JEDDAH: It’s a film about a kind and generous Saudi Bedouin who makes his way to the glitz of Dubai only to be overwhelmed by the stark contrast between his down-to-earth traditional ways and the rat-race life of the big town.
“Mnahi” was officially unveiled recently in Riyadh, marking the first time a Saudi-produced film making its debut in the country where it was made.
There may not be any public venues to watch this film in the Kingdom, but this didn’t stop Rotana, the media company that produced the film, from launching the film from home.
According to the director of Rotana Group media and public relations, Ibrahim Bady, the movie will debut in Bahrain, Dubai and Cairo.
The film, a comedy starring Saudi comedian Fayez Al-Maliki, will go into full marketing mode later this month when the actor returns from Ethiopia where he is busy on a drama that has yet to be announced.
The film also features Mona Wassef and the Kuwaiti actor Abdul Imam Abdullah in addition to rising actress Dana Faraj Al-Esh. The movie was written by Mazin Taha and directed by Ayman Makram. Nasser Al-Saleh composed the score and Ali Bin Mohammed contributed some songs for the film.
“I think that the film would be a hit and a turning point in the history of the nascent cinema in Saudi Arabia,” said Al-Saleh.