Sync Summit at Ithra ends with world premiere of documentary

Sync Summit at Ithra ends with world premiere of documentary
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Bahraini filmmaker and influencer Omar Farooq premiered his Ithra-produced documentary, “The Dark Side of Japan,” at the closing of the Sync Summit. (Supplied)
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Updated 24 May 2024
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Sync Summit at Ithra ends with world premiere of documentary

Sync Summit at Ithra ends with world premiere of documentary
  • The documentary takes viewers on a trip as he journeys to places near and far within Japan to interact with locals, expats and visitors about their relationship to technology and nature

DHAHRAN: For the finale of the two-day Sync Digital Wellbeing Summit at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, or Ithra, a documentary titled “The Dark Side of Japan” premiered at the Ithra Cinema on Thursday. 

The Bahraini creative influencer, Omar Farooq, who was the narrator in the documentary, was there in-person with his team to answer questions after the screening.

As part of the Sync Spotlight series, the documentary tied together all the various themes explored during the summit, of which technology and wellness topics were explored on stage and at various points throughout the center. The documentary, which was filmed in Japan, showcases Farooq as he observes the Japanese people’s intense interactions with — and addictions to — their screens. Amid the bright lights of flashy Tokyo emerges a lingering dark side of loneliness, heads down, and fingers scrolling endlessly.

The filmmaker and influencer tried to convey an important message the old-fashioned way before the film premiere. He asked every attendee to take a moment to look under their seats. After a minute of awkward shuffling, it was revealed that an envelope was placed there so they could tuck their phones away and watch the documentary phone-free.




An envelope that was placed under each seat at the Ithra Cinema instructing viewers to place their phones there and enjoy the documentary phone-free. (Supplied)

Farooq wanted the audience to be completely immersed and to be on the journey alongside him.

The documentary takes viewers on a trip as he journeys to places near and far within Japan to interact with locals, expats and visitors about their relationship to technology and nature. He spoke to families of young children about the school system and he spent time with adults of various backgrounds to ask about their preferences: city life or country life?

“It’s hard to keep a close relationship with people (in Tokyo). We don’t have time to care about others,” a Japanese artist told him in one scene.  

Wildly popular, with 3.9 million followers on instagram, Farooq was on hand to have a discussion on stage after the screening. Moderated by Ithra’s own head of a performing arts and cinema, Majed Z. Samman, who had studied in Japan and was familiar with the Japanese culture, they were joined by Mohammed Alhajri and Ahmed Alsayed, both of whom were with Farooq in Japan to assist with the filming. They sat on the floor, Japanese style, on stage for the discussion.




The panel sat on the floor, Japanese style, for the panel discussion. (Supplied) 

“This documentary isn’t about Japan,” Farooq cautioned the audience. Japan was merely an example of a place that has been plagued by hyper internet addiction and loss of real world connection. He asks the question: “Will this be our future? Is it already our present?”

He instructs viewers to look within and not just walk away as a programmed robot on autopilot; constantly shackled to their smartphones and ignoring the world around them.

After the initial screening, there were two other screenings back-to-back at the cinema, both of which were sold out.

The Ithra-produced documentary was mostly in Arabic, with some English and some Japanese.
 


Madinah university launches ‘Legacy and Impact’ project

Madinah university launches ‘Legacy and Impact’ project
Updated 8 sec ago
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Madinah university launches ‘Legacy and Impact’ project

Madinah university launches ‘Legacy and Impact’ project

 MADINAH: The Islamic University of Madinah has launched the “Irth Wa Athar” (Legacy and Impact) project, which aims to document its graduates’ educational impact and rectify data digitization.

The university said the initiative included documenting and rectifying graduates’ certificates from 1961-97 and collecting the data of 173,000 international scholarships offered by the university to its graduates from 179 countries since its establishment in 1961.

The international scholarships include more than 41,000 awarded to students in the fields of religious sciences, in addition to over 15,000 granted for studies in the principles and skills of Islamic preaching.

Some 27,000 scholarships were granted to students of Arabic language education, while 24,000 were offered for training specialists in other scientific fields.


Sakan wins Qassim excellence award

Sakan wins Qassim excellence award
Updated 2 min 31 sec ago
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Sakan wins Qassim excellence award

Sakan wins Qassim excellence award

RIYADH: The National Developmental Housing Corporation, or Sakan, has won the Qassim Award for Excellence and Creativity in the National Excellence Branch in its fifth session.

Yazeed Al-Rasheed, vice president for shared services at Sakan, received the award on behalf of the organization. He expressed his gratitude to officials for their support and recognition of national initiatives, saying that this was an incentive to continue efforts in cooperation with all parties.

Abdulaziz Al-Karidis, secretary-general of Sakan, thanked the Qassim governor for his support for Sakan’s initiatives and for following up and encouraging activities that achieved the foundation’s goals. Receiving the award would inspire the foundation to further enhance its performance and reinforce its core values, he said.

The win marks a milestone in the foundation’s journey and its commitment to excellence and innovation. The foundation continues to strive toward creating a positive and sustainable impact in the developmental housing sector by offering the best solutions and practices.


