Search form

You are here

  • Home
  • Spoiler alert: 2019 promises to be a blockbuster year for global cinema


Spoiler alert: 2019 promises to be a blockbuster year for global cinema

Updated 25 December 2018
Follow

Spoiler alert: 2019 promises to be a blockbuster year for global cinema

  • Audiences are in for a treat with some highly-anticipated films
  • Sneakpeeks show most trekking new frontiers with inclusive, genre-redefining storylines and plots
Updated 25 December 2018
Sabah Bano Malik

ISLAMABAD: Representation and inclusivity were the recurrent themes for movies which released in 2018.

With mega successes such as ‘Black Panther’ which featured an almost all-black cast and ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ which starred an all-Asian cast, the films ensured that we were treated to storylines which we don't get to experience in our day-to-day lives.

The trend continues in 2019 with filmmakers leaving us spoilt for choice. Here is a list of movies that seem to be worth the watch:
Let's begin with a film that is closer to our hearts and our homes.

‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ is expected to be one of the biggest headliners in Pakistan. A story based on a Punjabi fable, it stars an all Pakistani cast, and is written, directed, and produced on Pakistani soil. While the original was released in 1979, next year's edition seems to be a delight for the senses with the official trailer having amassed more than 400,000 views since being released recently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBWdUf7wfaE

Disney has a handful of live action films hitting the big screens next year, one of which is ‘Aladdin.’ The beloved cartoon of the 90s was the obvious choice in the line of films to be remade with a live action treatment following a series of successful ventures from the franchise. The story of Aladdin --- which was adapted from ‘1001 Nights’ -- will see several actors of color (primarily from Middle Eastern and North African countries) essaying the roles of Jasmine, Aladdin, the Sultan, and Jafar, to name a few. The film was and continues to the only Disney story where the characters are from/inspired by the Middle East.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g5knnlF7Zo

Another Disney film that’s coming to animated life is ‘The Lion King.’ Set in Africa, it was only fitting that the live action film would see actors of colour lend their voices for the project, while the music too pays an ode to the culture of the region. Donald Glover, Beyonce, James Earl Jones, Alfrede Woodward, and Chiwetel Ejiofer are just some of the talents lending their voices;  with Glover playing the role of the future king, Simba.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CbLXeGSDxg

Easily one of the most anticipated films coming out of the Marvel franchise's stables, Captain Marvel’ will (finally) be releasing in March. One reason for the timing of the film's release could be because of the summer release of ‘Avengers: End Game’. Captain Marvel, who happens to be a woman, is perhaps the most powerful hero Marvel has created. Following 2017’s ‘Wonder Woman,’ it will now be the second film which focusses on the story of a woman superhero.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1BCujX3pw8

Speaking of ‘Wonder Woman,’ the sequel, ‘Wonder Woman 1984,’ is releasing next year too. The first film was a box office mega success, smashing records and breaking down barriers that had kept films with women in lead roles away from the big screens. The first edition was directed by a woman director, Patty Jenkins, who is also taking the helm for the sequel. 

‘Spider Man: Far From Home’ the sequel to ‘Spider Man: Homecoming’ releases two months after Avengers 4 in July. ‘Homecoming’ starred not one, not two, but three actors of colour in significant roles --- namely Zendaya and Laura Herrier who played MJ and Liz, while Jacob Battalion an actor of Filipino descent played Peter Parker’s best friend, Ned. The film was also one of the most inclusive films to be released from the Marvel universe with a number of background actors representing diverse backgrounds. The trailer is yet to release and is mostly likely to be posted closer to date.

With a few more dollops of actors of colour and featuring female Jedis and commanders of armies (both bad and good) ’Star Wars Episode IX’ which will continue to go further into the plot and stories set up in ‘Episode VIII’ releases next year as well. The Star Wars revival which kicked off with ‘Episode VII: The Force Awakens’ introduced black storm troopers, asian characters who save the day and women leaders steering the ship.

Last, but not the least is 'Frozen 2’ which promises to thaw your senses, following the first installment's tremendous genre altering success in 2013. ‘Frozen’ told the tale of two sisters and their love story -- a big break from the traditional damsel in distress approach most princess stories are subjected to. Though much has not been said about the sequel which will hit films in November of next year, it’s safe to say that they will continue to break the mould and redefine Disney’s princess films.

