Clean Bandit to perform live in Jeddah as part of Saudi Grand Prix

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Updated 16 March 2022
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Clean Bandit to perform live in Jeddah as part of Saudi Grand Prix

  • The concert will take place on the main stage of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit

JEDDAH: The pop fusion music group Clean Bandit will thrill fans in Jeddah with an evening of hits at the post-race concert on Sunday March 27 to close the second successive Formula One race weekend for the Saudi Grand Prix.

The British band will headline the concert series alongside multi-award-winning DJ and producer, R3HAB, to add to a superstar line-up that will keep fans’ adrenaline flowing long into the Jeddah night after the world’s greatest drivers have crossed the finish line.

The concert will take place on the main stage of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, F1’s newest, longest and fastest street circuit, right after the Grand Prix has concluded.

Clean Bandit, one of the biggest names in pop music, have scored four UK No.1 hits, won a Grammy award, and collaborated with a star-studded list of artists including Lizzo, Sean Paul, Ellie Goulding, Mabel and Demi Lovato.

They recently received two Brit Award nominations for their 2018 smash “Solo” featuring Lovato, which became their fourth UK chart-topper. The band have now notched up nine UK top five singles, more than Bruno Mars or Adele.

On March 26, DJ Axwell will perform after the qualifying session has ended, guaranteeing a world class weekend of live racing action and entertainment for all fans.

The Saudi Motorsport Co., the promoter of the Saudi Grand Prix, confirmed that fans will also be able to see the F2 and Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East support series, while entertainment activities, fan festivals, and live concerts will also take place across the circuit and F1 fan zone all weekend.


Review: Netflix’s documentary ‘Black Barbie’ explores cultural, historical significance of the iconic doll

Updated 01 May 2025
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Review: Netflix’s documentary ‘Black Barbie’ explores cultural, historical significance of the iconic doll

“Black Barbie” is a Netflix documentary released in 2023 that playfully explores the cultural and historical significance of the iconic doll, focusing on her evolution from a white, blonde, blue-eyed fantasy figure into a more inclusive line of dolls with a variety of skin tones, facial features, body types and hair textures.

It is worth noting that the documentary debuted in March, many months before Greta Gerwig’s fictional, pink-tinged, wildly successful blockbuster hit “Barbie” was released in July of that same year.

Regardless, this documentary feels like a necessary continuation to that narrative.

Barbie has always been about style and fashion — dressing-up, accessorizing and imagining different lives for the doll through her wardrobe. But the documentary asks: What happens when only one kind of child — that fits a certain box — gets to live that fantasy?

And, also, is Barbie more harmful than helpful in elevating us as a society? Is it really just about a doll?

Directed by Lagueria Davis and executive produced by Shonda Rhimes, one of the most celebrated Black creators of her generation, the documentary explores the creation of the first truly representative Black Barbie — with distinct lips, hair and nose — and how it marked a clear departure from the earlier, more simplistic iterations, which were often just white dolls painted darker.

They delve into the role of Ruth Handler, Barbie’s creator, and how meaningful it was to the Black Mattel employees when Kitty Black Perkins, Mattel’s first Black designer, was hired.

The documentary also reflects on the infamous Clark doll test, a pivotal 1940s study by Black psychologists and married couple Kenneth and Mamie Clark where Black children were offered identical dolls — one white, one Black — and were tasked with choosing which of the dolls were “nice” and which were “bad.”

The Black children overwhelmingly preferred the white dolls, and appeared hurt — offended even — when asked “which doll is most like you?” The children seemingly felt forced to select the Black doll, which they associated with something “bad.” This illustrated the deeply rooted psychological effects of racial representation — or the lack of it — in something as mundane as toys. This was clearly not just about a doll.

Davis, a Black director and writer, was inspired to create “Black Barbie” after learning about the pivotal role her aunt, Beulah Mae Mitchell, played in advocating for the first Black Barbie while working at Mattel.

Although Davis admitted to never gravitating toward playing with Barbies as a child — she started to wonder why. She used this documentary to find out.

Davis interviewed numerous people, scholars, notable figures on screen, each offering invaluable insights into their connection — or not — to a doll that looked like them, or didn’t, reflecting on the significance of representation in toys and how generations of children had grown up without seeing dolls that accurately resembled them.

Davis pondered on the fact that although her aunt and her came from different generations, the reality was the same: Blackness was not celebrated as much as it should have been then, and arguably, even now.


Bollywood stars gather in Mumbai for India’s first global entertainment summit

Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone speak on stage at the 2025 World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit.
Updated 02 May 2025
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Bollywood stars gather in Mumbai for India’s first global entertainment summit

  • WAVES 2025 speakers include A-listers Anil Kapoor, A.R. Rahman and CEOs of YouTube, Netflix
  • Saudi Arabia’s entertainment sector is on show at summit, focused on e-sports and gaming ecosystem

NEW DELHI: India’s first global entertainment summit began in Mumbai on Thursday, bringing together the country’s biggest Bollywood stars, from legendary actor Shah Rukh Khan to renowned actress Deepika Padukone, and industry leaders from around the world. 

