Logo

Logo

Saudi Cinema

Amidst the intrigues and detentions within the palace of the desert kingdom, liberal winds are blowing across the sands. And…

Saudi Cinema

Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Photo: AFP)

Amidst the intrigues and detentions within the palace of the desert kingdom, liberal winds are blowing across the sands. And it isn’t quite a coincidence that two watershed announcements have been made in parallel. For the first time in 35 years, Saudi Arabia will open its cinemas. Second, the kingdom’s first female film, Wadjda, is the country’s Oscar entry. Between them, the two initiatives do signify an effort, initiated by the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, to bring about a dramatic change in a theocratic land after a long spell of hardline rule. The first of these cinema theatres will be opened in March, and as many as 2000 screens are expected to come up over the next 12 years.

If the announcement of the culture minister, Awwad Alawwad, is any indication, the younger generation at the helm is ever so anxious to establish a link between what they call the kingdom’s “cultural economy” and entertainment per se. It is pretty obvious that the two need not be detached for the propagation of Islam. “Opening cinemas will act as a catalyst for economic growth and diversification. By developing the broader cultural sector we will create new employment and training opportunities, as well as enrich the kingdom’s entertainment options,” is the government’s raison d’etre as it sets about redefining culture… increasingly under threat at another end of the fundamentalist spectrum of the Hindutva variety. It bears recall that early this year, Saudi Arabia’s highest-ranking cleric had spoken of the “depravity” of the cinema, asserting that it would corrupt morals. On Tuesday, the authorities appear to have shrugged off the resistance from the profoundly theocratic segment.

The critical decision to allow cinemas to open mirrors the cache of reforms in recent times, pre-eminently allowing women to attend meetings of the shura (governing council), albeit with a curtain separating the genders. To that must be added the permission granted to women to drive by next June, relaxing the law that has restricted the movement of women without the consent of a male guardian, and allowing women to enter sports stadiums. The democratic world must give it to the crown prince that he has been courageously explicit with his agenda.

Advertisement

Beyond the gender discrimination and the cultural policing, his agenda has also led to a crackdown on corruption, one that has implicated senior members of royalty and some of the kingdom’s prominent businessmen. Implicit is the anxiety of Mohammed bin Salman to consolidate his rule, and the compulsion is manifest both in terms of sweeping reforms and the stern message to royalty. It is still not clear whether the cinema-house audience will be segregated, let alone the degree of censorship. Nonetheless, Saudi Arabia has emitted a critical signal to the world, i.e. it does have an artistic side. This must be the fineprint of the credits as they flit across the screen.

Advertisement