JEDDAH: On Saturday, the Red Sea International Film Festival’s “In Conversation” session saw Tunisian actress Hend Sabri sit down with up-and-coming Saudi actor Bara Alem in front of a mostly Saudi audience to discuss the ups and downs of her career and interact with the public in an experience many said was exceptional.
Sabri is a jury member for a feature film competition chaired by Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore.
She has performed in 28 films and several series, winning many awards, including eight Arab and international prizes for best actress in different film festivals. She won the Best Actress Award at the Arab Film Festival for her role in the movie “Genenet Al Asmak” in 2008. In 2012, she won Best Arabian Cinema Actress at the Murex D’Or for her role in “Asmaa.”
“I’m dazzled and impressed,” Sabri said. “I can’t believe what I see. The level of excitement in the festival is high,” she added, praising Saudi youth for their knowledge of cinema: “Their creative energies are contagious.”
She also lauded the strength of Saudi women, adding: “The love that I felt in the city of Jeddah was unparalleled.”
The enthusiastic audience replied: “We love you.”
During the conversation, a photo of the actress was featured, taken from behind the scenes of her first film ever, “The Silence of the Palace” (1994), in which she worked alongside acclaimed Tunisian director Moufida Tlatli.
She called the film “one of the most important films of the 20th century,” saying it introduced her to the world of cinema.
Though she has stared in several Egyptian films — the actress explained that an impromptu interview with Egyptian director Enas El-Deghaidy helped launch her career — Sabri feels a strong connection to her own home country and found that through cinema, she could support the industry there, especially after the political turmoil that afflicted the country in recent years.
After the Tunisian Revolution, the actress explained, she felt compelled to work with directors of the new cinematic wave. Her 2019 film “Noura’s Dream” was her first step in this direction.
She told her Saudi audience that actors should not limit themselves to a specific type of cinema, only going for commercial or big independent movie roles. “To limit yourself with big movies is a big loss. Explore your options…It is a win-win situation.”
Speaking on what unites the Arab community, she said: “Our civilization is built on culture, a shared culture, and Egypt is its main source.”
Sabri is known for inspiring Tunisian and Arab women of different generations through her feminist characters.
“Women across the world are afraid to ask for their rights. Why would I be sorry for being a woman? What is the point of being famous without influencing and inspiring others and making your voice heard?”
Sabri also shared her thoughts on the future of cinema in Saudi Arabia: “I can feel the wave of change in the filmmaking industry and cinema glam coming to Saudi.”