The World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit, or Waves, is organized by the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. 

About 100,000 participants from 100 countries will join the four-day summit at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, featuring a lineup of India’s A-list celebrities and creatives, such as Anil Kapoor, A.R. Rahman and Alia Bhatt.

Its plenary sessions will feature prominent speakers in the media and entertainment industry, including Netflix’s CEO Ted Sarandos, YouTube’s CEO Neal Mohan, and Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani.  

“Today, artists, innovators, investors and policymakers from more than 100 countries have gathered under one roof in Mumbai. In a way, the foundation of a global ecosystem of global talent and global creativity is being laid here today,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during the opening ceremony. 

“Waves is a global platform that belongs to all the artists, all the creators, where every artist, every youth will connect with the creative world with a new idea.” 

Bollywood movie star Shah Rukh Khan, who is also a member of the Waves advisory board, said the summit is “a catalyst for creators, innovators, disruptors and dreamers at the confluence of heart and technology.”

“Here, industry leaders unite to chart the future, drive bold innovation and champion Indian creativity on the world stage,” Khan said. 

Waves seeks to position India as a global hub for media, entertainment and digital innovation by highlighting the country’s talents in various media and entertainment fields, including films, gaming, comics, artificial intelligence and other emerging tech.  

“Waves aims to unlock a $50 billion market by 2029, expanding India’s footprint in the global entertainment economy,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. 

International participation at the summit includes Saudi Arabia, with a delegation led by Saudi Esports Federation chairman, Prince Faisal bin Bandar, displaying the Kingdom’s entertainment sector achievements and ambitions, particularly in gaming and e-sports. 

“Saudi Arabia and India recognize that the future belongs to nations investing not only in infrastructure, but in building ecosystems where technology, creativity, and talent intersect. Under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister Modi, our countries are uniquely aligned in this belief,” Prince Faisal wrote in an op-ed published by the Delhi-based English daily, Indian Express. 

“Saudi Arabia is excited to collaborate with India and other innovators to shape a future where gaming and e-sports reflect the diversity and ambition of the Global South.”


Marvel’s misfit superheroes find community in ‘Thunderbolts*’ 

Updated 01 May 2025
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Marvel’s misfit superheroes find community in ‘Thunderbolts*’ 

  • Stars Florence Pugh and David Harbour discuss the latest Marvel movie 

DUBAI: In the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe movie “Thunderbolts*,” directed by Jake Schreier, the focus isn’t just on larger-than-life action; it’s on the messy, complicated relationships between a team of misfits learning to trust each other. 

For stars David Harbour and Florence Pugh, that emotional core was the most important part of the process.  

“For me, most of the preparation was about really fleshing out these character arcs,” Harbour, who plays Soviet super soldier Red Guardian, told Arab News. “This movie sinks or swims not on its IP, but on its really complex relationships between these characters that you don’t know that much about. Our job was to infuse it with a lot of heart, humor, life and soul.” 

Pugh — who made her MCU debut in 2021’s “Black Widow” as the trained assassin Yelena Belova and is now headlining her first MCU movie — echoed that sentiment. 

“There was so much heart and pain already there,” she said. “When you’re playing large characters, you have to find ways to make it feel authentic, especially when you’re dealing with accents or heavy dialogue. A lot of our rehearsal process was about finding cleaner ways to get to the point — rewriting a few lines, making sure the characters said exactly what they needed to say to one another.” 

Florence Pugh and director Jake Schreier on set. (Supplied)

The cast spent two weeks in rehearsals, crafting scenes that highlighted the tangled emotions between their characters. “It was great fun, especially when you have a director who really wants you to be fully involved and make it your own,” Pugh said. 

The film follows a motley crew of anti-heroes — Yelena, Red Guardian, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Robert “Bob” Reynolds (Lewis Pullman), and Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) — who must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts as they take down a common enemy. 

Beyond individual dynamics, the movie taps into deeper themes of isolation and the need for connection — what Harbour describes as the “epidemic of loneliness” in the modern world. 

“When these characters first come together, there’s a lot of lying about how they’re doing, a lot of pretending,” Harbour said. “People are afraid. They’re isolated. We feel connected because of these devices we carry, but they don’t really provide the sustenance we need as human beings.” 

Pugh elaborated on that point. “We’ve reached a point where so many people have so many insecurities, and they feel like they’re not right, and they feel like they’re not getting it right, and (what they see on social media) is making them feel like their life isn’t as beautiful or as colorful or as perfect as those posts,” she said. “And I think when we watch characters that have these immense flaws also trying to figure it out, it helps. Of course it helps.” 

