The Arts Edit: Quiet resistance at Cannes

Welcome to the latest edition of The Arts Edit, my weekly newsletter from The National News 's Abu Dhabi newsroom rounding up this week's most noteworthy arts and culture stories.

IN FOCUS

The 77th Cannes Film Festival concluded at the weekend, and while Palestine may not have been on the lips of most of those in attendance, quiet resistance was seemingly everywhere.

More often as the two-week event progressed, stars and filmmakers from the region and across the world made silent statements of solidarity, particularly on the red carpet.

Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid wore a red dress inspired by the keffiyeh. Indian actress @Kani Kusruti, of the award-winning film All We Imagine as Light, held a watermelon-shaped purse in the colours of the Palestinian flag. Australian actor Guy Pearce wore a bracelet embroidered with the same colours.

Even Oscar-shortlisted director Asmae ElMoudir , a jury member for the festival’s Un Certain Regard programme, sewed the Palestinian flag into the palm of her glove for the closing ceremony.

As another jury member, the renowned director and star Nadine Labaki, said at a press conference during the festival: “Cultural resistance prevails.”

The power of those images is palpable. Even after the festival has ended, they continue to circulate across the world, shared and re-shared by the many of us who yearn for public declarations for peace as the devastation in Gaza reaches a critical point.

It’s a testament to the enduring power of films and those who make them, and the significance of culture especially at moments of crisis.

Films from the Mena region continued to stand out at the festival, as they have increasingly in recent years.

Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof's The Seed of the Sacred Fig claimed the Special Prize in the main competition. Egyptian documentary filmmakers Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir 's The Brink of Dreams earned the esteemed L'Oeil d'Or, while Saudi newcomer Tawfik Alzaidi's Norah was celebrated with a Special Mention in the Un Certain Regard category.

Rasoulof told a packed press conference on Saturday: “My only message to Iranian cinema is 'don’t be afraid of intimidation and censorship in Iran'. They’re afraid. They’re afraid and they want us to feel afraid.”

But even the non-award-winning films from regional voices caught the world’s attention.

The film To a Land Unknown, about two Palestinian refugees living in Greece, garnered huge acclaim. We spoke to the lead actors Aram Sabbah and Mahmood Bakri about their journey making the film, which you can read here.

Brazilian-Algerian filmmaker Karim Ainouz’s Motel Destino also received strong reviews. He now has plans to make a sci-fi film in Algeria, he revealed to The National.

Two films from India also received a lot of attention: Santosh and the aforementioned All We Imagine as Light. The latter became the first film from the subcontinent to win the Cannes Grand Prix jury prize. Find our conversation with Santosh's director here and our review for All We Imagine as Light here.

Coincidentally, both were made by acclaimed documentarians turned feature filmmakers, who found fiction was the best place to explore the truth of social issues in their country, as yet another form of cultural resistance.

To echo Nadine Labaki’s words again: Cultural resistance prevails.

Meet the Saudi trailblazers paving the way for women in gaming

Saudi Arabia’s gaming industry has been growing steadily since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced Vision 2030. The strategic plan aims to invest in the kingdom’s different sectors, including tourism, entertainment and technology.

Women are getting involved too, and more should be encouraged to do so: that's the message from two junior female gaming designers in Riyadh who have progressed through an internship programme to full-time employment, Faisal Salah found

.

As women in a male-dominated industry, Norah S. AlQuaydhib and Reham Yeshar who work for Sandsoft , hope to encourage more young girls – especially ones passionate about gaming – to pursue it as a career.

AlQuaydhib has met a lot of women in the region who love games and want to work in the industry but don’t know where to start. She says: “I'm trying to help women, to tell them how to shift careers if they want to and what they should focus on.”

Dave Chappelle condemns 'genocide' in Gaza during Abu Dhabi gig

Dave Chappelle described the war in Gaza as “genocide” to cheers from a packed audience in Abu Dhabi on Thursday night.

The US comedian also urged Americans to fight anti-Semitism in all forms so that Jews do not feel the Israeli state is their sole protector.

“What is happening in Gaza is a direct result of anti-Semitism in the West,” he said

.

“If you are in America, the best thing you can do is to make American Jews feel safe, feel loved and supported so they can know they don't have to support a country that is committing genocide just to feel safe.”

The 50-year-old performed to a sold-out Etihad Arena as part of Abu Dhabi Comedy Week.

Saeed Saeed reviewed the show, which you can find here.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

• Umm Kulthum Hologram Show at Dubai Opera – June 18
• Enrique Iglesias at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai – September 13
• CAS at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai – January 25