Arab Spectacular Programme Highlights Films from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Palestine, including Palestine 36, A Matter of Life and Death, and the highly anticipated Egyptian film Wedding Rehearsal.
International Spectacular Selection includes Celebrations of High Fashion and Flamenco.
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea IFF) has unveiled the vibrant selections for its Arab Spectacular and International Spectacular sections, celebrating a diverse and dynamic array of filmmaking voices.
The Arab Spectacular programme takes the pulse of Arab creativity in a carefully curated selection of commercial and independent films, award winners, and regional premieres. The lineup celebrates the films and personalities shaping the beating heart of Arab cinema, featuring Annemarie Jacir’s PALESTINE 36, a Red Sea-Funded portrait of a photographer documenting rebellion in Mandate Palestine; Haifaa Al Mansour’s UNIDENTIFIED, a female-driven detective thriller that challenges preconceived notions of violence against women; A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH, a tender Saudi love story set in the Festival’s home of Jeddah; and Amine Lakhnech’s THE FAKENAPPING, A Netflix film produced by Tilfaz11.
Antoine Khalife, Director of Arab Programmes and Film Classics, said: “Our Arab Spectacular selection this year is a cinematic celebration of the region’s vitality and creativity. These filmmakers offer deeply personal narratives with universal appeal that reflect the complexity, humour, and struggles of humanity. We’re proud to be sharing three films from our home in Saudi Arabia alongside powerful projects from the wider region, as we continue to emphasise the incredible talent pool present in the Arab world which cannot and should not be ignored.”
The International Spectacular strand spotlights cinema from around the globe, featuring celebrated auteurs and international filmmaking icons. This section showcases some of the most highly anticipated and talked-about films of the year, screened for the first time in the Arab world. Key titles this year include Angelina Jolie-led drama COUTURE by Alice Winocour; Mamoru Hosoda’s thrilling anime SCARLET, based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet; Olivier Assayas’s political thriller/comedy THE WIZARD OF THE KREMLIN, starring Paul Dano and Jude Law; Spanish dance documentary FARRUQUITO: A FLAMENCO STORY; and Rupert Wyatt’s Saudi Arabia-set, internationally cast, lavish drama DESERT WARRIOR with Sir Ben Kingsley and Anthony Mackie.
Fionnuala Halligan, Director of International Programmes, said: “Our International Spectacular section embodies the Festival’s commitment to cinematic excellence and cultural exchange. Featuring blockbuster on-screen talent and award-winning filmmakers, each of these films offers a distinct window into another world, from seventh-century Arabia, the magical medieval era to the modern day – and we’re looking forward to screening these thrilling titles at the Festival for their MENA premieres.”
Arab Spectacular
A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH
Country: Saudi Arabia
Anas Ba-Tahaf
A quirky love story set against the bustling backdrop of Jeddah. Convinced a generational curse will kill her on her 30th birthday, the superstitious Hayat is ready to embrace fate. Meanwhile the brilliant but shy heart surgeon Yousef suffers from a slow heartbeat, finding his only thrill when holding a scalpel. He grapples with a hidden urge to kill, which he suppresses until he meets Hayat. Fate entwines the woman who wants to die and the man who wants to kill, setting a tragic plan in motion. Everything falls into place until a life-affirming love intervenes. This exceptional tale, brought to life by a witty script and cast, uses the city’s stunning Red Sea scenery to explore the unpredictable beauty of life and connection.
PALESTINE 36
Country: Palestine, United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan
Annemarie Jacir
In 1936, as rebellion sweeps across Mandate Palestine, Yusuf, caught between his rural home and the charged atmosphere of Jerusalem, longs for peace. But with Jewish immigrants fleeing European fascism, the region is heading fast toward a major collision. Palestine 36, a historical drama set during this period, explores the Palestinian Arab Revolt against the British colonial rule, focusing on the stories of individuals caught in the conflict as well as the human cost of the uprising. It follows the lives of Palestinian farmers, city dwellers and British officers as they confront the conflict. The film examines the choices and unexpected situations faced by its characters.
THE FAKENAPPING
Country: Saudi Arabia
Amine Lakhnech
Sattam is a young man plagued by bad luck, with every venture he’s tried ending in failure. Now on the verge of losing his home to the ruthless Abu Ateeq, he hatches a daring plan to get money out of his wealthy — yet notoriously stingy — father.
UNIDENTIFIED
Country: Saudi Arabia
Haifaa Al Mansour
Noelle Al Saffan, a 29-year-old divorcee, returns to her small hometown for a fresh start. A fan of true crime podcasts, she gets a mundane clerical job at the local police station, digitizing old files. Her life changes when a teenage girl’s body is found in her school uniform, with no ID. Haunted by the girl’s senseless death, Noelle decides to investigate. She uses her insight into the hidden world of women to identify the victim, befriending a group of women and other characters that all seem connected to the crime. To solve the mystery, she must challenge her preconceived notions about women and their threats.
