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8 summer silver-screen smashes to look out for 

8 summer silver-screen smashes to look out for 
Jennifer Lopez stars in ‘The Mother.’ (Supplied)  
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Updated 25 April 2023
Arab News
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8 summer silver-screen smashes to look out for 

8 summer silver-screen smashes to look out for 
  • With ‘John Wick: Part 4’ and the Mario movie already out, blockbuster season has started. We run down the major movie releases heading your way over the next few months 
Updated 25 April 2023
Arab News
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Get ready for an action-packed summer at the movies as big franchises return to the big screen and a new “Barbie” movie to boot. Here are eight films to catch at the theatres this summer:

‘The Matchmaker’  

Director: Abdulmohsen Aldhabaan 

Starring: Husam Alharthy, Reem Al-Habib, Nour Alkhadra 

The team at Saudi production house Telfaz11 are on a roll right now, turning out hit films and shows at an enviable rate. The latest is this psychological thriller, which releases April 27 on Netflix (part of the company’s eight-film deal with the streaming giant), and tells the story of an IT worker named Tarek (Alharthy) who becomes obsessed with the stunning new intern (played by Alkhadra) at his company. He heads to a desert resort (the film is mostly shot in AlUla) that promises its resident matchmaker will find men their perfect bride. “But when Tarek wanders outside the bounds of the resort,” the synopsis says, “he uncovers an ancient vengeance.”  

‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3’ 

Director: James Gunn 

Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan 

The Marvel movie we’re most looking forward to this year will hit cinemas on May 4. The titular lovable rogues, led by Star Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) are getting accustomed to life on Knowhere (the severed head of an ancient celestial being that they purchased to use as their headquarters), but Quill is grieving the loss of his lover, Gamora — a situation complicated by the fact that a younger version of Gamora now exists in their timeline, but does not share her older version’s feelings about Quill. Meanwhile, Rocket the raccoon’s shady past is catching up with him, and the team must unite to save his life.  

‘The Mother’  

Director: Niki Caro 

Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Joseph Fiennes, Omari Hardwick, Gael Garcia Bernal 

New Zealand director Caro has the chops for both action (the 2020 live-action version of Disney’s “Mulan”) and arthouse (the award-winning 2002 movie “Whale Rider”), so we’re excited to see her take on Misha Green’s story about a highly skilled former assassin (Lopez) who is forced to come out of hiding in the wilds of Alaska and face her past in order to protect her daughter, whom she gave up years ago but has watched from afar ever since. Out May 12 on Netflix. 

‘The Little Mermaid’ 

Director: Rob Marshall 

Starring: Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina 

This intriguing live-action remake of Disney’s beloved 1989 animated classic is in good hands with Rob Marshall, who has some chops when it comes to film musicals, having helmed 2002’s “Chicago” and 2018’s “Mary Poppins Returns.” Its star, Bailey, also has form — along with her sister, her duo Chloe x Halle have earned five Grammy nominations in the last five years. The original animation has plenty of fans, both young and old, many of whom will be eager to see the new take. The story is straightforward. Princess Ariel (mermaid), falls in love with Prince Eric (human) after saving him from a shipwreck but is forbidden to leave her father’s undersea kingdom. So she strikes a deal with sea witch Ursula that grants her human legs to explore the human world. But the price for this bargain puts her father’s crown, and her own life, at risk. In cinemas May 25. 

‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’  

Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson 

Voice cast: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Issa Rae 

This film’s predecessor, 2018’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” was one of the best films of that year — a tense and hilarious ride through alternate universes involving a number of different incarnations of Spider-Man, including, of course, Brooklyn teen Miles Morales. In this follow-up, Morales and his love interest Gwen Stacy (the Spider-Woman of her universe) take on The Spot — a new foe who can open interdimensional portals and who threatens the lives of all Spider-People. They team up the Spider-Society, led by Miguel O’Hara, to take The Spot on, but Miles and Miguel clash over the best way to do so. In cinemas June 1. 

‘Elemental’ 

Director: Peter Sohn 

Voice cast: Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Ronnie del Carmen, Shila Ommi 

Pixar’s latest is set in Element City, where the elements of nature (fire, water, land and air) live in their respective neighborhoods and are traditionally forbidden to mix. Ember Lumen, a feisty, quick-tempered fire element meets fun-loving water element Wade Ripple when he is called to deal with a plumbing accident at the family store owned by her bigoted father Bernie. Even though they cannot touch, Ember and Wade begin to fall in love, with Wade’s laidback nature helping to calm Ember down. In cinemas June 15. 

‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’  

Director: James Mangold 

Starring: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Antonio Banderas 

With Steven Spielberg and George Lucas on board as executive producers, this fifth and final installment in the hugely successful franchise, set in 1969, finds an ageing Dr. Jones searching for the titular mystical and powerful object alongside his goddaughter Helena (Waller-Bridge). Jones is disappointed to discover that former Nazis are now working with the US government to take on the Soviet Union in the space race. He’s particularly concerned about the sinister Jurgen Voller (Mikkelsen). In cinemas June 29.

‘Barbie’  

Director: Greta Gerwig 

Starring: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell, Simu Liu 

The fact that two great filmmakers — Gerwig (“Lady Bird”) and Noah Baumbach (“Marriage Story” and “Francis Ha”) — co-wrote this film, and that Gerwig herself directed it, hopefully means that what could have been (and was surely conceived as) a cynical marketing scheme for Mattel’s iconic doll will hopefully have plenty of heart. Other reasons to be hopeful include the two leads —two of Hollywood’s brightest young stars, Robbie and Gosling, as Barbie and Ken. In cinemas July 20. 

Topics: The Matchmaker Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 The Mother The Little Mermaid Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Elemental Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Barbie Lifestyle Reads of the Week

Industry leaders talk building grassroots culture at XP Music Futures

Industry leaders talk building grassroots culture at XP Music Futures
Updated 28 sec ago
Nada Alturki
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Industry leaders talk building grassroots culture at XP Music Futures

Industry leaders talk building grassroots culture at XP Music Futures
Updated 28 sec ago
Nada Alturki

RIYADH: Investments, events and community interaction are key to growing Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning music industry, a panel at the XP Music Futures conference was told on Thursday.

Music industry leaders and government officials took part in the panel at the event’s third edition, which is being held from Dec. 7-9 ahead of MDLBEAST’s Soundstorm festival.

“What I’ve noticed in Saudi Arabia from my visits is that there are entities who are taking the initiative to set up the grassroots culture … their scope is to teach people how to make music,” said Ramy Al-Kadhi, head of commercial at streaming platform Anghami.

Panelists said that investment is musical education is critical, with the Saudi Ministry of Culture establishing the Music Commission to direct funding into the Kingdom’s homegrown industry.

Creativity hubs for up-and-coming musicians, such as JAX, Riyadh’s art district that hosts spaces for music, fashion and art events, are also working to promote Saudi artists.

“We’re really proud of our community and we’re trying to always bolster their creativity, to keep them all alive, to have them all together in this space. It’s the community — it’s not anyone else but the community,” said Omnia Abdulqadir, communications and marketing director of JAX District.

Events like XP offer creatives a chance to learn and share their experiences, pushing the grassroots scene forward, the panelists said.

Other important steps include using existing cultural spaces, like museums, to initiate collaborations with the music industry, said Dr. Basma Al-Buhaira, managing director of the Center for Fourth Industrial Revolution in KSA.

Inclusivity must also be promoted for people with disabilities, as well as older artists, panelists said.

Other speakers, including CECO founder and creative consultant Dalia Fatania, and The Warehouse founder Mohammad Al-Attas, highlighted the power of technology to bolster musical talent.

The Warehouse also hosts open mic nights and jam sessions to encourage a culture of creativity.

Monetization of work is important for budding artists, the panelists said, encouraging young Saudis in the industry to work with brands, take on educational roles, sell merchandise and collectibles, and collaborate with other industries.

Topics: XP Music Futures

Arab artists must collaborate more for global success: Warner music chief

Arab artists must collaborate more for global success: Warner music chief
Updated 08 December 2023
Sulafa Alkhunaizi
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Arab artists must collaborate more for global success: Warner music chief

Arab artists must collaborate more for global success: Warner music chief
  • Reggaeton’s rise is an ideal model, says Alfonso Perez Soto
  • Strong domestic market needed to grow globally, he adds
Updated 08 December 2023
Sulafa Alkhunaizi

RIYADH: Artists living in the Middle East and North Africa should collaborate more to boost the industry in the region and globally, says Alfonso Perez Soto, president of emerging markets at Warner Music Group.

Soto was speaking Thursday at the XP Music Futures conference currently underway in Riyadh. 

Grammy-nominated Lebanese singer-songwriter Mayssa Karaa moderated the fireside chat titled “The potential of the region and beyond: A conversation with Alfonso Perez.”

