RIYADH: The Pakistan Embassy hosted the Saudi premiere of the Pakistani film “Gunjal Entangled,” welcoming the cast and crew to showcase the film on Thursday at the Cultural Palace in Riyadh.
“Pakistan and Saudi Arabia ties are more than bilateral relations, they are brotherhood, and there are a lot of overlapping sectors where the interests of both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan (align). Culture, I believe, is one such area,” Muazam Ali, deputy head of mission at the Pakistan Embassy, told Arab News.
“We want to show that in Pakistan, there is a vibrant film industry,” Ali explained.
“We want to show to Saudi Arabia, our brothers and sisters, that the work of their Pakistani counterparts is worth watching,” he said.
“Gunjal Entangled” is based on the life and murder of Pakistani child labor activist, Iqbal Masih.
“Such an event has never happened here in Saudi Arabia where the cast and crew and team came to Saudi Arabia to screen the movie along with the audience,” Shoaib Sultan, director of the film, told Arab News.
“This film is based on true events, and we are celebrating a hero. His name was Iqbal Masih, and he talked about labor and human rights. This is a very important topic,” the director explained.
“We are excited to have this film screened in Saudi Arabia. We think it’s a global film in a way; we have already been to so many festivals. We wanted to (showcase) the film in Saudi Arabia, which is an emerging film market. We see a lot of opportunities, and people are excited to collaborate,” he expressed.
During her interview, lead actress Amna Ilyas highlighted that events such as the one hosted by the embassy create a “positive and more real image of Pakistan and its people.”
As a part of the event to showcase Pakistani culture and cuisine, mangoes from Pakistan and over 40 pieces of artwork from different artists were featured in the exhibition on the sidelines of the film premiere.
“I’m over the moon and really happy, and I love that the Pakistan Embassy has given us this opportunity to exhibit in Saudi Arabia, which we love a lot,” Fatima Muzahir, a Pakistani artist exhibiting her work in the film premier, told Arab News.
Farheen Kanwal, another Pakistani artist and exhibitor, gathered the works of multiple Pakistani artists worldwide in an art gallery titled, “Pakistan Legacy,” displayed at the film premiere.
