Saudi Arabia’s architectural legacy on show in Venice

CANNES: Saudi Arabia’s Purple Sea Worldwide Movie Competition and Self-importance Honest on Thursday hosted a “girls’s tales gala after occasion” throughout the Cannes Movie Competition 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 Resort 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 mentioned: “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 normally. 

“I’m completely happy to have the ability to see the illustration that I at all times sought to see as a younger lady,” she mentioned. “I hope that the six of us could be that illustration to all the women 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 establish myself in three phrases it might most likely be: Indian, lady (and) actor. And I’m right here to have a good time all three in the present day,” she mentioned. 

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

“I reached to some extent the place I’m actually not stunned as a result of Saudi Arabia is making an attempt to show that we’re creating tales which are inspiring, magical and that push for change and improvement,” she mentioned. “I’m very completely happy that we’re right here in Cannes Movie Competition, celebrating one another and  celebrating with one another.

“I really feel just like the narrative we represented within the mild that was at all times on us was a really particular one and I don’t suppose girls have been a part of it. I believe it was written by others,” she mentioned. “At the moment, I’m celebrating girls which are writing, which are 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 potentialities and new alternatives. I at all times remind myself to be OK with taking on area, with talking my opinion, with addressing what I really feel could possibly be flawed or needs to be modified,” Al-Banawi mentioned. 

Jammal mentioned that she by no means differentiated between a person and a lady. 

“Perhaps as a result of I lived in a little bit 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 lady is a problem. If something, I felt prefer it was a superpower,” she mentioned. 

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

“I’m studying now as I’m extra uncovered to a wider viewers, and relying on their reactions I can study them extra,” she mentioned. “As a lady, I’m actually completely happy to be representing an individual who chased her goals, who’s self-made, who’s impartial, and I’m simply making an attempt to do my finest and I’m simply actually completely happy that the very best is simply working for me proper now.”

Portugese mannequin Sara Sampaio, who additionally attended, mentioned 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 crucial,” she mentioned. 

Mohammed Al-Turki, CEO of the Purple Sea Movie Competition, informed Arab Information: “We’re very completely happy to be celebrating girls. We’re very proud that we are able to share tales from our area. At the moment, 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 an enormous unbelievable second for us,” he mentioned. 

“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 mentioned. “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 journey as a result of we’re going to see unbelievable issues shifting ahead.”

This 12 months, Cannes Movie Competition opened with the screening of Johnny Depp’s “Jeanne du Barry,” which was backed by the Purple Sea Worldwide Movie Competition.