Soto highlighted the rising popularity of reggaeton, a blend of Latin American music with hip-hop influences, and said that artists in the MENA region should take inspiration from the genre. 

“We need more features and cooperations between and among the local talent in the region. Moroccans with Egyptians, Iraqis with the Saudis … Because when you go back to what I said about reggaeton if you look at the way that they created the sound, and the way that they created this movement it was actually networking with each other,” he said. 

The industry must have a “stronger domestic market” in order to grow, said Soto.

“You want to reach a certain level of presence on a global level. We have to define global, it’s about the ability to present your music in many territories, I think that is very doable. Most of the emerging market territories that I manage, they have a strong diaspora so in reality they can really bring in music and play, they have a fan base that work.”

With AI on the rise, Soto said that it would impact the global music industry in positive ways, in creating better sounds and marketing.

Soto encourages aspiring artists to work hard. 

“I think that this market is just awaking. You see the numbers and there are some ups and downs in the growth, but I think that up to two or three quarters ago, MENA was the fastest growing market in the world. Then they came a little bit of a plateau, but I think that the growth and the opportunities for the artists are unstoppable.”

XP Music Futures — set to run until Dec. 9 — is the annual precursor to the region’s largest music festival, Soundstorm, organized by Saudi Arabia music platform MDLBEAST.

Topics: XP Music Futures

Escape to Okinawa, Japan’s historic island paradise 

Escape to Okinawa, Japan’s historic island paradise 
Updated 08 December 2023
Julian Ryall
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Escape to Okinawa, Japan’s historic island paradise 

Escape to Okinawa, Japan’s historic island paradise 
  • The prefecture offers outstanding scenery, plenty of history and culture, and a laidback vibe  
Updated 08 December 2023
Julian Ryall

OKINAWA: Located at the intersection of trade routes that linked Japan, China, south-east Asia and the tiny islands that dot the Pacific Ocean, the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa has adopted flavors from all its neighbors, but still managed to remain true to its cultural and historic roots. 

Those influences can be tasted in the area’s cuisine and witnessed in its unique architectural styles, festivals and attitudes that are more laidback Pacific than formal Japanese. And local people — descendants of the Ryukyuan Kingdom that was absorbed into Japan in 1872 — still take a fierce pride in being distinct. 

Now Japan’s most southerly prefecture, Okinawa consists of more than 150 islands, dotted between southern Kyushu to a point just over the horizon from Taiwan. Some of the more remote islands are uninhabited while others have just a handful of homes in communities that have changed little in generations. Bullocks pull wooden carts across the beach flats and the sound of three-string “shamisen” being plucked floats on the warm evening air. 

Shuri Castle which overlooks Naha in Okinawa. (Shutterstock)

The lifestyles of those outer islands is quite a contrast to Naha, the regional capital — less than two hours’ flying time from Tokyo and connections to the Middle East. 

Kokusaidori runs for more than 2 km through the heart of the city and, while touristy, is still the best place to get your first taste of Okinawa. Cafes, bars, boutiques and gaudy stores selling trinkets are cheek-by-jowl.  

Okinawan cuisine is a blend of many influences, with fish abundant in the surrounding waters, pork imported from China when the Ryukyus were still independent and fruits and spices from south-east Asia. For non-Muslims, no visit would be complete without sampling goya champuru, the islands’ signature dish that typically combines pork, tofu, eggs and goya, a green gourd with its own distinctive, bitter taste. Pork belly (rafute), simmered in soy sauce before being glazed with brown sugar, is another favorite, along with the local take on soba noodles. 

Kokusaidori, the main street in Naha, Okinawa's capital city. (Shutterstock)

Just off Kokusaidori is the covered market where many of the restaurants source their ingredients every day. In a warren of narrow alleyways, stalls are also piled high with every conceivable household utensil, local fabrics and electronic gadgets that you never knew you needed. 

Naha is overlooked from the east by Shuri Castle. The main elements of the UNESCO World Heritage site were razed to the ground by fire in 2019, but work is underway to rebuild the iconic red structure and it is expected to once again be fully open to visitors by 2026. 

Despite the damage, the castle is still worth visiting. The fortified buildings on the site dating back to the 12th century CE, when Shuri was the center of Ryukyuan politics, diplomacy and culture. An earlier version of the castle was designated a national treasure in 1925, but was destroyed in the fierce fighting that took place in Okinawa in the closing stages of World War II. 