Topics: international news latest news headline Pakistan cinema blockbuster

Related

Offbeat
Bollywood’s ‘Welcome 2 Karachi’ to wow Pakistan movie lovers
Offbeat
3 Pak movies make it to Indian film festival

The Arab world at the Venice Biennale: Artists explore themes of identity, immigration, history

Updated 17 sec ago
Rebecca Anne Proctor
Follow

The Arab world at the Venice Biennale: Artists explore themes of identity, immigration, history

Updated 17 sec ago
Rebecca Anne Proctor

VENICE: No event in the international art scene is more anticipated, or debated, than the Venice Biennale. This year’s edition, “Foreigners Everywhere,” curated by Adriano Pedroso from Brazil, features 331 artists and 86 nations, including four Gulf countries as well as Lebanon and Egypt.  

Saudi Arabia 

Women’s voices chanting in unison fill the air of the Saudi Pavilion at Venice this year. “Shifting Sands: A Battle Song” was created by Saudi artist Manal AlDowayan, and hundreds of women from across the Kingdom participated in its creation. The exhibition, which includes large-scale installations in the form of desert roses filled with writing and drawings by the Saudi female participants whom AlDowayan worked with, aims to showcase the evolving role of women in the Kingdom while also striving to dispel media narratives that have long defined them. The chanting is derived from traditional battle songs once performed by Saudi men before they went into battle. Here they are chanted by women in a powerful chorus of strength and resilience, backed by recordings of the wind passing through sand dunes. The work, AlDowayan tells Arab News, “is about change, subtle changes — like those of a sand dune — the surface changes, but the core stays the same.”   

“Shifting Sands: A Battle Song” was created by Saudi artist Manal AlDowayan. (Supplied)

UAE  

Emirati artist Abdullah Al-Saadi is presenting “Sites of Memory, Sites of Amnesia” at the National Pavilion of the United Arab Emirates. It’s an introspective show consisting of drawings, sculptures, paintings and installations charting Al-Saadi’s travels around his homeland. “Traveling and understanding the natural world around me has always been an important part of my work,” Al-Saadi, who has even used rocks from the Emirates as his ‘canvas’ for some of the works, told Arab News. “Through this presentation in Venice, I hope visitors will enjoy tracing the travels I have taken over the past few years and also think about the world around us, and our place within it.”  

Visitors will also be presented with gifts: maps and scrolls in colorful traditional chests from the region, which will be removed and presented to guests by actors from the UAE.  

Emirati artist Abdullah Al-Saadi is presenting “Sites of Memory, Sites of Amnesia.” (Supplied)

Qatar  

While Qatar doesn’t have a national pavilion at the biennale, it is presenting “Your Ghosts Are Mine: Expanded Cinemas, Amplified Voices” — a group show of films by artists from across the Arab world, Africa and South Asia, as well as video installations from the collections of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art and the Art Mill Museum (scheduled to open in 2030). All the films were backed by the Doha Film Institute. 

“For me, it was important to show movies reflective of the theme of the biennale — so, revolving around immigration, foreigners, personal diaries and self-portraits and stories from women — all coming from independent (artists) in the Global South, whose voices are not always shared,” the Paris-based curator Matthieu Orlean told Arab News. 

Installation view of 'Your Ghosts Are Mine.' (Supplied) 

 

Egypt  

Alexandrian-born artist Wael Shawky has created “Drama 1882,” a 45-minute film for which he also composed the music, for Egypt’s national pavilion, which — in the first week of the biennale at least — has proved to be one of the most popular pavilions at this year’s event.   

The film is based around Egypt’s nationalist Urabi revolution against imperial influence in the late 19th century and Shawky uses historical and literary references as starting points from which to weave together a story that fuses fact, fiction and fable, while also exploring national, religious and artistic identity.  

“I worked with performers who enacted a play in a theater for the film,” Shawky told Arab News. “The film strives in part to connect the idea of history to drama — drama regarding the connection to catastrophe and drama regarding cynicism. I like to analyze the authenticity of history, especially Egyptian history. When one makes films about history there is this gap between truth and myth.” 

Wael Shawky has created “Drama 1882,” a 45-minute film for which he also composed the music, for Egypt’s national pavilion. (Supplied)

Lebanon 

Lebanese artist Mounira Al-Solh’s multimedia installation “A Dance with Her Myth” combines drawing, painting, sculpture, embroidery, video, and audio, and guides viewers through ancient Phoenicia. The piece, Al-Solh explains to Arab News, is inspired by the tale of Europa, the daughter of a Phoenician king who was abducted from the city of Tyre in Lebanon by the Greek god Zeus, who had transformed himself into a white bull to trick her into riding him, then took her off into the sea.  

