Red Sea Film festival presents restored Al-Naamani works

The Red Sea Film Festival Foundation will host an exhibition celebrating the work of photographer and cinematographer Safouh Al-Naamani (1926-2016) and a screening program of contemporary Saudi and Arab cinema as part of Misk Art Week 2020, which will take place from Dec. 3–7 at the Prince Faisal bin Fahad Fine Arts Gallery, Riyadh.

The exhibition, “Safouh Al-Naamani: Preserving Time,” will remain open until Jan. 10 and will present rare photographs and restored archive films dating from the 1950s and 1960s, charting a significant period in Saudi Arabia’s urban and cultural development.

At Misk Art Week 2020, the Red Sea International Film Festival will publicly present the world premiere of the restoration of “The Pilgrimage to Makkah,” Al-Naamani’s remarkable 35-minute color documentary filmed during the 1963 Hajj season.

Throughout Misk Art Week, the festival will present contemporary feature and short films from Saudi Arabia and the Arab world with filmmaker Q&A sessions.

On Thursday, Dec. 3, there will be a panel discussion moderated by Omar Al-Muqri, who will be engaging filmmakers Abdulmohsen Al-Dhabaan, Hend Al-Fahad and Abdulelah Al-Qurashi in a discussion on whether locally produced films are reflective of regional culture and identity.