Filmmaker Daniele Rugo delves into the secrecy around mass graves in Lebanon 

CANNES: Saudi Arabia’s Purple Sea Worldwide Movie Pageant and Vainness Honest on Thursday hosted a “girls’s tales gala after occasion” through the Cannes Movie Pageant to have a good time feminine expertise within the area. 

The star-studded occasion was attended by Leonardo DiCaprio, Katie Holmes, Maiwenn, The Weeknd, Gaspar Noe, Storm Reid, Tobey Maguire, Gurinder Chadha, Fan Bingbing, Freida Pinto, Simone Marchetti, Eva Herzigova, Naomi Campbell and extra. 

The occasion, held on the famed Lodge du Cap-Eden-Roc in Cap d’Antibes, honored six stars from the area: Saudi actresses Mila Al-Zahrani and Fatima Al-Banawi, Lebanese actress Razane Jammal, Indian star Sarah Ali Khan, Egyptian-Montenegrin actress and mannequin Tara Emad and Nigerian filmmaker Jade Osiberu. 

In an interview with Arab Information, Emad stated: “I’m very pleased with myself, of every girls right here that’s an honoree. I’m pleased with our business, of Egypt (and) of the Arab world. I’m glad to have the ability to signify Egypt and the Arab phrase on the whole. 

“I’m joyful to have the ability to see the illustration that I all the time sought to see as a younger lady,” she stated. “I hope that the six of us could be that illustration to all the ladies and all the ladies within the Arab area that search to see themselves within the highlight in any profession that they select.”

Khan believes it was a “privilege” to be a part of the occasion. “I believe if I needed to determine myself in three phrases it could in all probability be: Indian, lady (and) actor. And I’m right here to have a good time all three at this time,” she stated. 

To Al-Banawi, moments like these are now not a shock. 

“I reached to some extent the place I’m actually not stunned as a result of Saudi Arabia is attempting to show that we’re creating tales which might be inspiring, magical and that push for change and improvement,” she stated. “I’m very joyful that we’re right here in Cannes Movie Pageant, celebrating one another and  celebrating with one another.

“I really feel just like the narrative we represented within the mild that was all the time on us was a really particular one and I don’t assume girls have been a part of it. I believe it was written by others,” she stated. “As we speak, I’m celebrating girls which might be writing, which might be creating and difficult and honoring themselves and different fellow girls.

“I believe it takes a lot braveness to inform one story, not to mention if there was so many tales that have been shaping you in a particular discourse or a particular channel or a particular mild. It takes extra braveness to unleash, to unfold new prospects and new alternatives. I all the time remind myself to be OK with taking over area, with talking my opinion, with addressing what I really feel could possibly be flawed or must be modified,” Al-Banawi stated. 

Jammal stated that she by no means differentiated between a person and a girl. 

“Perhaps as a result of I lived in a bit of bubble as a result of I used to be raised by a person that empowered me and informed me that there was no distinction between me and my brother. So possibly I by no means grew up feeling that being a girl is a problem. If something, I felt prefer it was a superpower,” she stated. 

However when she joined the workforce, she realized that girls confronted challenges. 

“I’m studying now as I’m extra uncovered to a wider viewers, and relying on their reactions I can find out about them extra,” she stated. “As a girl, I’m actually joyful to be representing an individual who chased her desires, who’s self-made, who’s unbiased, and I’m simply attempting to do my greatest and I’m simply actually joyful that one of the best is simply working for me proper now.”

Portugese mannequin Sara Sampaio, who additionally attended, stated that being a part of the ladies’s tales gala was “so particular.” 

“Girls are superb, and for the longest time we didn’t have tales informed by our level of views. It’s essential,” she stated. 

Mohammed Al-Turki, CEO of the Purple Sea Movie Pageant, informed Arab Information: “We’re very joyful to be celebrating girls. We’re very proud that we will share tales from our area. As we speak, we’re highlighting six females from our area: two from Saudi — Mila Zahran and Fatima Al-Banawi — from Egypt Tara Emad, from Lebanon Razane Jammal, from Nigeria Jade and from India Sara Ali Khan.

“It’s fairly an attention-grabbing combine and for us to have the ability to showcase these abilities to the world, to be in a room tonight with the likes of Katie Holmes and extra, is a giant unbelievable second for us,” he stated. 

“I believe the dream has come true. I by no means thought a Saudi co-production would open Cannes with a feminine director of Algerian descent,” he stated. “So it’s an indicator that we’re going. And if that is simply three years of Purple Sea, I believe we must always simply fasten our seatbelt and go for a trip as a result of we’re going to see unbelievable issues transferring ahead.”

This yr, Cannes Movie Pageant opened with the screening of Johnny Depp’s “Jeanne du Barry,” which was backed by the Purple Sea Worldwide Movie Pageant.