Film festival heralds return of cinema to Saudi Arabia

JEDDAH: A week-long film festival is giving Saudi audiences an insight into what they can expect when cinema returns to the Kingdom later this year.
The 12th European Film Festival has been organized by the embassies and consulates of Belgium, Germany, the Republic of Ireland, France, Italy, Hungary and Norway, with support from the European Union delegation in Saudi Arabia.
The festival’s first screening took place on Feb. 17 at the German residence, with the film “My Blind Date with Life.”
On Feb. 18, the Italian consulate showed the film “Fire at Sea,” a 2016 documentary film directed by Gianfranco Rosi and winner of the Golden Bear at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival.
Elisabetta Martini, consulate general of Italy, said the movie highlighted “a tragedy that is happening all around the world; the tragedy of the refugees and immigrants is something that is affecting all our lives and also leaving an impact on the artistic environment.”
She praised Saudi Arabia’s decision to reopen its cinemas: “We consider Saudi Arabia as part of our broader Mediterranean region that shares the problems and the opportunities we have.”