The Mercado del Cine during the 76th Cannes Film Festival had a guest of honor, Spain, but one of the countries that stood out was Saudi Arabia, who arrived with eight films financed under his arm.
And this despite the fact that criticism of the human rights situation does not cease against the great oil power.
For the second consecutive year the Red Sea Film Festivalwhich was presented with great fanfare in 2021 by the ultra-conservative kingdom, was present at Cannes, under the baton of producer Mohammed al Turki.
The human rights organization Human Rights Watch had accused the Saudis last year of using festivals such as Cannes as “a way of whitewashing, as they already do with sporting events.”
But the Saudi presence aroused little controversy on the Croisette.
Among the eight feature films financed this year, the film that opened the festival stands out, “Jeanne du Barry”, a feminist film made by a director with Algerian roots, Maïwenn.
It is not the only case. Also on the list were “Les filles d’Olfa” by the Tunisian Kaouther Ben Hania (who competed for the Palme d’Or); Baloji’s “Augure”; “Goodbye Julia”, the first feature film by Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani; “Inchallah un fils”, the first Jordanian film to be selected at Cannes; or “Kadib Abyad” by Asmae el Moudir.
In two years, the Red Sea Festival fund has contributed to the financing of 168 films. “The Saudis are proud of this success,” its manager, Emad Iskandar, told AFP.
Accusations that “sadden”
“While we have the resources, we want to serve the region and take the opportunity to learn,” he adds.
“The opening promoted in 2015 by MBS (Mohamed bin Salmán, the crown prince) and King Salmán”, and especially the lifting in 2017 of the ban that had affected movie theaters for 35 years, “has encouraged us” .
In a country where women have restricted rights, the Red Sea Festival organized a gala dedicated to “women in cinema”, which brought together Catherine Deneuve, Katie Holmes, Rossy de Palma and other renowned stars.
Faced with criticism, Iskandar replies: “These are baseless accusations” that “above all make us sad.”
“The West got to where it is now after years of wars and debates. We are a state that is barely 90 years old, a little patience,” he asks.
Saudi Arabia not only finances movies, but also presents itself as a filming destination.
“It is a country that seeks to increase its visibility in the world film industry,” explains Guillaume Esmiol, general delegate of the Film Market, to AFP.
“Every year they ask us to increase their pavilion, to be more present. It is a sign that shows that they have ambitions,” he adds.
Saudi Arabia is not the only country in the region to invest massively in cinema: its rival Qatar also financed 13 films at Cannes, three of which were in competition: Jessica Hausner’s “Club Zero”, Ramata’s “Banel et Adama” Toulaye Sy, and the Turkish film “About dry grasses” by Nuri Bilge Ceylan.
“We finance many French productions, we don’t want to be insular,” Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, president of the Doha Film Institute, told AFP.
A way to present itself as a friendly country, as they already do in the sports sphere? “Everyone wants to be liked. We do it without losing our identity,” she replies.
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