Water buffalo cart near Iriomote island. (Shutterstock)

Its outer fortifications, gateways and courtyards escaped damage in the most recent fire, and their gracefully curving walls of limestone are markedly different from traditional Japanese castles. A series of decorated gateways lead deeper into the complex, their designs reflecting Chinese as well as Japanese and Ryukyuan influences. 

Okinawa’s islands are dotted with fortresses that were the power bases of local warlords, with Zakimi Castle another well-preserved example dating from the early 1400s. On the west coast of the main island, it dominates a hill overlooking the town of Yomitan and its thick walls complement the curves of the coastline below. 

The islands’ recent history is overshadowed by the brutal battles that took place here in 1945. The Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum opened in 1975 to give a fuller sense of the human tragedy. Built atop sea cliffs in the far south of the prefecture, on the site of the Imperial Japanese Army’s last stand, the museum’s gardens have rings of tall black stones bearing the names of each of the more than 250,000 men, women and children who died in the fighting here, regardless of nationality. A short walk away, along an avenue lined with memorials to the dead of each of Japan’s prefectures, is the tiny cave where the commanding officer of the defeated defenders committed suicide rather than surrender. 

Peace has once more returned to Okinawa and for anyone in search of true tranquility, consider a trip to Iriomote, the second-largest of the islands. It is famous for its unspoiled natural environment and a unique species of wild cat. 

Its sparse coastal communities are linked by a single road and the island’s interior is largely untouched — and protected as a national park. Visitors can explore by sea kayak, while a 20-km trail leads through the jungles of the interior and the mangrove swamps of the coast, all providing an enviable escape from the pace of modern city life. 

Topics: Okinawa Japan

New book tackles climate change for children launched in English and Arabic

New book tackles climate change for children launched in English and Arabic
Updated 08 December 2023
Rawaa Talass
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New book tackles climate change for children launched in English and Arabic

New book tackles climate change for children launched in English and Arabic
Updated 08 December 2023
Rawaa Talass

RIYADH: How do young people feel about climate change? That question is being posed through a new children's picture book, published to coincide with the launch of the climate change conference COP28 in Dubai.  

The book, which is available in both English and Arabic, is called "Earth Champs," and it contains 44 diverse artworks made by youngsters aged 5-17 from around the globe.  

“We wanted to convey a message about an important cause, like climate change, through art. We wanted to see how children view climate change and we were surprised with the results," Lateefa Alnuaimi, the Emirati founder of LFE Art Culture, the institution that supported the book’s creation, told Arab News. "They know what it’s about, but they don’t how to express it, so we gave them a paper and a pen, and of course, they drew. Each young person expressed what's inside of them." 

The book is available in both English and Arabic. (Supplied)

To gather the work for the book, Alnuaimi put out an open call to international schools in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. She received nearly 1,500 entries. The selected pieces range from sculpture to photography and drawing. They depict animals and plants, as well as environments that are in danger. There are elements of both hope and concern.  

“What shocked me was their way of thinking and how talented they are with the way they handle a paintbrush or a camera," Alnuaimi said. "They were professional, which indicates how educated they are."  

Alnuaimi also mentioned that today's generation of children are more aware of the urgency of climate change. 

To gather the work for the book, Alnuaimi put out an open call to international schools in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. (Supplied)

“It was important to show people that children care about climate change. They’re not a silent voice — they 'spoke' about it through art,” she said.  

Thirty copies of the book have already been privately gifted to UAE ministers and sheikhs. After COP28 ends on Dec. 12, Alnuaimi hopes to make "Earth Champs" available to purchase online and in shops. “It’s a book from the UAE to the world,” she said.  

She also offered advice about how adults and educational institutions can encourage children in the region to look after the environment:  

"It's important to host workshops on climate change, educate students to properly use electricity, and partake in campaigns of cleaning the ocean and the desert," she said. 

Topics: COP28 Earth Champs

Designer Stella McCartney talks sustainability, fashion and saving the planet at COP28 in Dubai

Designer Stella McCartney talks sustainability, fashion and saving the planet at COP28 in Dubai
Updated 08 December 2023
Rebecca Anne Proctor
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Designer Stella McCartney talks sustainability, fashion and saving the planet at COP28 in Dubai

Designer Stella McCartney talks sustainability, fashion and saving the planet at COP28 in Dubai
  • McCartney helms world’s first luxury house to never use animal leather, feathers, fur or skins
  • Briton calls for tighter government regulations, incentives for sustainable production
Updated 08 December 2023
Rebecca Anne Proctor

DUBAI: For more than two decades British designer Stella McCartney has been on a mission to produce her fashion line adhering to sustainable methods of production, to combat climate change and reduce the industry’s damaging effects on the planet.

