A national cinema is not a set of films which help distinguish a nation from other nations, it is a chain of relations and exchanges which develop in connection with films, in a territory delineated by its economic and
juridical policy.
Pierre Sorlin, Italian National Cinema
In conjunction with the Saudi Film Festival, this session of the FCF explored the concept of national cinema, as well as its current contextual
complexities: the ever-expanding ecosystem of streaming platforms, the ongoing convergence of media forms, pervasive multinational coproductions, and the accelerated restructuring of distribution chains. We examined the state of cinema in the country, as it has responded both critically and scholastically to recently established initiatives, policies, and institutions—governmental or otherwise. Influential analysts,
researchers, and practitioners explored the process of continued collective exchange, through which national cinemas, including the Saudi one,
fit into the web of transnational networks of cinema.
Cinema's mass appeal and the recognition of its potential influence has often motivated governments to invest in the industry. In this session of the Film Criticism Forum, in conjunction with the Saudi Film Festival, we take the opportunity to explore the concept of national cinema, as well as its current contextual complexities: the ever-expanding ecosystem of streaming platforms, the ongoing convergence of media forms, pervasive multinational co-productions, and the accelerated restructuring of distribution chains.
In light of the multifaceted efforts to develop the film industry in Saudi Arabia, this session examines the state of cinema in the country, as it has responded both critically and scholastically to recently established initiatives, policies, and institutions - governmental or otherwise. Influential analysts, researchers, and practitioners explore the process of continued collective exchange, through which national cinemas, including the Saudi one, fit into the web of transnational networks of cinema. We welcome audience participation in this session, in pursuit of a keener understanding of national cinema.
This series of short presentations, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A session, examined national cinema away from home and across the Asian continent. The talks juxtaposed Khaliji cinema with the more established regional cinema of South Asia, long imported to the Gulf region, where it is viewed by a broad swath of society, including Asian expatriate communities. Such travel is unlike that of Arabic-language movies, particularly those from Egypt, which have extended across the Gulf region based on a shared language and the regionalism of the Arab world. Convening these panelists with expertise in a wide range of Asian cinemas—Indian, Syrian, Emirati, Palestinian, and Saudi—presented a special opportunity to discuss national cinema, and how a relatively new Saudi national cinema may fit into regionalisms that are more than geographic.
Kay Dickinson, Professor of Film and Television Studies, University of Glasgow.
From its onset, the cinema of the Arab world has celebrated its mixed provenance. This presentation took a closer look at three well-respected films from the region that explore these tendencies. While all three movies resolutely perpetuate a national image or cause, they still cannot be identified as the work of any one country. In so doing, they opened up some intriguing questions for discussion. To what extent has border-crossing cinematic collaboration honed national expression? When a homeland goes unrecognized on the international stage, does it make sense to rally other territories into the frame? What does it mean for a government to fund a film in which no traces of its country are left visible?
Sreya Mitra, Associate Professor, Department of Mass
The Middle East has long been a site of Hindi film consumption and circulation, and Dubai has recently emerged as a potent hub for Bollywood’s overseas distribution and marketing. In the past decade, the UAE witnessed the launch of three cable and satellite television channels—Zee Aflam (2009), Zee Alwan (2012), and MBC Bollywood (2013). With dedicated Bollywood content, much of it dubbed in Arabic, these channels primarily target the local Emirati and expatriate Arab audience. This presentation examined the dissemination of dubbed Hindi content in the context of media flows between the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent; India’s role as a “soft power” in the region, and subsequently, Bollywood’s cultural cachet; and Dubai’s emergent role as a “media capital” and as a node of transnational media economics.
Abdulrahman Alghannam, Assistant Professor of Cinema and Media Studies, King Faisal University
Gaining momentum in the 2000s, “Khaliji cinema” has emerged as a distinct category of filmmaking in the GCC countries, with ever more films being produced and gaining regional recognition. This talk looked at the role of regional cultural identity in shaping both the production and the reception of films in the Gulf region, with special attention to the history of close collaboration in commerce, culture, and politics, which in turn allowed an examination of contemporary filmmaking practices and forms relating to shared Khaliji objects. This talk also highlighted the importance of the film festival circuit and cinema screens for the categorical significance of Khaliji cinema, its evolution over time, and its future prospects both in the Gulf region and abroad.
