A world of storytelling unravelled at the Red Sea International Film Festival this year as filmmakers from across the globe showcased the best of their work in the beautiful city of Al-Balad in Saudi Arabia. For the region, the festival stood as a testament to the growing industry and the community that continuously fosters it. MOJEH delves into the work of four talented female filmmakers, exploring the themes and styles that define their storytelling and reflect Arab culture.
Jaylan Auf
What did it mean to you to have your film selected for the Red Sea Film Festival?
It was an honour to premiere at El Gouna and then get selected for Red Sea. Red Sea was our first exposure outside of Egypt and while it was for the Saudi audience there was also a significant international audience present at the festival. I was very surprised when I landed in Jeddah and got to know that the three screenings were sold out. I wanted to be there during the screenings, not just during the Q&As. So introducing the film and then having the experience of sitting in the cinema with an international audience who are not Egyptian yet got the sense of humour was really a roller coaster ride of emotions.
The Inevitable Journey To Find A Wedding Dress is a tale of two best friends. How do you think the plot sets itself apart from similar storylines?
While they are two best friends going through a journey, they are also so different from each other, in nature and in ambition. They're so different yet they complement one another. This was one of the challenges. I really wanted to have real characters that you see every day. They don't come from the same generation. The bride is older than her cousin. So they represent different ideas and different approaches to how they want to reach their goal. It's not just that they are accompanying one another but each one of them despite having to go through the same journey have different paths and this is how it was different.
What message do you hope audiences take away from this film?
Generally speaking, I think that cinema is more of a discussion than it is a one-way message. It's very important to sympathise with the characters and feel the emotions. This is something that is important when getting on this roller coaster ride having to identify with the continuous failures and successes of the characters, understanding how eventually they get to have a voice. It's important to be part of the community, but it's also important to find yourself as a person and eventually find a bigger dream than inevitably finding a wedding dress. I really hope that this film is heartwarming.
How do you feel about the growing film industry in the Middle East?
It is exciting because now there is more than just one genre and theme - for a long time it was easy and safe to make certain kinds of films. The industry is flourishing because you now have film festivals and funds and producers who are interested in doing new things. This is my first feature, but speaking to a lot of filmmakers, myself included, it's not easy to produce films. I think it's a worldwide thing, not just in the Middle East. It's such a difficult endeavour. It takes perseverance. It takes a lot of work and patience. But I think by the end it's completely worth it once you watch your film with the cast and crew and with the audience that ought to watch it.
Maram Taibah
What did it mean to you to have your film selected for the Red Sea Film Festival?
Our film was not only selected but also in competition for best short film. It was a great honour to be nominated, especially in a time when we, as a team, are excited about unlocking the fantasy genre in the region. We hope to make more great fantasies that remain in people’s hearts and memories.
Malika is a fantastical tale. What led you to choose this genre and how has it been bringing such a story to life?
I’ve always been a lover of fantasy. I grew up reading a lot of English and American literature and my favourite genre was fantasy. I read the Narnia books early on, Harry Potter obviously, Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain Chronicles, Patricia Wrede’s Enchanted Forest Chronicles. These were the books that truly stayed with me and they shaped my inner world as a writer. I write fantasy fiction as well as film, with a focus on the 8-12 age group. I also grew up listening to my grandmother’s fairytales which come from local oral tradition. So this genre has always felt like a world of exciting possibility - perhaps more exciting than real life! - and it was always a world where our deepest issues as individuals and as cultures can be explored and resolved in a highly mythical and symbolic manner.
What was the inspiration behind Malika’s script?
Malika [meaning Queen in Arabic] was an exploration of questions I always had around female sovereignty and what it means to be the queen of your own life, your choices and your body. It's also a love letter to the grandmother-granddaughter relationship.
What message do you hope audiences take away from this film?
I hope they connect with the part of them that loves magic, loves their granny if they had one. And the part of them that always wished they had a choice about certain things in their life and maybe realise that they can always choose for themselves.
Rana Matar
What did it mean to you to have your film selected for the Red Sea Film Festival?
It’s a big step for us after our film premiered at the Cairo Film Festival 45th edition shorts competition. It’s important to me that the Saudi audience gets the chance to watch the film in the film’s home country.
How did you approach the visual style of the film? What role does the desert landscape play in creating the film's atmosphere?
The visual style of the film is cinematic realism. It was very significant for me while making this film to explore the relationship of the studies between cinema and reality. The desert was the ideal location for the car, as the car in my story transforms into a multifaceted symbol, encapsulating the richness of the human experience. Through metaphorical journeys, I’m inviting audiences to contemplate the complexities of existence, relationships and the perpetual quest for self-discovery. Despite the physical closeness within the car, characters experience a sense of isolation.
What was the inspiration behind the protagonist’s character, Merna?
As a female filmmaker from the MENA region, I want to tell the stories of Arab women's experiences visually by exploring the intimate spaces of women's sentiments, thoughts and struggles. In Does It Hurt Too Bad To Look At Me?, we go on two pivotal road trips in Merna's life - the first with her father, a mentor guiding her through the roads of independence, and the second with her fiancé after her father symbolically hands her over. These parallel journeys help us understand how the relationship dynamic a woman has with her father growing up influences the psychology that shapes her decisions in choosing her partner in the future. The story unfolds in the car as a tight space that would leave no room for the characters either to leave or escape an intimate conversation, so metaphorically, the car then becomes a private cocoon in the story for self-observation, confronting their innermost thoughts and sentiments.
What was the most difficult part of filming and which part did you enjoy the most?
Directing a road film presented its own set of unique challenges, particularly in terms of shot composition and capturing the dynamic nature of the journey between the actors' relationships. The confined space of the car required innovative camera angles and creative solutions to visually represent the evolving emotional states of the characters.
We employed a variety of techniques, including mounting cameras inside the vehicle, using drone shots for expansive exterior scenes, and capturing intimate handheld moments to convey the tension and intimacy between Merna and Amr. The part I enjoyed the most filming is the ending of the film, where we see Merna's character growing, finally being able to make a decision.
Hanaa Saleh Alfassi
What did it mean to you to have your film selected for the Red Sea Film Festival?
It was a great start to screen our film at a major festival like the Red Sea International Film Festival in our home country of Saudi Arabia.
How do you feel about the growing film industry in the Middle East?
It's a sign that we're heading in the right direction, supporting filmmakers and fostering unique storytelling through initiatives like the Red Sea Labs.
How has the landscape of Al-‘Ula influenced the making of your film? How big a part of the narrative is it?
As an old city, it basically reflected the film's theme. Sometimes, being stuck in the past can hinder progress. We should learn from this and move forward.
How is When The Shelves Hymn different from The Last Suhoor, one of your most recognised works?
Perhaps starting with the short film Lollipop from 2017, or even earlier with my 2015 graduation project, The Last Suhoor and the 2012 films I directed for MBC, my work has consistently explored the complexities of identity. These films delve into how identity shapes our daily lives, influences our decisions, and guides our interpretation of the world. Whether it's navigating cultural expectations, personal truths, or societal norms, identity remains a central theme in my work.
