If you are looking for a family-friendly, Saudi-centric film to escape into this summer, look no further than “Valley Road,” which is now showing in theaters across the Kingdom.
Created by the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, known as Ithra, and produced by resident movie buff Majed Z. Samman, the quintessentially Saudi story is packed with local references and jokes, including showcasing the woes of street vendors trying to secure their next riyal. A semi-musical — which is a new format for Saudi films — the Disneyesque song-and-dance sequences are reminiscent of Aladdin.
This multi-genre film is a sort of visual collage that combines action, fantasy and dramedy with realistic modern family dynamics.
The journey begins at a picturesque spot in a Saudi village. You soon see a curious young boy with dark, thick curls, Ali, played by first-time actor, Hamad Farhan, 10, attentively watching a tour bus approach. He is angrily shooed away by the tour guide, despite not uttering a word. A short time later, at his house, Ali’s aging parents argue about their son’s inability to speak “normally,” despite his age. Stories focusing on people with disabilities are still rare in Saudi Arabia.
While at the gas station, Ali somehow slips into the vehicle and travels with them to the desert. Hours pass and Ali makes friends — real and imagined — on his journey. Meanwhile, his fuming father — who was set to take Ali to visit a specialist to see why the boy will not talk — refuses to admit that he lost sight of his son and is too stubborn to tell his wife. He would rather wait at the police station with arms folded than face reality.
Ali’s big ally is his older sister, played by TV star Aseel Omran, who just graduated from college in a nearby city and is facing her own dilemma. She has to consider whether to take a lucrative job in the big city or return home to her family in the village, where jobs are unstable and money scarce.
The Ithra-produced “Valley Road” made its debut at the 2022 Red Sea Film Festival and is the first-ever Saudi production to secure a general-audience rating. Check local listings for timings.
