DUBAI: The seventh edition of the Luxor African Film Festival (LAFF) kicked off on Friday and runs until March 22. This year, the festival is paying tribute to Egyptian actors Gamil Ratib and Ghada Adel and Senegalese director Moussa Touré.
LAFF was conceived by screenwriter Sayed Fouad as an alternative to the numerous cultural events inevitably centered around Alexandria and Cairo. Fouad also wanted an event that focused on African filmmaking, as he felt it was under-represented in Egypt. This year’s festival focuses on films from Rwanda.
Gamil Ratib, 91, is an icon of cinema and theater. Internationally, he is best known for his performance as Majid in the acclaimed 1962 movie “Lawrence of Arabia,” opposite Peter O’Toole, but he has appeared in over 50 feature films in his long career. Ratib received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Dubai International Film Festival in 2011.
Over the past two decades, Moussa Touré has established himself as one of Senegal’s most successful directors, renowned for his gritty take on the everyday life and culture of Africa. The 50-year-old has worked his way up through the ranks, starting out in the industry as an electrician but going on to work with some of the world’s most illustrious filmmakers, including Francois Truffaut.
Award-winning actress Ghada Adel, 43, has — like Ratib — impressed on stage and screen and in a variety of roles ranging from comedy to drama.
LAFF’s opening night also featured a tribute to the late Egyptian director Youssef Chahine, who is widely credited with launching Omar Sharif’s career, from Lebanese singer and actress Majida El Roumi, whom Chahine directed in his 1976 movie "Awdat Al Ibn Al Dal." . Chahine achieved both commercial and critical success during his distinguished career, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Cannes Film Festival in 1997.
Luxor African Film Festival honors Gamil Ratib, Ghada Adel, Moussa Touré
Luxor African Film Festival honors Gamil Ratib, Ghada Adel, Moussa Touré
At Jazan festival, Suad Al-Asiri paints memory, land and leadership
- Local artist channels personal hardship into works that reflect Jazan’s identity, heritage
- Jazan: A Nation and a Prince, places region at the heart of a composition featuring Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz and Prince Nasser bin Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Jalawi
RIYADH: At the Ahad Al-Masarihah pavilion at Jazan Festival 2026, Suad Al-Asiri’s paintings blend memory, place and personal history, offering visual narratives shaped by beauty and hardship.
A novelist and visual artist, Al-Asiri has long used art as a storytelling tool. After a near-fatal car accident in March 2024, her work took on a new urgency. Bedridden for 11 months, cut off from the public world for more than a year, she describes that period as one of the most painful in her life — yet also transformative.
“First of all, praise be to God for granting me life, as the accident was extremely severe,” she said. “By God’s grace, I was given a new life. All my thinking after the accident was about becoming an inspiration to others — about enduring pain and obstacles, and still leaving an impact.”
Her return to public life came in 2025, when she participated in National Day celebrations with the ministry of interior. By the time she arrived at Jazan Festival, she was ready to channel that experience into her art.
The centerpiece of her display, “Jazan: A Nation and a Prince,” places the region at the heart of a composition featuring Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz and Prince Nasser bin Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Jalawi, governor and deputy governor of Jazan respectively.
Visitors linger over the details: the painting incorporates coffee beans, sesame and khudair — materials drawn from local products.
“I wanted people to recognize these products immediately,” she said. “They are part of Jazan’s daily life, and using them makes the work more tangible, more connected to everyday experience.”
The painting sparks conversation. Visitors discuss leadership, identity, and the intimate relationship between people and their environment.
Beyond the central piece, Al-Asiri presents individual portraits of the two princes, expanding the dialogue into a broader exploration of heritage and memory.
Her journey into art is tied to her life as a storyteller. Early experiments with charcoal and pencil evolved into abstract art, drawn by its expressive freedom.
From there, she explored realism, surrealism, and eventually modern art, particularly pop art, which has earned her wide recognition in artistic circles. Her novels and media work complement her visual practice, earning her the title “the comprehensive artist” from the governor.
Yet what stands out most in this exhibition is how Al-Asiri’s personal resilience flows through each piece. Her experience of surviving a devastating accident, enduring months of immobility, and returning to the public eye informs every brushstroke.
Visitors sense not just her artistic skill, but her determination to turn life’s hardships into inspiration for others.
Walking through the pavilion, one can see it in the way she blends heritage symbols, southern landscapes, and scenes of daily life.
Each painting becomes both a document and a dialogue — a celebration of Jazan’s culture, a reflection on identity, and a testament to the power of human perseverance.
At Jazan Festival 2026, Suad Al-Asiri’s art is a quiet, persistent inspiration for anyone who pauses long enough to listen.
