Saudi Film Nights will make its South African debut in October, bringing contemporary Saudi films to audiences in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town from Oct. 8 to 14.
The programme, presented by the Joburg Film Festival on behalf of the Saudi Film Commission, will feature two feature films and two short films across four screenings. Saudi filmmakers attending the screenings will also take part in post-screening question-and-answer sessions.
The tour opens in Johannesburg at the Lesedi Theatre at Joburg Theatre, where Night Courier and Irtizaz will be screened on Oct. 8 and 9.
The programme then moves to Durban on Oct. 11, with Siwar and First Funeral Day showing at the Drama Theatre at The Playhouse Company. The same films will be screened in Cape Town on Oct. 14 at the Labia Theatre, bringing the tour to a close.
The four films explore different aspects of contemporary Saudi life through dark humour, family drama and social observation.
Night Courier follows Fahad, a delivery driver struggling to make money in Riyadh. His financial difficulties lead him into an illicit world as he works through the city at night.
Irtizaz centres on a young divorcee who attends a funeral and finds herself drawn into an uncomfortable contest for her mother’s approval.
Siwar, which is inspired by true events, follows a Saudi and a Turkish family after DNA tests reveal that their children were accidentally switched at birth.
In First Funeral Day, an estranged father returns to his former home after the death of his child. His return forces the family to confront grief, separation and unresolved issues.
“There is no single way into a country’s cinema, and that is what makes Saudi Film Nights exciting: these four films offer very different stories and points of view,” said Taryn Joffe, Festival Manager at the Joburg Film Festival.
“JFF is committed to bringing distinctive international cinema into conversation with South African audiences and filmmakers, and we are honoured to collaborate with the Saudi Film Commission on its first South African presentation and to deepen creative relationships between our film communities,” she said.
The programme is also intended to bring Saudi and South African filmmakers, audiences and industry communities into direct contact through the screenings and discussions.
The organisers said the visiting filmmakers will have opportunities to engage with audiences and industry participants in all three cities, with the programme aimed at creating opportunities for professional collaboration between the two film communities.
Saudi Film Nights’ South African presentation comes as Saudi cinema continues to build an international audience, giving South African viewers an opportunity to see a selection of recent films from the country’s filmmakers.
