“Can u believe that a dream also comes true … two years of manifestation and immense hard work ... with lot of support from my team,” the beauty queen wrote on Instagram sharing a series of images from the event.
Earlier this year Kamstra — Mrs UAE — narrowly missed the crown at the 2022 Mrs World competition on Jan. 15.
Event features exhibitions, talks, masterclasses, workshops, performances and an art book fair
Updated 12 sec ago
Rebecca Anne Proctor
RIYADH: Stationed around Prince Faisal bin Fahad Arts Hall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, are numerous pop-up spaces selling artworks and handmade Saudi crafts. Hailing from across the Kingdom, these sleekly presented spaces constitute Misk Art Week’s marketplace, providing a platform for creative professionals across the country to grow their practices while also allowing international visitors to engage with Saudi Arabia’s growing art scene.
One artist has come from Al-Baha in the Kingdom’s Sarawat Mountains to showcase her work while another photographer has traveled from Jeddah. Other local craftsmen and women from around Riyadh smile warmly as they present their crafts — all of which reflect the traditional heritage of Saudi Arabia.
The theme of this year’s Misk Art Week is tradition, celebrating the richness of the Kingdom’s past and present heritage and culture.
The exhibition is curated by Aram Alajaji. (Supplied)
“This year’s edition of Misk Art Week looks forward to celebrating art and artists, presenting rich artistic content for everyone,” Reeem Al-Sultan, CEO of Misk Art Institute, a nonprofit cultural organization under the Misk Foundation, established in 2011 by Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, said in a statement.
“It aims to stimulate and enhance cultural discussions in the region, providing the platform artists need to express themselves amidst the continuing success of the Institute’s programs in contributing to the development of the creative sector in Saudi Arabia and enriching artistic content and production through a range of programs.”
The annual week, now in its seventh outing, is taking place until Dec. 10 and has become a key moment in Saudi Arabia’s cultural calendar. The event features a dynamic program of exhibitions, talks, masterclasses, workshops, performances and also an art book fair. The latter constitutes its largest fair to date and features a range of art magazines and cultural books in both English and Arabic.
Several exhibitions are also being staged during the week. These include “Mirqab,” an exhibition that displays works by artists from Saudi Arabia and across the Arab world who explore the idea of rituals that transcend mere routines and become celebratory events on their own.
Stationed around Prince Faisal bin Fahad Arts Hall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, are numerous pop-up spaces selling artworks and handmade Saudi crafts. (Supplied)
The exhibition is curated by Aram Alajaji.
“These rituals serve as a source of identity, continuity and a window into culture, uniting individuals across time and space through shared traditions and values,” the exhibition text states.
Highlights include Kuwaiti artist Farah Behbehani’s “Light Within the Heart” (2023) a mixed-media immersive installation made with hand-pierced paper, and a digital projection with audio recitation by Saudi singer Rotana Tarabzouni. The work was inspired by a poem by the 12th-century Persian philosopher Yahya ibn Habash Suhrawardi that explores the essence of divine light.
The work is additionally inspired by the geometric patterns employed in Islamic architecture.
Elsewhere, “The Infinite Now” (2022) is by Jeddah-based artist and poet Sara Abdu and explores, the artist explained to Arab News, “the simple act of creating a simple line. It is based on repetition, it is very ritualistic and I consider it a tool for documenting the infinite now.”
(Supplied)
Positioned opposite “Mirqab,” artists can be found painting, drawing and sculpting throughout the week. A few steps away is a stage where musical and dance performances are taking place each night. Additionally, the Creative Forum, a talks program bringing together art professionals from the country and around the world, seeks to explore ideas relating to art creation and the art scene in the Kingdom.
Upstairs in the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Arts Hall is an exhibition titled “Tracing the Absent,” celebrating the winners of the fourth Misk Art Grant, with a fund of one million Saudi riyals ($266,632) distributed among five artist from the Arab world.
As demonstrated by the theme of the exhibition, which centers on tradition, the 2023 participants were asked to reflect on notions of tradition, of an Arab’s society’s inherited rituals, practices, stories and ways of thinking, that have changed over time.
The Misk Art Grant recipients this year are Abdulla Buhijji, Hayfa Algwaiz, Hussain Alismail, Maisa Shaldan and Mohamed Almubarak.
