I read with interest the article “Lights, camera, action” (Aug. 29) by Saad Al-Dosari. It is really surprising to note the rise of Saudi filmmakers on the global cinema scene in the absence of official patronage. This indicates that the Saudis are very creative and can achieve much more in the field of arts and cinema with a little push.
People, mostly in the Muslim world, only focus on the negative side of cinema and theater. In today’s world, these are the means of creating and promoting a nation’s image around the world. It is said that anti-American sentiments are always on the rise but we cannot, however, disagree that American movies’ popularity have always been on the rise. Many key aspects of the American culture have now become almost universal. Upon seeing an English-speaking tourist in China, a Chinese usually says, “Yo! Man.”
Of course, that is not a bad thing. It is part and parcel of being part of a global village.
We Muslims usually complain about negative stereotypes in American movies. We have to understand that the foreigners don’t know us. Most of these stereotypes are based on the media coverage of the Muslim world. I do agree that Egypt has a thriving cinema but that is not enough.
Besides, promoting cinema and filmmaking in the Kingdom could also prove to be an important source of income. Within certain limits, cinema has a lot of positive things to offer – from a healthy source of entertainment to a good source of income. YouTube is full of channels run by young and raw Saudi talents. The youngsters are doing a great job within their limited resources.
I believe that the private sector in the Kingdom should come up with an initiative in this regard at the earliest. — Usman Shafi, Jeddah
Power of cinema