“The (work) pays tribute to the ancient multicultural heritage of Lebanon,” Al-Solh says.  

In the center of the pavilion is an unfinished boat, that Al-Solh says references “the tension that women still face today, despite their emancipation.”  

Lebanese artist Mounira Al-Solh’s multimedia installation “A Dance with Her Myth” combines drawing, painting, sculpture, embroidery, video, and audio. (Supplied)

Oman  

Oman’s second participation in the biennale, is an exhibition titled “Malath — Haven.” It includes work from five Omani contemporary artists: Ali Al-Jabri, Essa Al-Mufarji, Sarah Al-Aulaqi, Adham Al-Farsi and Alia Al-Farsi (who also curated the show). “We used the word ‘haven’ in the title because, since antiquity, foreigners — including the Romans, Portuguese and Indians — have visited Oman,” Alia Al-Farsi told Arab News. The works on display — from Al-Farsi’s own colorful and expressive mixed-media murals (such as “Alia’s Alleys,” pictured here) to Al-Aulaqi’s “Breaking Bread,” which includes a large sculpture of a niqab made from silver spoons — reflect both traditional and contemporary life in Oman.  

“As an Omani creative with an international background, my aim was for the exhibition to serve as a sanctuary for visitors and travelers, allowing stories to unfold and intertwine, mirroring how our country finds its richness in intercultural dialogue,” the curator said in a statement.

'Alia’s Alleys' is on show in Venice. (Supplied)

 

Topics: Venice Biennale Saudi Arabia Oman Lebanon Qatar

Behind the scenes at Mazen Laham’s Middle East media powerhouse 

Updated 19 min 59 sec ago
Hams Saleh
Follow

Behind the scenes at Mazen Laham’s Middle East media powerhouse 

  • Mazen Laham’s Different Productions, the company behind “Dubai Bling” and the regional version of “Shark Tank,” just celebrated its 10th anniversary 
  • Discussing Arabic-language adaptations of global shows, he said they preserve the original concept while respecting cultural sensitivities
Updated 19 min 59 sec ago
Hams Saleh

DUBAI: Lebanese producer Mazen Laham’s Different Productions celebrated its 10th anniversary this month. The company is one of the driving forces of the television industry in the region, responsible for the creation of acclaimed shows including Netflix’s “Dubai Bling,” and “It’s OK” — a docuseries about the Lebanese pop superstar Elissa — as well as Arabic adaptations of popular franchises “Shark Tank,” “Say Yes to the Dress,” and “Chopped.”  

Laham told Arab News that shooting for the third season of “Dubai Bling” has already concluded, adding that it is “even bigger than the two previous seasons.” He confirmed that Emirati-Egyptian TV host Mahira Abdeaziz and Iraqi influencer Jwana Karim will be joining the cast, which already includes Zeina Khoury, Safa and Fahad Siddiqui, DJ Bliss, Danya Mohammed, Kris and Brianna Fade, Mona Kattan Al-Amin, Hassan Al-Amin, Loujain Adada, Ebraheem Al-Samadi, and Farhana Bodi.  

The previous two seasons both ranked in the global top 10 for non-English series on Netflix. “I believe in numbers,” Laham said. “It was (popular) globally. What I will say is that season three is a very big season.”  

While they suspected the show would be popular, Laham admitted that he and his team were not expecting it to get quite so big. “What we were aiming for is to have a good show but we never thought that it will be this successful,” he said.  

The show may be popular, but it has also attracted plenty of criticism online for its depiction of life in Dubai. Laham, though, seems unperturbed. 

“We never said that this is Dubai. From day one, we said it is about a group of friends living in Dubai,” he said. “It is not a documentary about the city. We are not saying ‘This is Dubai and this is life in Dubai,’ we only focused on a group of friends living in Dubai.” 

Discussing his company’s various Arabic-language adaptations of international shows, Laham said that they try to preserve the original concept of the show while ensuring they cater to the cultural sensitivities and preferences of the region. 

“Before getting the shows, we make sure that they fit our culture — anything that, culturally, does not pass, we do not even get it in the first place,” he said. “But, whenever we see something that could be adapted, yes, we (try to) get the rights for it. The most important thing is to keep the structure and the main spirit of the format the same.” 

Laham believes there are now two distinct audiences for shows: those for traditional television networks and those for streaming services such as Netflix, Shahid, Starzplay.  