In a structure outside the Prince Fahd Arts Hall stands “Tajalat,” an immersive experience converging art, technology and culture. The room, which features live moving projections of the works of 11 Saudi artists, is a wonder in itself, prompting visitors to stay, reflect on the art and experience the colors, lights and forms as they are projected onto the screens. Like Misk Art Week, this experiential exhibition also prompts a sense of community, uniting visitors from all backgrounds and cultures in a common moment of art appreciation.
Gwyneth Paltrow, Halle Berry and Baz Luhrmann talk careers, inspiration at RSIFF
Updated 07 December 2023
Shyama Krishna Kumar
JEDDAH: Academy Award-winner and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow cut a business chic look as she headlined three high-profile In Conversation panels that took place at the Red Sea International Film Festival on Wednesday night, with Australian director Baz Luhrmann and US actress Halle Berry taking part in panels on the same day.
Taking part in a retrospective conversation moderated by Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG) CEO Jomana Al-Rashed – who introduced Paltrow as a personal role model – the latter looked back on her career as a successful movie star as well as an entrepreneur, recently celebrating 15 years of her wellness company, Goop.
“Entrepreneurship and acting are very similar. Both require the same kind of energy,” said Paltrow of her decision to launch Goop.
Paltrow went into some detail about the first ever MCU film she shot, 2008’s “Iron Man,” starring Robert Downey Jr. in his famous titular role. (Getty)
“I’m really happy I did it because I’ve learned so much through the process of growing this company and working with this team and all of the challenges, whether it be inventory management or Excel. I never thought in a million years I would have to learn how to read a P&L. It’s been so thrilling to build this business and still do what I love to do.”
On the topic of films, Paltrow was asked by an audience member about how she felt about working in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to which she said she stopped watching the films at some point, having also never watched “Avengers: Endgame,” in which she has a significant role.
Paltrow did, however, go into some detail about the first ever MCU film she shot, 2008’s “Iron Man,” starring Robert Downey Jr. in his famous titular role.
“The first film we did was very different from the rest because the studio didn’t think it was going to be a big hit,” she said. “They hired Jon Favreau to direct who was great. And they hired Robert Downey Jr., who was un-hireable at the time. His career was at a very low point.
Paltrow with Mohammed Al-Turki and Jumana Al-Rashed. (Getty)
“And then I remember they called me one day and said, ‘Come do this thing with us.’ And I said, ‘I’m not going to be in a superhero movie.’ And then they said, ‘No, but it’s going to be like doing an indie film. We’re going to have fun and, you know, you don’t have to be in too much of the action part anyway.’”
“And so I thought, ‘Oh, okay.’ And we had such a good time. We improvised almost every scene of that movie. We would write it in the morning in Jon’s trailer, and it was like doing an independent film. Then, the movie was such a huge hit that then we didn’t make them like that anymore. But it was fun. It was a fun ride,” she added.
Paltrow, whose last onscreen role was Netflix’s “The Politician,” was also asked whether she saw herself returning to Hollywood.
“I never say never. I’m really happy and busy doing what I’m doing. But again, I can never know what the future will hold,” she said.
Here’s a look at what Luhrmann and Berry had to say at their respective In Conversation panels:
Halle Berry talks Oscars and inspiration
US actress Halle Berry took part in the panel. (Getty)
US actress Halle Berry, the first and only African-American actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress, spoke about empowering herself as an actress, filmmaker and producer as she delved into topics like the creation of her production house, upcoming projects and possibly shooting parts of her next movie in Jeddah.
Berry, revealed to huge applause, that inspiration struck her on her flight to Jeddah for a new story she wants to direct.
“Finally on the plane coming here I saw a story, I saw what’s in my heart, and realised what I wanted to share,” said Berry, who recently launched production company HalleHolly with former WME partner Holly Jeter.
Asked by moderator and Lebanese presenter Raya Abirached to elaborate, Berry said, “It’s a love story at its core, but it deals with the supernatural and time travel and the future. It’s taken me the last few years to figure this out.”
Berry also spoke about her famous Oscar win in 2002 for her devastating role in Marc Forster’s “Monster’s Ball,” also starring Billy Bob Thornton.
About her win and speech, Berry said, “I don’t remember any of it and here’s why. I didn’t expect to win. I don’t know if anybody ever expects to win. Back in those days, usually whoever won the Golden Globe, would win the Oscars. So, any hopes I had were dashed when I lost to Siccy Spacek for the Golden Globe.