WEDDING REHEARSAL
Country: Egypt
Amira Diab
Tamara is a woman with a child, Ali, from a marriage that did not last long. She descends from an impoverished aristocratic family. In a bid to save her family from bankruptcy and secure a better future for her son, Tamara is about to marry Hassan Al-Dabbah, the owner of one of the largest meat empires in the Middle East. Despite his wealth, Hassan comes from a nouveau riche family. Seven days before the wedding, the two families decide to spend a week together at a desert resort to oversee the wedding preparations. The distinct difference between the two families becomes apparent, and behind the fake smiles, all parties supervise the final wedding details. These details are supervised by Omar, Tamara’s old love, who has created a massive rock sculpture to give a unique character to the wedding. This sculpture will become the source of several disputes during the wedding!
International Spectacular
COUTURE
Country: France, USA
Alice Winocour
A delicate garment, feature film Couture is about women brought together in one place, at different stages of life, their stories spinning off one another. Angelina Jolie gives a raw and honest performance in a leading role that is both personal but also universal. Filmmaker Alice Winocour sets the drama during Paris fashion week, where South Sudanese model Ada (Anyier Anei) is alone in the big city. Seamstress Christine (Garance Marillier) is working on Ada’s show stopper dress. Angele (Ella Rumpf) is a make-up artist, while Maxine (Jolie) is an American film director there to shoot the fashion house’s finale. Soon however, she’ll receive news that she has breast cancer. Louis Garrel and Vincent Lindon co-star in this drama of considerable poignancy and potency.
DESERT WARRIOR
Country: Saudi Arabia
Rupert Wyatt
Rupert Wyatt’s Desert Warrior is set in seventh-century Arabia at a time of feuding tribes vying for power and supremacy. Courageous Princess Hind (Aiysha Hart) refuses to serve as concubine to the merciless Sassanid Emperor Kisra (Sir Ben Kingsley). Escaping with her father, King Numan (Ghassan Massoud) into the vast and unforgiving desert, Princess Hind is pursued by Kisra’s mercenary, Jalabzeen (Sharlto Copley) and his bloodthirsty troops. Father and daughter are forced to trust a mysterious bandit (Anthony Mackie). Against all odds, Princess Hind unites the fractious tribes against the powerful invading military of the Sassanid Empire. In an epic showdown, the Battle of Ze Qar will forever change the Arabian Peninsula and echo throughout history.
FARRUQUITO – A FLAMENCO DYNASTY
Country: Spain, USA
Santi Aguado, Reuben Atlas
Farruquito is celebrated as the finest flamenco dancer of his generation. At only 20 he was captivating audiences around the globe with his talent, yet the shadows of his family’s history loomed large. This dazzling documentary chronicles Farruquito’s journey through triumph and tragedy, focusing on an accident that leads to the death of a pedestrian and lands him in prison. As he navigates the complexities of redemption, the story delves into the lives of his family — his grandfather Farruco, a flamenco innovator whose influence shaped the art form, and his son El Moreno, who aspires to follow in their footsteps.
SCARLET
Country: Japan
Mamoru Hosoda
Mamoru Hosoda’s time-warping animated epic is inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet and tells the story of medieval princess Scarlet, who vows to avenge the death of her father at the hands of her grasping uncle. Poisoned, she is thrust into a liminal realm where time collapses and she meets Hijiri, an idealistic medic from the present day. Visually daring, luminous and unflinching, Scarlet fuses hand-drawn richness with cutting-edge CG. Balancing visceral action and romance with a mature meditation on grief, the bounds of vengeance and our shared humanity, the film stands as an achingly relevant elegy in today’s war-scarred world.
THE WIZARD OF THE KREMLIN
Country: France
Olivier Assayas
Olivier Assayas plunges the viewer into the final years of the Soviet Union and the start of the Russian Federation with confidence and precision in this political thriller which premiered at Venice this year. Paul Dano leads a tightly-calibrated cast as the fictional Vadim Baranov, theatre-director-turned-TV-executive, spin doctor and Kremlin kingmaker to Vladimir Putin (Jude Law, continuing his recent career resurgence) as the Russian premier makes his unstoppable rise to power. Calibrated performances guide the viewer through a period of time which sets the scene for where we all find ourselves today. Alicia Vikander, Tom Sturridge and Jeffrey Wright co-star in this ink-black comedy based on the 2022 novel of the same name.
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