Andrew Higson, Greg Dyke Professor of Film and Television, University of York, in conversation with Mohannad Ghawanmeh, Curator, Film Criticism Forum
Professor Andrew Higson, a leading commentator on the idea of national cinema, talked with Mohannad Ghawanmeh about national cinema as a concept, drawn from Higson’s experience of British cinema. Higson proposed ways for academic research to engage with the film industry and raised the British case as a way to develop understandings of other national cinemas. Reflecting on Higson’s forty-year scholarly career and his prolific publications on cinema and nationhood, the conversation addressed questions of how national cinema has evolved, along with various intellectual trends within the discipline of film studies.
Bassam Al Thawadi, Film Director and Producer
Hana Alomair, Filmmaker, Content Advisor to MBC, and Chair, Saudi Cinema Association
Erfan Rashid, Film Director and Critic, Asharq News
Moderator: Maha Sultan, Assistant Curator, Film Criticism Forum
Khaliji music is recognized as both a form and a genre, but Khaliji cinema has yet to be similarly acknowledged. Over the past decade, discourse concerning Khaliji cinema has been preoccupied with the industry itself. In this session, our panel experts addressed questions such as, what does it mean for a film to be Khaliji? And what does it mean for a film to be part of the cinematic trajectory that represents Saudi national identity in the world at large? Arabic speakers are able to perceive the nuanced linguistic elements that identify a film as particularly Khaliji, whereas non-Arabic speakers can appreciate various visual signifiers such as topography, costuming, and customs as expressed within Khaliji films. Beyond any cultural similarities, Khaliji peoples have been interacting and living in close proximity with one another since far before the individual countries that comprise the GCC were established. Deliberating on Khaliji representation, this panel discussed homogenization, shared concerns, and the tenuous balance in cultural emphasis among GCC countries of varying size and influence.
Walaa Sindi, Animation Director and Academic Member
Mohamed Sobaih, Assistant Professor, Effat University
Afnan Bawyan, Script Writer, Script Supervisor, and Animation Director
Moderator: Ahmed Alayyad, Journalist and Film Critic
Khaliji music is recognized as both a form and a genre, but Khaliji cinema has yet to be similarly acknowledged. Over the past decade, discourse concerning Khaliji cinema has been preoccupied with the industry itself. In this session, our panel experts addressed questions such as, What does it mean for a film to be Khaliji? And what does it mean for a film to be part of the cinematic trajectory that represents Saudi national identity in the world at large? Arabic speakers are able to perceive the nuanced linguistic elements that identify a film as particularly Khaliji, whereas non-Arabic speakers can appreciate various visual signifiers such as topography, costuming, and customs as expressed within Khaliji films. Beyond any cultural similarities, Khaliji peoples have been interacting and living in close proximity with one another since far before the individual countries that comprise the GCC were established. Deliberating on Khaliji representation, this panel discussed homogenization, shared concerns, and the tenuous balance in cultural emphasis among GCC countries of varying size and influence.
Abraha and his ruthless invading army threaten the city of Makkah and are trying to destroy everything and everyone in their path. A simple potter named Aws and a group of fighters decide to defend their city against this mighty army, but when he discovers among the defenders his lost childhood friend Zurara, Aws is forced to reveal his dark past. In the midst of danger, Aws battles his doubts and fears as he tries to unite his friends and companions on the eve of the battle, and the strength of their faith and perseverance drives them to stand and fight. As Abraha’s army approaches, the fate of their city and their families is at stake.
Kōbun Shizuno is best known for directing the animated films Case Closed: The Crimson Love Letter (2017) and, with Hiroyuki Seshita, GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters (2017). He first directed one of the Case Closed films in 2004 and was selected as general director of the animated series G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 in 2005. After that, he returned to Case Closed, directing the series from 2011 to 2017. He also directed the animated TV series Knights of Sidonia (2014) and co-directed the whole animated trilogy GODZILLA, released in 2017 and 2018.
Rabih El-Khoury, Film Curator, DDF - German Film Institute & Film Museum, Frankfurt, Germany
Curating a film program involves much more than deciding on a selection of movies and securing their screening. Curatorial work is a creative practice that enhances the effect of selected artworks while generating additional effects derived from the assembly and juxtaposition of programmed movies. The creative work of curation is not performed in isolation but often as a member of a team, and always with audiences in mind. This workshop explored film curation as an occupation, a career, and a creative act.
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