“And it was in that moment that I thought this was a good run. Look how far I got. I dared to take a chance and I took the role of ‘Monster’s Ball’ and all of my agents and everybody around me said this would be the end of my career.
Halle Berry spoke about empowering herself as an actress, filmmaker and producer. (Getty)
“So, knowing all that, I didn’t write a speech. I just wanted to go and have fun and sort of bask in the moment of this achievement, being at the Academy Awards and being nominated. So, I was not prepared. So, when I went up there when they called my name, I absolutely went blank. And all I remember was Russell Crowe. Walking up there and seeing his face and hearing him say, ‘Breathe, mate.’ And I remember taking a big breath turning around and then it’s kind of a blur. And the next memory I really have is backstage, and realizing, ‘Oh! An Oscar!’ I think I saw it for the first time backstage.”
Berry also talked about her upcoming collaboration with Angelina Jolie for the action-comedy film “Maude v Maude,” which the two actresses are co-producing.
“I’m just thrilled to just work with another woman and craft a story from our sensibility, from our point of view. So many times, we’re characterised in movies, and the writers are usually men, so we’re portrayed from their perspective. And, so, there’s a female director, Angelina and I are there, and we can tell a story from our point of view.”
She also said the Warner Bros. film is a big action movie that will shoot around the world: “And maybe we’ll come back here (to Jeddah). When I was looking around the old town today, I was thinking about what we can get in here.”
Baz Luhrmann reflects on his biggest hits
Australian auteur Baz Luhrmann, known for films like “Romeo + Juliet,” “Moulin Rouge,” “The Great Gatsby” and “Elvis,” sat down with Raya Abirached to look back on his 30-year-long career, reflecting on his biggest hits.
Talking about his hit biographical film “Elvis,” starring Austin Butler in the lead role, Luhrmann went into some detail about losing hope on the film when COVID-19 hit. However, Butler never gave up, he said.
“Austin carried a very precious secret with him that he didn’t tell me about until much later in the process, and that is that he had lost his mother at exactly the same age that Elvis did. And it affected him profoundly because she was the one who would go with him to auditions and you know helped him start out. His work ethic was like… Denzel Washington rang me out of the blue. I didn’t know Denzel at the time. He said, ‘Look, you’re about to meet Austin Butler.’ Austin was doing a play with Denzel on stage and he said he’s never seen a young actor work as hard as he was. ‘You’ll be all over him,’ said Denzel. And I was,” said Luhrmann.
“And then the movie went away. I told everyone to go home from Australia. But Austin wouldn’t leave. He said, ‘I’m not leaving.’ We would see him walking up and down the beach and people would think he was mad because he’d be yelling his ‘Elvis’ lines into the ocean,” he added, laughing.
Luhrmann, in an offhand comment, also said he’s considering retiring while talking about how he picks the projects he works on.
“I’ve always got so many pieces in my mind and I’ll never make all of them. It’s just so much noise out there and not to criticize anyone but there’s just so much stuff out there. I would rather retire – which I am considering doing – and not put more noise out there. If I can’t put something that’s actually useful and can be worthy of someone’s incredibly precious two-and-a-half hours when you invite them into a darkened room with strangers to look at something that they can’t walk out and either be uplifted or moved or something… It’s got to be worthwhile to do it. That’s all they care about. And if I can believe I can do that, then I would do it,” he said.
Hollywood star Michelle Rodriguez talks women in cinema at RSIFF
Updated 07 December 2023
Afshan Aziz
JEDDAH: Hollywood star Michelle Rodriguez sat down at the Red Sea International Film Festival’s Talent Days forum on Wednesday to shed light on her career choices, as well as the role of women in cinema.
Moderated by Saudi actor Ibrahim Al-Hajjaj at the Ritz-Carlton in Jeddah, the pair chatted candidly on the perceived divide between old Hollywood and television, with Rodriguez stating: “There is always a wall between old Hollywood and television where there are certain people you know in the industry wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole, and that has to do with the susceptibility.”
The session was moderated by Saudi actor Ibrahim Al-Hajjaj at the Ritz-Carlton in Jeddah. (Getty)
Known for her roles in action movies, including the fan-loved “Fast & Furious” franchise, Rodriguez reminded the audience that “films are about discovery and teamwork as much as it is about vision and storytelling.”
