Does our society have problems? Are there no unemployment problems among our young people? Does poverty exist in our society? Have our women teachers working in remote areas found solutions to their problems, especially those related to transport? The answer to all these questions is “NO.”
Our society has many problems. There are cases of violence against children and women. Our courts are full of cases of women — wives and mothers — waiting for their rights, whether inheritance, divorce or access to their children. We have thousands of people waiting to get loans so they could build their own homes. Our society is experiencing inflation after the 15 percent salary increases ordered by the king a few months ago. Even with all these problems to be solved, there remain others in the field of health, education and security.
As if these very pressing problems were not enough, we see people talking about cinema and suggesting cinema in the Kingdom. They claim that cinema here would improve the Arab world’s cinema industry. Can this be true — even if we had cinema under legitimate control? What is “legitimate control?” Where is it if we look at what is broadcast on satellite channels and paid for with Saudi money? One Saudi satellite channel owner said proudly that he wanted to divert the attention of Saudi youth away from Western films to Arabic ones.
I think it would be much better if we focused on strengthening our education, our knowledge of Islam and our children’s values. There are far more serious issues to be dealt with than whether we should open a cinema. Social security, poverty, acceptance in universities and others surely take priority over entertainment.
What type of cinema do people want in our country? Many people think that it is bad because it would not feather cultural films. Instead, it would produce and show violent stories that are not compatible with our conservative values and traditions. I do not think that we need cinema, even with “legitimate control.” What has Arab cinema brought to the Arab world. Has it solved any of the Arab world’s problems? Is the cinema an accurate reflection of what is happening in the Islamic world?
To those who think that cinema reflects a high civilization, I would point out that we have many movie channels, financed by Saudi money, broadcasting films 24 hours a day — and our society has not improved. I think we ought to think about real social values which are derived from the people who compose society rather than cinema or other things which might or might not entertain them.
