Saudis can go to the movies again after a 37-year hiatus

Saudi comedians Nasser Al-Ghasby (R) and Abdullah Al-Sadhan (2nd R) cut a cake with TV director Abdulkhaleq Al-Ghanem (C) and his crew on the set of the TV comedy series “Tash Ma Tash.” As the year ends, Saudis can enjoy going to the movies once again. (Photo by Amro Maraghi/AFP/Getty Images)

Saudi comedians Nasser Al-Ghasby (R) and Abdullah Al-Sadhan (2nd R) cut a cake with TV director Abdulkhaleq Al-Ghanem (C) and his crew on the set of the TV comedy series “Tash Ma Tash.” As the year ends, Saudis can enjoy going to the movies once again. (Photo by Amro Maraghi/AFP/Getty Images)

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After more than 30 years, Saudis once again can go out to the movies. The Arabic film "Menahi," produced by the company Rotana owned by Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, was screened for the first time in Jeddah on Dec. 9. The close relationship between Prince Al-Waleed and the royal family headed by King Abdullah was the main factor in convincing religious authorities to lift the ban on cinema that was imposed on Saudi society in the 1970s.

General Manager of Rotana Studios Ayman Halawani said in a press conference held before the premiere of "Menahi” that it is the first film to be shown in movie theatres in Saudi Arabia. He added that he hoped it would be considered appropriate in regard to Saudi customs, traditions and sense of privacy.

"Menahi," directed by Ayman Makaram at a cost of US$2 million stars Saudi actor Fayez Al-Malki as Menahi, a simple and humble farmer who always finds himself involved in comic adventures.

A young unmarried Saudi of Bedouin origins in his 30s who lives with his elderly mother and owns a small farm to raise goats and poultry, Menahi heads for the big city, but cannot adjust to life there. That is why he sometimes appears naïve, while at other times his innate intelligence enables him to get him out of embarrassing situations.

After the film was shown in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, France, and Switzerland, Rotana decided to show it in Egyptian theatres, where it became the first Gulf film to be shown in Cairo’s venerable movie palaces.

[Reuters News Agency, Elaph news Web site]

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    2009-2-28

    Very enlightening please keep up the good work. Thanks and bye for now.

  • 2009-2-15

    It's all lies, lies, from that crowd in Jeddah. I don't know about it. So anyway I am stupid. I see those soap operas as them wanting to have a cinema showing nice films and not the stuff they have on those rubbish channels and the mediocre productions on MBC and the rest of them - all that killing and destruction and bombing and monsters and planes being kidnapped and two flying the plane instead of one flying it and landing it, God be praised! They teach our kids to kill and destroy and bomb and at the same time they are saying 'Terrorists!' The problem is 100% Saudi television channels. That's who are bringing those films. Then they bring you the news and say 'terrorists' and then spend an hour telling you the names. Look at the backwardness! Where have all those films we saw on MBC 2 brought us to, and (MBC) 4 and five, MBC Action? It's all killing and explosions and monsters and lies told to us that have turned the Arab nation and especially Saudi Arabia into worthless places to the point where our Saudi channels bring us this pitiable stuff, until the Magians and the Jews and the Christians dishonour us through our channels. They tell you, watch MBC and then the Saudi Mufti comes and tells you not to be doing all the stuff that is showing on those channels. So if I was to go as a citizen and kill everyone running those channels and destroy them they would say I was a terrorist. Fine - who is it that taught me terrorism only those stupid and decadent films. You scum of society. Shame, shame that we should have Saudi stations owned by Saudis broadcasting scandalous lies to millions of viewers. I mean, sex channels are banned in the country, but these channels are worse than the sex channels and they have spread and proliferated... I know no one is going to scrutinise what I am saying because we Saudis always go back to God and His Prophet if we are right even if they defame us. Good people, trust in God whatever the troubles. Blessings.

  • 2009-1-25

    Wonderful.