Rodriguez also discussed her criteria for selecting movies, highlighting her commitment to avoiding projects that contain nudity, negative portrayals of women, or drug dealers.
“I can’t play any negative character that misrepresents a woman as it is forbidden and I need to give little girls something else to see. If the script has a drug dealer or something like this, I will say no,” she said.
Rodriguez discussed her criteria for selecting movies, highlighting her commitment to avoiding projects that contain nudity, negative portrayals of women, or drug dealers. (Getty)
Reflecting on the representation of women in the film industry, Rodriguez noted the positive changes both on and off screen, saying: “The representation of women has changed... there are doors opening... it’s time for women to discover what that power is.”
Speaking of Mohammed Al-Turki, CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation, Rodriguez commended his support for women in the industry.
“He has got more women in his film festival than any other film festival worldwide. His support, his desire to give voice to women is unparalleled. Nobody else does that,” she said.
The Red Sea International Film Festival runs until Dec. 9.
Filmmaker Dur Jamjoom takes emotional personal story to RSIFF
‘We have a new generation in Saudi Arabia that is coming in with great ideas and some stories that has never been heard before,’ Dur Jamjoom told Arab News
‘Kum-Kum’ follows 17-year-old Duna, who witnesses the fatal drowning of a young girl called Salwa
Updated 07 December 2023
Hams Saleh
DUBAI: Saudi filmmaker Dur Jamjoom is entering the film industry with a bang — her graduation film “Kum-Kum” is set to screen at the Red Sea International Film Festival, which runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 9.
At just 23, the director already has six short films under her belt, with the 15-minute long “Kum-Kum” joining the pack.
“I feel grateful and blessed that they chose my short film, and it’s just a graduation film,” Jamjoom told Arab News. “I’ve worked so hard on this film and when I heard the news that they’re showcasing it at Red Sea, I was extremely excited and my whole family were excited too.”
“Kum-Kum” is inspired by a true story that happened to Jamjoom in 2012. “It’s about my friend who passed away at the age of 12. I was 12-years-old and it was all new for me to understand the concept of death and life,” she said.
“Because I was a child, people used to call me a robot, because I showed no emotions. whenever I went to funerals, I never understood the idea of people crying because someone passed away,” she recalled.
The poster for short film 'Kum Kum.' (Supplied)
“When that time came and my friend passed away, it was all new for me. When I got into the funeral, I felt all these kinds of new emotions that started to (rise) up and I experienced new emotions that came into my mind and heart,” she said.
The short film follows 17-year-old Duna, who witnesses the fatal drowning of a young girl called Salwa. Duna is traumatized and struggles with residual feelings of hopelessness and an enduring fear of the water — until she realizes that she must go back to the beach to teach her younger sister how to swim.
“Kum-Kum” examines the philosophical aspects of life and death and “also talks about how someone’s passing can shape someone living,” Jamjoom said.
Jamjoom started working on the movie in 2022 when she took a screenwriting course at Effat University in Jeddah. “I wrote this script, but it was still a work in progress. I put it aside and I said to myself, ‘I don’t want to keep this script on the side forever. I want to work on it later on’,” she said.
“When my graduation project came, I pulled that out from the drawer and said, ‘OK, I’m going to work on this script.”
Her love of filmmaking began at a young age, when her cousin introduced her to TikTok’s precursor, musical.ly.
“I was very introverted. I didn’t know how to express my emotions,” she said. “At the age of 11, my cousin showed me an app that is now TikTok where you record and add music. I was so fascinated, and I started using this app. Every Saturday, I’d gather up all my cousins and I’d start recording them and start making silly videos. It got really serious and we started to think about which song we should choose to match the mood of the song and started doing changing costumes and everything. I was filming and directing them,” she said.
At the end of every week, Jamjoom would present her work to her family.
Jamjoom now works at the Red Sea Film Foundation’s Red Sea Labs, which the filmmaker said “creates multiple programs for feature films, short films, TV series and music. It teaches the new upcoming filmmakers, and the ones who are experienced, how to develop their projects.
“We have a new generation in Saudi Arabia that is coming in with great ideas and some stories that has never been heard before,” she said.
“It’s like a baby growing right now. Saudi Arabia is developing so much, especially with all the new architecture, the new construction and Vision 2030. Everything is happening all at once and cinema is also a part of that development,” she said.
