Keif al-hal?
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| Keif al-hal? "كيف الحال؟" | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Izidore Musallam |
| Produced by | Ayman Halawani / Rotana |
| Starring | Hisham Abdulrahman Hind Mohammed Meshaal al-Mutairi Turki Al Yousef |
| Distributed by | Rotana |
| Release date(s) | November 9, 2006 |
| Language | Arabic |
| IMDb profile | |
Keif al-hal? (Arabic: كيف الحال؟) is Saudi Arabia's first big-budget film. Produced by Ayman Halawani of the Rotana Group (owned by Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal) and directed by Izidore Musallam, it starred Hind Mohammed, the first Saudi cinema actress[1]. The actress, who appears unveiled, received threats from some conservatives, but remains optimistic, hoping the film will encourage reform in Saudi Arabia's cinema restrictions.
The film did not premier in Saudi Arabia due to cinemas being banned there[2]. It premiered to the general public on November 9, 2006 in nearby Bahrain. In November of 2005 the Saudi government allowed public screening of animated films, constituting the first public film presentation in some time.
Saudi audiences will be able to see the film on pay-per-view through an agreement with Showtime Arabia.[3] The film's title roughly translates into, "How's it going?" or "How are you?". The film, shot in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is a comedy-drama that recounts the story of a family torn between modernity and tradition in Saudi Arabia.
Although there is clerical opposition to public screenings of films in Saudi Arabia, media reports suggest that the ban on public display of movies there is also in keeping with the monarchy's refusal to permit unlicensed public gatherings. [4]
[edit] External links
- CNN video: news report by Schams Elwazer
- Keif al-hal? at the Internet Movie Database
- BBC: 'First' Saudi feature film aims high
[edit] References and notes
- ^ NYTimes.com: Daring to Use the Silver Screen to Reflect Saudi Society
- ^ Al Jazeera: Saudis put cinema ban in the frame - AlJazeera.net, Theatres are banned for screening except for cartoon movies starting Novemebr 2006
- ^ Ali Jaafar. "First Saudi feature bows", Variety, Reed Elsevier Inc., October 23, 2006 - October 29, 2006, p. 19. Retrieved on 2006-11-10.
- ^ http://www.paynesvillearea.com/news/headlinesarticles/archives/112801/karenarabia112801.html "Public gatherings are NOT allowed. There are no movie theaters or any kind of activity that would allow large numbers of people to congregate to share viewpoints, with the exception of soccer matches, which are open to men only. We've seen on television that Saudis have meetings out in the desert where they meet with the local prince to express their grievances."
- "UK-Arab paper says "first Saudi film" to be shown in Cairo", BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political, British Broadcasting Corporation, 2006-10-23. Retrieved on 2006-11-10.
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