” Women have also been invited to attend and have been provided a separate hall. Also in attendance was Minister of Culture and Information Iyad Madani, said the Arab News.

The organisers were tense because, according to reports, a few days ago, an Islamic scholar Sheik Abdullah al-Obailan had issued a damning condemnation against a cultural club in the northern city of Hayel for screening an Indian movie, calling its members a 'gangrene in the body' with 'thoughts shrouded by illicit lust'.

Bollywood in Saudi Arabia

Despite Saudi restrictions, the DVDs of Indian films with subtitles in Arabic are hugely popular in Saudi Arabia as majority of the Arabs find it easy to relate to the Indian stories of family melodrama and fun. Film lovers go to Dubai to see the latest movies.

The cinema scene in Saudi Arabia has changed incredibly during the last two years, say sources. This year in February, Asian Consuls General Club of Jeddah, comprising senior diplomats, organised a 12-day Asian Film Festival 2008 in Jeddah. Obviously, they got an informal nod from the govt. And guess who attracted the glitterati? The Yash Raj films' blockbuster 'Chak De India', featuring India's most popular film star Shah Rukh Khan, diplomats say.

First Film Festival of Saudi Arabia in Dammam

The first ever Saudi film festival is likely to generate a lot of heat. It has already created a sensation in the Islamic world. A popular site IslamOnline.net reported the news: "The festival is a first step to introduce the Saudi cinema and promote a cinematic culture," Ahmed al-Mulla, the chairman of the organising committee, told IslamOnline.net.

Filmmaking in Saudi Arabia is in its infancy. Some say it's yet to be born, legitimately. The country's first feature film was made only two years ago, but it was shot in Dubai. And, it's yet to be screened publicly in Saudi Arab.

The First Saudi Arab Film Festival (20-24 May 2008) will screen 54 Saudi shorts, ranging from three minutes to 56 minutes. 34 films are in the competition. The winners will be rewarded with 10 thousand Saudi Rials and trophies.

Under pressure from the conservatives, the Saudi government imposed a ban on screening cinema in the country in the 1970s. However, things started to change in October 2005, when the first public screenings of cinema were organised in a hotel of Riyadh. But they were a selection of cartoon films! Late last year, the Shura Council debated a proposal to allow cinemas in the kingdom. But formally the ban is yet to be lifted.

On the opening night, Saudi filmmaker Abdullah Al-Mohaisen said: “My movies have been shown all over the world and I have been honoured at foreign festivals, but this time it feels different because I’m being recognised here in my country.”

First Saudi feature film

Saudi Arab's first feature film 'keif al-hal' (2006)

The first Saudi Arabian feature-film 'keif al-hal' was shown at the 59th Cannes Film Festival 2006, where it attracted lots of publicity.

'Keif al-hal,' set in a Riyadh home, begins with the college graduation ceremony of Sahar, played by a Jordanian actress, Mais Hamdan. Sultan, an orphaned cousin of the family, played by a Saudi heartthrob named Hisham al-Huwaish, plays out his romantic dream of becoming a filmmaker in a place where the arts are not respected, while staring at Sahar, his secret love.

Sahar's elder brother, Khaled, a fundamentalist, begins dictating what she needs to do. The tensions grow when Khaled comes to believe that his sister is having a secret romance.

'Keif al-hal,' starring Saudi actors Mees, Hind Muhammad and Hisham Abdul Raheem, was produced by Saudi Ayman Al-Halawani of Rotana group, one of the Middle East's fastest growing media companies owned by the Saudi billionaire Prince Walid bin Talal.

A historic moment

For many the first Saudi Film Festival was a historic moment. Minister of Culture and Information Iyad Madani said in his opening remarks that despite the fact that Saudi cinema might still be questioned by some, he hopes that Saudi directors through their movies present Saudi society in a way that does not alienate people.

Sources told Arab News that the four members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice were present at the ceremony and objected to the presence of women reporters in the men’s section and complained about the playing of music.

Observers say the Saudi rulers with the help of liberals such as Prince Walid bin Talal are testing waters. They are also sending signals to the West that their country is on the cusp of a change. Realists believe these changes are too little too late, but they are still more than welcome.