The Bicester Collection sees rise in Saudi shoppers, luxury outposts look to attract more
Updated 07 December 2023
Hanadi Merchant-Habib
MADRID: A village from The Bicester Collection, a family of eleven luxury shopping destinations across Europe and China, is on most shoppers’ must visit lists when traveling — and it seems that discerning Saudi tourists are no different.
Given tailor-made services for Arab consumers, including Arabic-speaking concierge services and halal options at Bicester Collection outposts in Milan and Madrid, it is not surprising that the European villages have witnessed a surge in shoppers from the GCC in recent years, according to internal data. Las Rozas Village, located just outside of Madrid, reported a 48 percent growth in visits from Saudi Arabia since 2019. Meanwhile, at Milan’s Fidenza Village, the Kingdom ranks 14th as a stand-alone country from where visitors hail.
The Bicester Collection is a family of eleven luxury shopping destinations across Europe and China. (Supplied)
The 90-minute drive to Milan’s Fidenza Village is not for the faint of heart, but once you arrive you can expect both shopping and gastronomic heaven.
Las Rozas, set at the foot of Madrid’s Sierra Norte mountains, is a little less daunting to reach, at only 30 minutes from the city center. There are multiple options to get there – bus, train, taxi, car and a chauffeur service that can be booked directly from the village’s website. Additionally, the villages have plenty of free parking should you choose to drive.
Visitors can shop other categories like home and lifestyle, with offerings from Villeroy & Boch and Le Creuset’s cookware and bakeware. (Supplied)
At Las Rozas, guests can treat themselves to multiple high-end fashion brands, including Loewe and Etro. Visitors can also shop other categories like home and lifestyle, with offerings from Villeroy & Boch and Le Creuset’s cookware and bakeware. However, in busy seasons like the summer, queues outside the boutiques can be extensive, so it’s best to explore the website to plan ahead regarding which stores you want to visit to save time.
Each open-air village features a quaint setting and was designed to resemble various architectural styles. For instance, Fidenza village is reminiscent of an Italian Piazza, while Las Rozas’ design was inspired by the story of a Spanish prince alongside referencing iconic buildings worldwide. Each destination also boasts ‘The Apartment’ – an invitation-only private space for VIP clients. Here, guests can try on their purchases in privacy, and even opt for their personal shopping service. Furthermore, each apartment resembles a stylish private home with artwork, books, and luxury furnishings. At Fidenza, the space was imagined by designer David Thomas and features vintage chairs upholstered with Etro fabrics, Fornasetti wallpapers, intricate murals by a local artist, Armani Home linen curtains and Art Deco collectibles.
It is located 30 minutes from Madrid’s city center. (Supplied)
Architecture and décor aside, the dining spots offer local cuisine alongside international flavors and quick bite options. In Las Rozas, at renowned chef Cristina Oria’s restaurant, foodies can enjoy various dishes, including roast beef toast, Spanish potato tortilla with eggplant and truffle, and prawns with red curry or sip on a coffee alfresco while admiring a view of the neighboring mountains. For the pasta lovers, Milan’s Fidenza doesn’t disappoint either: The village is located in the Parma province, a gastronomic haven, so expect to eat some incredible food. And cheese lovers can take back blocks of 24 months and 36 months aged parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar from Parma Menu. For something sweet, Venchi’s gelato and hot chocolate don’t disappoint.
The concierge service in the villages are also helpful. From booking a chauffeur drive, taxi, wheelchair, and stroller to getting tourist information – this is the first place to contact for any information.
The Bicester Collection has also launched a virtual retail experience for the winter holiday season. (Supplied)
Fidenza allows guests to file their tax refunds via the Instant Tax-Free Kiosk. The Bicester Collection has also partnered with multiple Middle Eastern airlines, including Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad, so shoppers can earn miles, which can be claimed via the concierge service. With Emirates Skywards, customers can earn one mile for every euro spent.
The Bicester Collection has also launched a virtual retail experience for the winter holiday season. Designed to represent each of the villages’ physical environments, the new virtual experience brings together Bicester Village (UK), La Roca Village (Spain), La Vallée Village (France), and Fidenza Village (Italy). From the comfort of their own homes, guests can virtually walk around and explore each village alongside pre-booking services like hands-free shopping and virtual personal shopping appointments. The service will also help visitors prepare for an in-person visit in an immersive way.
