2023-08-31 23:03:09
> With the exception of the commercial success achieved by Saudi films in the Kingdom, there is no single Arab market that meets the need for mass cinema to achieve great commercial success. Even Egyptian films, which for years have been dominated by films devoid of art and thought, albeit with some disparity, do not, in most cases, achieve enough for a large industrial-economic prosperity.
> What is happening in the Kingdom is a joint planning between government supporting institutions and independent production companies. This happened, and still is, with the opening of the Saudi cinematic market to local films in a wide way, which met the audience’s need to watch films related to their culture and social issues, some of which were dealt with in a serious way, while others were comedies.
> What is not happening in other Arab countries is the result of economic turmoil, government indifference, and capital’s fear of taking on films that are produced and not watched. This is in addition to not thinking regarding an alternative such as excellence, renewal, adopting a diverse approach with sources and ambitions, and getting out of the closed box of mind.
> This is thinking out loud, but it is not far at all, neither from reality nor from what is required to push the wheel of production forward. Do not forget that quality follows commercial activity. Films in demand before the end are artistic ones that have something to tell in a non-consumerist way. And this, in turn, is a candidate for growth and profit as well.
> In a television interview with the Director General of the Dubai Festival, Masoud Amrallah, he correctly noted how the movement of film production had completely stopped in more than one country (including the Emirates), following the Dubai Festival was stopped prior to its celebration of reaching the first decade of life. Note also that good cinema, like the culture it belongs to, needs more time than commercial films to generate profits. And he is right in the two remarks.
> Therefore, the purpose of the statement is the following: mass cinema in the Arab world should not be launched like a machine that incubates eggs. Rather, it needs activation plans to deserve to be commercial in action and not with intent.
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#commercial #crisis