Black mulberry and damask rose seedlings distributed to farmers in Baha

Black mulberry and damask rose seedlings distributed to farmers in Baha
Updated 5 min 56 sec ago
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Black mulberry and damask rose seedlings distributed to farmers in Baha

Black mulberry and damask rose seedlings distributed to farmers in Baha

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Research and Development Center for Sustainable Agriculture — known as Estidamah — has distributed over 20,000 black mulberry and damask rose seedlings to farmers in Al-Baha.

The initiative, carried out through the center’s tissue culture laboratory, is part of efforts to support farmers and transfer modern agricultural techniques to areas with comparative advantages. It continues Estidamah’s contribution to a former agricultural project which saw 52,000 black mulberry, damask rose and strawberry seedlings distributed across the area.

The aim is to introduce new types of seedlings, increase production efficiency and achieve a qualitative leap in the region’s agricultural landscape.

It reflects the center’s keenness to support sustainable agricultural development by spreading highly economically viable plant varieties, which are propagated using tissue culture techniques to ensure quality, genetic purity and suitability to the targeted climatic and environmental conditions.

The center continues to implement several programs that aid farmers by providing research and technical solutions based on sustainable agricultural practices, achieving optimal efficiency in using resources and maximizing production value, in line with National Agriculture Strategy objectives.


Saudi authorities thwart attempt to smuggle amphetamines in Riyadh

Saudi authorities thwart attempt to smuggle amphetamines in Riyadh
Updated 9 min 46 sec ago
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Saudi authorities thwart attempt to smuggle amphetamines in Riyadh

Saudi authorities thwart attempt to smuggle amphetamines in Riyadh

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s counter-narcotics authority has dismantled a major amphetamine trafficking operation, seizing 1.52 million pills hidden within a table shipment in Riyadh and apprehending four suspects linked to the scheme.

The General Directorate of Narcotics Control executed the bust as part of broader Interior Ministry initiatives to disrupt drug networks threatening national security. Investigators tracked the contraband to recipients in both Riyadh and Eastern Province, culminating in the arrest of three Syrian expatriates and one Saudi national.

Security authorities urged the public to report drug smuggling or selling by calling 911 in Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, or 999 in other regions.

Reports can also be made to the General Directorate of Narcotics Control at 995 or via email.


Aseer’s nature-sculpted basalt columns tell ancient volcanic tales

Aseer’s nature-sculpted basalt columns tell ancient volcanic tales
Updated 17 min 26 sec ago
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Aseer’s nature-sculpted basalt columns tell ancient volcanic tales

Aseer’s nature-sculpted basalt columns tell ancient volcanic tales

RIYADH: Deep within the mountains and plains of Aseer, nature unveils one of its most magnificent geological masterpieces in the form of the region’s basalt columns.

Meticulously shaped, they stand tall as timeless witnesses, narrating chapters of the province’s rich volcanic history.

These formations are not just rigid rock structures, but natural sculptures, shaped over millions of years, embodying a harmonious blend of natural beauty and scientific depth.

The basalt columns of Aseer are among the most remarkable and rarest geological phenomena in the Kingdom, captivating the attention of visitors and science enthusiasts.

Composed of volcanic rock formed from slowly cooled lava flows, these columns have shrunk and cracked over time, creating stunning geometric shapes, often hexagonal, pentagonal, or quadrilateral, with astonishing natural precision.

King Saud University Seismic Studies Center director and Saudi Society for Geosciences president Prof. Abdullah Al-Amri shared exciting insights.  

He highlighted the Aseer region’s rich geological formations, which can be found in several captivating locations, including Muhayil Aseer, Jabal Mishrif in Al-Harajah, Qarn Mujal east of Tendha, Wadi Al-Asran, and the coastal area between Al-Qahma and Al-Barak, nestled within the Black Mountain range.

Al-Amri noted that these formations have been recognized since ancient times.

Renowned geographer Abu Muhammad Al-Hasan Al-Hamdani described them in his book “Sifat Jazirat Al-Arab” as part of the Sarat Janb range, stretching from the north of Dhahran Al-Janub to the north of Sarat Ubaida, now known as Harrat Al-Sarat.

A Cenozoic volcanic field, Harrat Al-Sarat covers around 700 square km and boasts towering mountains like Jabal Ferwa, which rises 3,004 meters above sea level, and Jabal Zalm, standing at 2,575 meters.

Saudi Geological Survey spokesperson Tariq Aba Al-Khail elaborated on the fascinating formation of basalt columns.

The unique structures arise from thermal contraction when lava cools and solidifies, resulting in vertical cracks at right angles to the cooling surface.

While the columns typically appear vertical, they may bend or tilt depending on the cooling conditions.

Aba Al-Khail likened the formations to the cracking of clay as it dries, but instead, they occur in igneous rocks, particularly basalt, and can also be found in andesite, trachyte, and rhyolite.

He explained that the remarkable formations date back around 30 million years and have been discovered in the southwestern volcanic lava fields, such as Harrat Al-Barak.

The phenomenon holds significant scientific value, offering researchers the opportunity to explore ancient volcanic activity in the Arabian Peninsula.