McCartney helms the world’s first luxury house to never use animal leather, feathers, fur or skins. She also adopted extensive sustainability principles following the Livestock’s Long Shadow Report in 2006, which linked animal agriculture with climate harm.

Titled “Stella McCartney’s Sustainable Market: Innovating Tomorrow’s Solutions,” and running until the culmination of COP28 on Dec. 12, she is also hosting a space at the environmental conference in Dubai that presents highlights from her latest collection.

Titled “Stella McCartney’s Sustainable Market: Innovating Tomorrow’s Solutions,” she is also hosting a space at the environmental conference in Dubai that presents highlights from her latest collection. (Supplied)

In addition, McCartney’s showcasing new breakthrough discoveries in regenerative agriculture, bio- and plant-based alternatives to plastic, animal leather and fur, and traditional fibers. Among these is a grape-based alternative to animal leather discovered in partnership with Veuve Clicquot, and the debut of the world’s first garments crafted from Protein Evolution’s biologically recycled and infinitely recyclable polyester.

“I am the first to say coming to COP28 is not the easy route; you need to have purpose and passion not only to get a seat at the table, but just to get heard at all,” the designer told Arab News. “Especially when you’re a woman. However, if I do not represent the industry at COP28, who will?”

“Fashion is not an island; our industry impacts everyone, everywhere,” she continued. “There are no laws or legalization that control how people are working. Every second, a truckful of fast fashion is burnt or sent to landfill.”

McCartney’s showcasing new breakthrough discoveries in regenerative agriculture, bio- and plant-based alternatives to plastic, animal leather and fur, and traditional fibers. (Supplied)

The fashion industry, according to the UN Environment Programme, is responsible for around 8 percent of all global carbon emissions.

Adding to the challenge of reducing its global greenhouse gas footprint is also the concern that the industry will grow due to increased consumption patterns and population. 

“If we want to leave a better world for the next generation, we need to have a voice here calling for change — encouraging both private and public leaders to join us by investing in and incentivizing innovation, creating less and doing more with what we already have, and being kinder to our fellow creatures, humans and Mother Earth. We have to stay positive, and proactive,” she told Arab News.

McCartney at COP28. (Supplied)

McCartney attended COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, where she declared that the fashion industry was “getting away with murder” due to a lack of accountability and poor self-regulation.

How does McCartney believe change can take place?

“Governments and policymakers can start by putting tax breaks and benefits in place for more sustainable, circular and cruelty-free practices. We are penalized, not incentivized, to work with vegan alternatives to leather,” she explained. “We need government leaders who are brave enough to step up and say no to the powerful leather, fur and agricultural industries that are so afraid of our cruelty-free future,” she said.

“We need policy change, because fashion is one of the most harmful industries on the planet,” she declared. “I have never used leather or fur, but that is because I had the privilege of being raised by two vegetarians and animal rights activists. So, I self-police myself. Nobody else would do that. Governments need to step in and make it worthwhile for brands to do the same, or regulate them, because I can tell you after 22 years, it is not easy.”

The designer’s latest collaboration with Veuve Clicquot serves as an example of what can happen when people from different industries, but with similar sustainable perspectives, come together to champion the same cause. (Supplied)

McCartney has been advocating for governments to change the way they approach vegan alternatives, which is what she incorporates in her designs.

“Our cruelty-free innovations are often taxed 30 percent more than skins that come from animals. How disgusting is that?” she told Arab News.

“Animal agriculture (which is where leather comes from) is responsible for 80 percent of the Amazon’s deforested areas, which has a huge impact on biodiversity as well as the release and sequestering of greenhouse gases,” she added. “One billion animals die annually for leather, so one place the fashion industry could start is by stopping the use of leather.”

The designer’s latest collaboration with Veuve Clicquot serves as an example of what can happen when people from different industries, but with similar sustainable perspectives, come together to champion the same cause.

“We used the harvest by-product from Veuve Clicquot’s regeneratively grown, traceable grape harvest and innovated a new vegan alternative to leather that is on display here at my sustainable market,” she added. “Could you imagine 10 years ago saying that a champagne maison and a fashion house had come together to innovate a luxury material? Time is ticking towards 2030; this kind of outside-the-box thinking and collaboration is what we need more of not only at COP28, but everywhere,” she said.

Topics: COP28 Stella McCartney

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