“What is on TV does not work on a platform and vice versa, because the new generation want something fast — they want something will keep them hooked. So, it’s very challenging to make content for them,” he said.  

What Laham believes works best are docuseries such as “Dubai Bling” and “It’s OK.” 

“These are non-scripted, but they are serialized; they’re sticky,” he explained. “You want to keep on watching to follow the stories and this is when you binge watch. On TV channels, you still get to see classical standalone episodes.” 

Laham said Different Productions is currently working on an original docuseries for Starzplay called “Unstoppable.”  

“It’s a football-based reality show where children between the ages of 13 and 15 compete. There will be one winner, and the winner will hopefully play for one of the big Italian teams,” he said.  

Laham described the Saudi Arabia market as “promising,” not only due to the growing number of original productions but also because “the infrastructure, whether it’s Neom or AlUla,” is drawing in creatives from around the world. “I think it’s going to the biggest media hub out there very soon,” he added.  

“We care a lot about the viewership in Saudi Arabia because it’s the biggest market,” Laham said. “So we always look into the ratings — even if it’s not a pure Saudi show, we want our shows to be watched in Saudi Arabia.”  

Topics: Different Productions Mazen Laham It's OK dubai bling Shark Tank

Arab-American Heritage Month: Sama Alshaibi — ‘I’m trying to change this idea of what an Arab woman is’ 

Updated 25 April 2024
Rawaa Talass
Follow

Arab-American Heritage Month: Sama Alshaibi — ‘I’m trying to change this idea of what an Arab woman is’ 

Updated 25 April 2024
Rawaa Talass

DUBAI: The fourth in this year’s series focusing on contemporary Arab-American artists in honor of Arab-American Heritage Month. 

Born in Basrah to an Iraqi father and a Palestinian mother, Sama Alshaibi is an Arizona-based professor and artist who has mostly devoted her 20-year career to video, photography and performance art.  

During the Iran-Iraq war of the Eighties, Alshaibi and her family moved around the region, living in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Jordan, before eventually settling in the American Midwest when she was 13 years old.  

Sama Alshaibi_Water Bearer II. (Supplied)

“Growing up in the United States was strange. We were a ‘different’ family in Iowa and there wasn’t a lot of diversity. But I grew up in a place with nice people,” Alshaibi tells Arab News from Bellagio, Italy, where she is doing a residency at the Rockefeller Foundation.  

But she also says there were obstacles, mainly formed by major political events that impacted her. “It was challenging, because of where I’m from,” she says. 

Alshaibi’s work is largely inspired by her Arab roots. “Arts were so revered in my family,” she says. “I don’t even know if I would be making art if it wasn’t for my heritage.” It was her father, an avid photographer, who taught her to use a manual camera. She aspired to become a photojournalist herself — inspired by 20th-century African-American photographers, notably Carrie Mae Weems and Lorna Simpson, who documented Black culture in their imagery.  

Sama Alshaibi's 'Gamer Albumen' print. (Supplied)

Many of her images are portraits of herself wearing, for example, traditional Middle Eastern garments, referencing romanticized Orientalist portrayals of women, and in the end, challenging them.  

“I’m trying to change this idea of what you think an Arab woman is,” she explains. “I started seeing the power of communication, of taking political or social issues and using your body, your performance, your environment, to address them.”  

One of Alshaibi’s best-known series is called “Carry Over,” in which she photographed herself carrying large objects (or Orientalist props), such as a tower of container tins or a water vessel, above her head. The images poetically show a woman’s endurance and comment on a collective history, affected by colonialism and cultural loss.  

“I’ve always been interested in the notion of ‘aftermath’ — what happens after the destruction of your environment,” explains Alshaibi. “It gets you to the question of what we can’t hold onto anymore.”   

Birthday wishes pour in for Gigi Hadid

Updated 24 April 2024
Arab News
Follow

Birthday wishes pour in for Gigi Hadid

Updated 24 April 2024
Arab News

DUBAI: US Dutch Palestinian model Gigi Hadid turned 29 this week and the fashion and beauty crowd took to Instagram in droves to wish her a happy birthday.

Hadid’s younger sister, Bella Hadid, kickstarted the well wishes with a heartwarming message alongside a carousel of photos of the sisters, including several childhood snaps.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Bella (@bellahadid)

“Happy birthday princess of Genovia, I love you so much,” Bella captioned her Instagram post. “Life without you would be nothing, I would be nothing! You inspire me and make me feel strong.

