Red Sea Cinema reveals a programme "New Saudi Cinema for feature films"

The Red Sea International Film Festival revealed five films within the “New Saudi Cinema, Feature Films” program. This year, which embodied the creativity of a new generation of documentary filmmakers, it will be shown during the fifth session from December 4 to 13, in the country’s historic Jeddah.

 

The five films reflect – light; The tide is human; seven peaks; I saw the sand drawing; And the circles of life— The growing cinematic and cultural movement in the Kingdom, and confirms the diversity and creative richness that characterizes the Saudi documentary film scene today.

 

The audience of these films witnesses diverse experiences brimming with humanity and inspiration; They accompany personalities from outside the Kingdom on their first trip to perform the Hajj (the movie The Blessed Tide), and they live with a Saudi adventurer the first moments of his ascent to the summit of Everest (the movie Seven Summits). They contemplate through the lens of cinema the experiences of contemporary artists from the Kingdom and the Arab world (the movie I Saw Sand Drawing and the movie Circles of Life). They also draw inspiration from the bright sports career of the Saudi football star, Mohamed Nour. And the achievements she achieved with Al-Ittihad and Al-Nasr clubs and the national team (Film Nour).

For his part, Faisal Baltoor, CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation, stated: “The “New Saudi Cinema, for Feature Films” program reflects” The remarkable prosperity witnessed by documentary filmmaking in the Kingdom, and the artistic maturity and profound visual awareness achieved by Saudi filmmakers. These talents are no longer limited to feature films only, but their creativity has extended to documentaries that touch the essence of the human experience and reflect the spirit of transformation that the Kingdom is experiencing. The diversity and richness of the themes of this year’s films confirm that the Kingdom is full of human and cultural experiences that deserve to be told, and that its makers are able to transfer them to the screen in a sophisticated artistic language that expresses the reality and aspirations of the nation. This program is an extension of an inspiring cinematic journey that contributes to consolidating the Kingdom’s position as a thriving center for the documentary film industry in the region. Nour

Director: Omar Al-Muqri

Producer: Saad Turkistani

It is the story of “Mohammed Nour”, who rose from humble beginnings in Mecca, to become one of the most famous football players in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The documentary follows his career with Al-Ittihad Club, where his leadership personality led the team to achieve local and continental titles. The influence of “Nour” extended Beyond his club, he represented the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the FIFA World Cup in 2002 and 2006. This film highlights both his successes and his personal hardships, presenting a strong message about resilience and the lasting legacy he left for generations. Coming.

 

· The Human Tide

Director: David Ward

Producer: Donal McCusker

Every year, millions of Muslims set out to perform the holy Hajj. The documentary film “The Human Tide” presents An intimate look at this spiritual journey, through the eyes of seven diverse groups of pilgrims, each with their own personal reasons for undertaking this once-in-a-lifetime journey. Among these, "Youssef" And his father is “handsome” Coming from Sweden, who are seeking to recover from mental health struggles. By weaving their individual voices together, the film presents a captivating portrait that reveals the profound transformations it ignites.

 

· Seven Peaks

Director: Amir El-Shennawi

Producer: Roaa Al-Madani

Saudi adventurer “Badr Al-Shaibani” fights… A journey of discovery: Climbing the highest peak on each of the seven continents of the world. The film “Seven Summits” documents This journey is as much a test of survival as it is a personal journey of self-discovery. From the most isolated and harsh peaks, all the way to his ultimate challenge on Everest, the story of “Al-Shaibani” is… A powerful exploration of human resilience, the search for identity, and the unwavering determination to transcend both physical and internal limits.

 

· I Saw the Sand Drawing

Director: Abdullah Al-Hamdi

Producer: Omar Al Bawardi

In the movie "I Saw the Sand Drawing" There are no clear boundaries between documentary, reality and fiction. In the end, the film does not provide answers, but rather leaves the viewer on the same threshold at which artists stand: the threshold between what we know and what we discover. There, where the sand becomes a memory, the image becomes a trace, and identity is a promise renewed with every look. It is a film about art as a state of life, and about a person when he sees himself in a drawing that takes shape and then disappears. As if beauty is not drawn to remain, but to remind us that everything we are looking for… It may be in the sand drawing itself.

 

· Circles of Life

Director: Khaled Al-Dasimani

Producer: Omar Al-Bawardi

The film talks about art and man, as he contemplates himself in the midst of transformation.

It narrates the journey of Saudi artists, as they walk in the space between memory and dream, where it transforms Every scene turns into a question, and every experience into new features of an identity that is formed every day.

In this film, art is presented as a living state of research and amazement. A transparent moment, in which time and place intersect, and the vision itself becomes a kind of drawing.

Through a poetic visual narrative, the film rereads the Saudi art scene, as a mirror of a broader transformation, which is the transformation of society itself in its relationship to time, identity, and beauty.