RIYADH: Saudi actor and comedian Ibrahim Al-Hajjaj has said that a new wave of talent is rising to revolutionize the Kingdom’s comedy scene and become a fixture on the international market.
Speaking at a seminar titled “Sattar: The Trend of Saudi Comedy,” named after the country’s highest-grossing film in history, he told the recent Saudi Film Festival at Ithra: “We just went through a long phase of just the same type of comedy, and I think that’s an error that happened.
“Now with the new generation and new talents, Saudi talents are starting to present more comedy and different types of comedy.”
He followed up his comments in an interview with Arab News, saying he had high hopes for what is to come.
“I was a judge at a comedy competition that was aired on MBC under the Theater and Performing Arts Commission by the Ministry of Culture, and I saw a great amount of talent, it honestly took my breath away,” he said.
“So, I believe that in the next two or three years we will see a revolution of Saudi comedians, both men and women, that will be incredible.”
The Sattar seminar, moderated by Egyptian film critic Andrew Mohsen, also discussed various aspects of the film industry in the Kingdom. Other speakers included Saudi comedian Ibrahim Al-Khairallah and film critic Jay Weissberg.
The seminar also shed light on how Saudi comedy movies will reach the international market.
The audience members mentioned how humor is subjective and could have specific cultural background and context, which might make it difficult for movies like Sattar to be understood in other cultures.
