Using culture to build influence and soft power

I have always loved the movies and in specific those that surprise me; stories that I haven’t heard before; stories that make me think about the world and people and places in new ways.

The element of surprise is the best part about movies. As a genuine fan of the medium of films to tell previously untold stories, I am an ardent supporter of the power of cinema, arts and culture to transcend borders and break down barriers. This is eerily similar to my field of expertise: Travel and tourism, which when done right brings people and cultures together and delivers a transformative experience.

In a world where we are all led by our preconceived notions and bias, and in a world where fact is often mixed with fiction; sometimes fiction becomes more believable than reality and what is presented, as reality is not always real. In the era of fake news, transparency is important. So, this is a story without intermediation, told from my point of view and I don’t pretend to be an objective observer given that I am the chair of the advisory board of one of the giga-projects and have been part of the journey of transformation in the Kingdom in my own very small way for the last four years.

The Red Sea Film Festival opened in Jeddah last week with celebrities, filmmakers, global artists, reporters, photographers and documentary makers from all around the world coming together to celebrate film culture in the heart of Saudi Arabia. At its finery, the festival has broken down stereotypes about Saudi Arabia and become a truly immersive experience and global coming together of sorts.

There were so many magical moments and many things have blown me away: From the glamorous red-carpet dress code where there was not a single woman in a black abaya to be found, to the optimistic media coverage along with a highly impressive line-up of films by female directors.

Anyone would be hard pressed to find this combination of moving stories mixed with top-notch production, entertainment, music and striking visualisation anywhere else and one would be forgiven for thinking that this is actually happening in London, Cannes or LA.

The chief architects of the endeavor Saudi Culture Minister Prince Badr bin Farhan and chair of the Red Sea Festival Mohammed Al-Turki’s considerable experience and resources deployed by the Ministry of Culture was apparent. But even more apparent was the deliberate, considered intentionality behind the wilful design and careful execution of the narration of the story of change in the Kingdom. It is easy to forget that only two years ago cinemas were banned in the Kingdom. And I think especially relevant given the festival followed close on the heels of another pioneering feat — a most dramatic F1, which was officially the most watched F1 of the year as per Sky Sports.

So, why should Saudi Arabia take notes and learn from those who have done this before?

Take the case of South Korea. Until the 90s the growth-obsessed nation was all about diligence, hard work and technology. Then under President Kim Dae-jung who was “a cultural president in the cultural age” South Korea decided to export its culture globally to emerge as a powerful nation.

This did not happen overnight. It was part of a highly sophisticated 10-year plan, which saw the establishment of Korean Film Council, Korea Media Rating Board, Korea Culture and Content Agency and Korea Games Promotion Centre as well as a commitment to invest 1 percent of the national budget to the cause.

As the movies increased, their quality increased as well, and in 2018, Handmaiden became the first movie to win the Best Non-English feature film at BAFTAs.

In 2020, Parasite became the first movie to win the Best Movie category at Oscars despite not being English, won BAFTA and is only the third movie ever to win both Palme D’Or at Cannes and Oscar in the same year. All of this success was a result of careful centralized planning.

The success of Korean Cultural Program was not restricted to movies but also spread to Music and TV. K-drama as they are fondly called has a loyal viewership running to millions in Asia and recently, The Squid Game reached 142 million households in 1 month making it the biggest launch for Netflix ever.

In K-pop the music video for Psy’s Gangnam Style became the first YouTube video to achieve 1 billion views. Today, the South Korean boy band BTS are global icons and were the second best-selling artists of 2018 worldwide, and the only non-English speaking artist to enter the chart. No surprises that the popularity of Korean music, TV and films has spurred growth in other sectors, such as tourism, food and language education.

I don’t know if Saudi Arabia will indeed follow or even improve South Korea’s lead in using culture as a path to building understanding or building influence and soft power. I have merely attempted to explain the appeal of the ongoing Red Sea Film Festival through my own experience as a viewer, a cultural enthusiast and lover of the potential for travel and cultural immersion to bridge distances and transform people and nations. And what I know for sure is that the distinct energy of the youth is palpable, their drive visible, their dream and their passion on full display.

And if, the last two weeks can inspire the next generation to unlock their potential, and make possible something that they may have thought of as impossible only a few years ago, then it’s all worth it. And what it could mean for the Kingdom in the future is unmatched. For that reason and for now, that makes me happy to be quite simply what they call a “super fan” of Vision 2030.

• Aradhana Khowala is a global authority on the luxury travel and tourism industries having worked across 75 countries. She is currently the Chair of the Global Advisory Board of the Red Sea Development Company.