Honoring the distinguished artist Duraid Lahham at the opening of the International Film Festival in the Sultanate of Oman

Muscat-Sana

The (Cinemana) Film Festival, which launched today in the Sultanate of Oman in its fourth session, honored the distinguished artist Duraid Lahham, and the Syrian film (Al-Hakim) was shown.

Omani Minister of Heritage and Tourism Salem bin Muhammad Al Mahrouqi said in a speech during the opening: The Sultanate of Oman hosting the festival is important for a thriving cinematic industry, pointing out that Oman, with its diverse terrain between the plain, the mountain and the sea, is an open theater for the use of this terrain.

In turn, the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Festival and Vice-President of the General Union of Arab Artists, Dr. Khaled bin Abdul Rahim Al-Zadjali, said: “Cinematic art, with all its vocabulary and types, is today one of the most widespread and influential arts. It enjoys diverse geographic locations and terrains that are closer to open studios for filmmakers.

At the end of the opening ceremony, the Minister of Heritage and Tourism honored the artists Duraid Lahham, Tariq Abdel Aziz and Akef Najm, and a number of producers and sponsors of the festival.

The artist, Lahham, expressed his happiness with the honor and hospitality received by the official and popular audience in the Sultanate of Oman for the movie (Al-Hakim), stressing the strong relations between the two brotherly peoples, of which art is one of the most prominent manifestations.

The screening of the film (Al-Hakim) was attended by a wide audience of the Syrian community, as well as the Syrian Ambassador to Muscat, Dr. Idris Mia, and members of the diplomatic mission.

Two competitions will be held in the festival, which will last for 6 days, one for feature films, and the other for short films. The General Film Organization participates through three films: (Al-Hakim), (A Very Long Film) and (About Her).

And the movie (Al-Hakim), which is participating in the feature film competition, is directed by Basil Al-Khatib and written by Diana Jabbour, starring Duraid Lahham and Sabah Al-Jazaery.

The film focuses on the state of social deterioration left by the war and its repercussions on people's behavior, destinies and morals, through the wise man's confrontation with a personal crisis during his granddaughter's visit to him, to put the film recipient in front of the condition of whether he will face his crisis alone or not, after all that he presented to the people of the town.

As for (A Very Long Film), which is participating in the short narrative competition, it is written and directed by Robin Issa, starring artists Gerges Jabara, Milad Youssef and Dajana Issa.

The film is symbolic and talks about an entire society through three characters who represent the segments of this society and differ in their age stages and life experiences.

While the movie (Abha), which is also participating in the short narrative competition, is directed and screenplayed by Rabab Merhej, starring Milad Youssef, Robin Issa, Karam Shaarani, Fayez Kazak, Najat Muhammad, Salma Suleiman, Muhammad Waheed Kazak and Fadel Wafai.

In a metaphor for the homeland, the film deals with the story of a woman who suffered from life and her surroundings in the form of monologues as she battles her circumstances and seeks rebellion and rejection, embodying the story of a well-known actress in her midst and successful in her work, married to a poet who betrays and oppresses her to suffer a stroke that puts her into a coma and dies, but her husband continues his life without changing his behaviour.

On the sidelines of the festival, artistic workshops will be held. The artist Duraid Lahham will present a workshop on the art of film acting, in which the artist Talib Muhammad will participate. The director, Basil Al-Khatib, will present a workshop on film directing.

It is noteworthy that the activities of the Cinemana Festival are held in the governorates of Muscat and Musandam, and the total number of films registered for the fourth session of the International Cinemana Festival reached 121 films, of which 43 films were short and long.

Rasha Mahfoud

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