Fest Track On Sirk TV Overview Coverage: RED SEA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2021 - THE FILMS [Jeddah -Saudi Arabia]

While much of a film festival is built in its settings and culture, many are also burgeoned by its films, the talent attending and its shindigs and mixers where both local and visiting people including film buyers, filmmakers and media have the chance to interact. The Red Sea International Film Festival definitely offered this diversity.

The only issue sometimes with visiting guests is transportation in terms of times getting to and from the venues especially if staying more than a few kilometers away. Like most bustling cities, traffic at certain times in the morning and evening can be tricky, even with a robust transportation initiative (which the film festival has) so time and scheduling, especially if events are at different venues (one satellite cinema for example is in the very north of city) requires not trying to schedule anything too close. Most of the screenings happened in the mid afternoon until the late evening most days which was convenient

The Films Because of this in many ways, and because of scheduling to make sure certain interviews requests happened (as well as PCR test deadlines), certain films that were to be reviewed by this interviewer including the award winner "Europa" and Anna Lilly Amanpour's "Mona Lisa & The Blood Red Moon" never came to pass.

While this outlet usually makes it a policy not to review films that interviews are being done for, it makes sense to talk about the films covered to give a context of why they were chosen in certain ways and the inherent response. Most film festivals are about discovering new voices but also seeing new stories from outside one's normal sphere of being and influence which also gives a new perspective. We usually pursue films based in a way around genre constructs because it allows a universal point of view, even if the view is very local or at least regional per se.

One of the most entertaining but also contextual films seen was "The Daughters Of Abdul Rahman" which was a comedy about 4 sisters from the same father with very different life paths in Jordan. The films brings up interesting questions about choices the girls made, certain responsibilities and certain societal norms in their part of the world that they were expected to follow. The film works in some great comedy aspects because there is heart in how it is delivered with a few crowd pleasing moments that are also emotional. The film also promoted lively discussion between men and women on the shuttle ride back from the screening which is a good barometer at any festival.

Another film covered was discovered purely by accident in talking with a filmmaker on the shuttle from the hotel to opening night. The film "Junoon" is a film made by Saudi brothers who were born there but also spend time in America and went to film school in Burbank. Their film shows a new generation process, that hybrid of certain would-be western motifs like the found footage horror movie but put through a different viewfinder. The film was shot outside Bakersfield in Idewild in California. The story revolves in a vlogger (played by co-director Maan B. who was met on the said shuttle) who comes to America to go on a ghost hunting expedition with a You Tube influencer along with his more traditional wife and a couple friends. The film follows the right path because in making it a horror film but one that has its limits, it has the ability to exist in both worlds. Maan shot before the pandemic but did most of his post-production in Egypt remotely during COVID. But he hopes to ride the new wave of local talent as film production ramps up in Saudi Arabia.

One other film worth mentioning because of its character work is "Ghodwa" about a human rights lawyer who becomes susceptible to his own mental illness because of a previous trauma. The character exists in his own world that is plagued by his own demons, both currently imagined and ones that hurt him in the past. The reason it works in many ways is because it takes on a dramatic bent of a thriller where the truth is not known yet even when certain parts are revealed, it is textured within its own irony. Lead actor Dhafer L’Abidine (who also co-starred in Damien Chezelle's European-set series "The Eddy" on Hulu last year) has a wonderful aptitude of playing haunted and joyful, paranoid and yet attentive. He also (compared to real life) completely transforms on screen, especially with close ups. This was also true with some of the sisters in "Daughters Of Abdul-Rahman" and shows the intense character work that was done.

Just a snapshot of these three films (their interviews and others to be broadcast soon) show the different approaches in the region from different countries and different voices that permeates throughout the Red Sea International Film Festival hopefully to grow as it continues on.

By Tim Wassberg