The Arts Edit
Hareth Al Bustani
Communications Strategist | Cultural Consultant | NLP Coach | Author | Public Speaker
IN FOCUS
This week, The National has been at Venice International Film Festival, catching up with film stars and attending premieres and screenings. During the event, James Mottram sat in on a panel discussion about the rise of Arab talent in the industry.
Egyptian screenwriter and producer Mohamed Hefzy said during the discussion that “if you look back at the past 30 years, you’ll find every region had its moment. I think Arab cinema really deserves its [own] moment ... and I think it's going to happen sooner rather than later".
Wayne Borg, managing director of media, entertainment, culture and fashion at Saudi Arabia's mega project Neom, added: "The region’s coming into a golden period. There’s so much focus on the industry by governments, with investment, I think the challenge is to ensure that investment is directed correctly, and that there’s some semblance of structure and talent, and they can go on a journey.”
Meanwhile, Davide Abbatescianni spoke to director Lina Soualem about her documentary Bye Bye Tiberias, which shares the story of four generations of Palestinian women and centres on her mother – Succession star Hiam Abbass. He also caught up with Mohamed Ben Attia about how his surreal entry, Behind the Mountains, explores mental health, malaise and belonging.
Hareth Al Bustani Arts & Culture Editor
TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Elsewhere, Toronto International Film Festival returns today with a strong line-up of films from the Arab world. Among the 200-plus titles taking part, nine are from the region.
Highlights include OSN’s first original feature Yellow Bus, which follows an Indian mother whose daughter dies from heat exhaustion. It is the directorial debut from Wendy Bednarz, an associate professor at NYU Abu Dhabi.
Also on the bill is the premiere of Saudi adventure film Hajjan, a story about a young camel racer. It is produced by Ithra and directed by Egyptian-Austrian filmmaker Abu Bakr Shawky. Other entries from the kingdom include Ali Kalthami’s debut feature Mandoob; and Meshal Al Jaser’s satirical thriller Naga.
Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, who was nominated for an Oscar in 2021, will make her first Tiff appearance. She will introduce her film Four Daughters, which shared the best documentary prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir will showcase The Mother of All Lies.
This year, Nadine Labaki, who is also an Oscar nominee and Cannes prize winner, joins the festival's Platform jury.
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FRIEZE SEOUL
The second Frieze Seoul is under way, marking the South Korean city's growth as an esteemed arts capital.
Running until Saturday, this year’s event presents an extensive arts programme, an expanded film section, talks and a new music aspect that features a live performance by South Korean singer Colde.
Curated by Sungah Serena Choo and Kim Sung-woo, the film programme features works by 14 artists living in South Korea and explores how cinema can be used to explore marginalised histories.
More than 120 international galleries are participating in the fair, including from Ghana, the US, the UK and France. However, art from across Asia remains a major focus, with several galleries from South Korea, Japan, China, the Philippines and Hong Kong participating.
Frieze is also partnering with the Arts Council Korea, better known as Arko, for a string of activations. The two groups are promoting events across 35 non-profit spaces with the aim of bolstering independent and artist-run establishments. While several of the non-profits have benefited from the Arko Selection Visual Art programme, another 14 will also receive support with the aim of boosting the arts and culture scene in Seoul.
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