“Watching you give birth and then raise the most perfect angel is the most magical gift a sister could ask for,” Bella wrote to the mother-of-one. “I feel so lucky. You are the best and coolest mama, best sister, best daughter, and best friend. Anyone who has the privilege to be in your orbit is lucky. I love you sissy, you make me feel proud to be your sister.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Bella (@bellahadid)

Leading designers also took to the photo-sharing social media platform to celebrate the birthday girl, including Donatella Versace who wrote: “Happy Birthday to you, my girl @gigihadid. You are beautiful inside and out, Gigi. I hope you have the best day celebrating with Khai and all your loved ones. You deserve the best, always.”

Khai is Hadid’s three-year-old daughter with British singer Zayn Malik.

Fellow model Lily Aldridge, British designer and TV personality Tan France, stylists Elizabeth Sulcer and Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, celebrity makeup artist Partick Ta and many more all took to Instagram Stories to share touching messages.

Also paying tribute to the catwalk star on her special day was her father, Palestinian real estate mogul Mohamed Hadid, who shared a thoughtful birthday message on his feed.

“Happiest birthday to my beautiful smart elegant loving caring talented mother sister daughter one can ever be. Happy birthday my love,” he wrote. 

Hadid has been occupied with her fashion label, Guest In Residence. Just last week, she unveiled the Spring/Summer collection both online and in stores. The collection introduces the brand’s inaugural cotton and silk blends, along with lightweight cashmere options.

Topics: Gigi Hadid

Milan’s Istituto Marangoni to open campus in Riyadh

Updated 24 April 2024
Rahaf Jambi
Follow

Milan’s Istituto Marangoni to open campus in Riyadh

Updated 24 April 2024
Rahaf Jambi

RIYADH: Milan-based Istituto Marangoni, in collaboration with the Saudi Fashion Commission, will open a Higher Training Institute in Riyadh offering courses specialized in fashion and luxury, with plans to inaugurate the institute in 2025. 

According to a released statement, the institute’s mission in Saudi Arabia is to explore new avenues for local talent development and generate employment opportunities in the relevant industries.

The new institute in Riyadh will offer three-year advanced diplomas available in specific areas such as Fashion Design, Fashion Management, Fashion Product, Fashion Styling & Creative Direction, and also in the management of Fragrances & Cosmetics and Interior Design. (Supplied)

 “We are very excited to do a partnership with Istituto Marangoni. It's one of the leading global educational institutions focused on fashion and design. They have many campuses around the world, but for Saudi Arabia, it's the first time they are opening their campus. And they are also the first educational institution to come into Saudi Arabia as a foreign direct investment, which shows their commitment to the potential in the Saudi market, especially for creatives and businesses, and through this partnership, we'll be able to educate and provide employment to all the local creatives in the industry in Saudi Arabia,” Burak Çakmak, chief executive officer of the Fashion Commission under Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture, told Arab News.

The new institute in Riyadh, to be accredited by the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, will offer three-year advanced diplomas available in specific areas such as Fashion Design, Fashion Management, Fashion Product, Fashion Styling & Creative Direction, and also in the management of Fragrances & Cosmetics and Interior Design. Students will be able to choose whether to complete the advanced diploma in Riyadh, with the option of stepping into the fashion industry through a six-month internship during the last year of study, or complete studies for a bachelor’s degree at any international Istituto Marangoni campus.

The institute’s mission in Saudi Arabia is to explore new avenues for local talent development and generate employment opportunities in the relevant industries. (SupplieD)

The institute has campuses in Milan, Florence, Dubai, Paris, London and Miami.

In a released statement, Stefania Valenti, Global Managing Director of Istituto Marangoni, said: “We created this important partnership with the Saudi Fashion Commission because we believed that they are going to have a very strong agenda that is going to create a fashion (and) luxury system in Saudi (Arabia).

“We want to provide our knowledge and skills to the new generation, because there is a strong appetite here for the young generation, for the women, that they want to start to study in Saudi, they don't want to study abroad,” she added. 

Topics: Istituto Marangoni Riyadh

Related

Art & Culture
Design Space AlUla exhibits in Milan
photos
Saudi Arabia
Saudi fashion graduate who dared to dream

Latest updates

ADB highlights special focus on climate action, social equity in post-floods Pakistan
Greek military ship intercepts two Houthi drones in the Red Sea
Pakistan’s planning minister discusses enhanced educational ties with UK delegation
Blinken calls for US, China to manage differences
US ambassador optimistic about Pakistan-IMF talks ahead of key funding meeting on April 29

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2024 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.