Harbour believes the film captures the essence of personal salvation: finding strength in community.  

(From left) David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Wyatt Russell and Florence Pugh in 'Thunderbolts'. (Supplied)

“I worry about that phrase ‘We have to save ourselves,’ because I actually think it’s that we have to save each other,” he said. “We have to not sit there alone going, like, ‘I gotta do something.’ I feel like that’s the anxiety that’s killing us. The vulnerability of, like, ‘Maybe I ask someone,’ or ‘I find a group of people who are willing to take me as I am and to see the good in me.’ That’s one of the most beautiful moments in this movie.” 

Schreier, director of the acclaimed 2023 comedy-drama series “Beef,” said Marvel president Kevin Fiege encouraged him to take a different approach to this particular superhero story. 

“One of the real lessons of ‘Beef’ was that stories about something that feels smaller, or about emptiness, are no longer niche. They are actually universal. I think everyone goes through some version of that at some point in their lives, maybe to different degrees. But it isn’t small to tell a story like that. And so, this was a chance — on the biggest level — to see if a story like that could resonate at scale. That felt like a really wonderful opportunity.”


Kef Hayyak? Seeing Saudi neighborhoods through the eyes of emerging filmmakers

Updated 30 April 2025
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Kef Hayyak? Seeing Saudi neighborhoods through the eyes of emerging filmmakers

JEDDAH: Eighteen aspiring filmmakers have taken to the streets of their neighborhoods armed with nothing but their phones and a vision for the grassroots documentary challenge, “Kef Hayyak?”

The project, initiated by Art Jameel in collaboration with the Red Sea International Film Festival, invited participants to reflect the spirit of their communities in short documentaries.

Months after the February 2025 open call, the winners have been announced, and their films will premiere as part of the Red Sea Documentary Days this May at Hayy Cinema.

The program, which began as a concept in 2021 and has since grown into an annual platform, continues to break down barriers in filmmaking by expanding access to wider creative communities across Saudi Arabia. For the first time, the 2025 event also welcomed participants from Makkah, with one of the city’s filmmakers making it to the jury-selected top three.

The initiative culminates in a public screening at Hayy Cinema, featuring the three jury-selected winners — Eyad Al-Zahrani’s “Between,” Asia Lajam & Nad’s “A World Between Buildings,” and Alisha Khan’s “Nam Ghar, Jeddah” — alongside two audience favorites, “Hay Alakaber” by Amal Al-Zahrani and Othoub Al-Bedaiwi, and “From the Olives to the Sea” by Haya Al-Bhaisi and Mohammed Khalid.

A jury, comprising head of Hayy Cinema, Zohra Ait El-Jamar, director and actress, Fatima Al-Banawi, and director and actress, Ophelie Legris — evaluated the films based on creativity, relevance and narrative strength.

El-Jamar told Arab News: “‘Kef Hayyak?’ draws its essence from the name of Hayy Jameel and reflects our ongoing mission to connect with new audiences in meaningful ways. The project was first imagined in 2021, and after the success of its first edition, it has grown into an annual platform that empowers emerging filmmakers.

“Through this short documentary film competition, we invite aspiring talents to explore their neighborhoods using just their phones. I created the concept with the vision of breaking down barriers in filmmaking and expanding access to a wider creative community. It’s also a powerful way to document the ever-changing urban fabric of Jeddah — and now Makkah.

“We see this as a powerful launchpad for emerging talent, and we’re actively working to expand the program with deeper mentorship and professional opportunities in the years to come,” she added.

Audience Choice Award winner, Al-Zahrani, who hails from Makkah, said: “The movie covers a neighborhood that lacks identity and how it affects me and the residents in our day-to-day lives. Winning was such a heartwarming experience, seeing my work acknowledged and the story of my people and neighborhood embraced and loved. I plan to keep improving my documentary skills and hope to release a movie about a lawyer later this year.”

Khan’s winning documentary explores the Musrefah neighborhood of Jeddah and its vibrant Desi (Pakistani and Indian) community.

“My film ‘Naam Ghar, Jeddah’ is a documentary film which acts as a time capsule for me to look back on not only my neighborhood but the people living in it, especially the often-overlooked Desi community in Jeddah, where even the people themselves think the outer world is not interested in them,” Khan said.

“It aims to explore their dreams, identities and quiet resilience through simple, human questions, like what is your favorite color or what gives you happiness.”

Khan believes in the power of cinema to humanize and connect communities, emphasizing how platforms such as Hayy Jameel empower storytellers like herself. Her goal is to keep documenting life in Jeddah, capturing its present for future generations.

Al-Bhaisi told Arab News: “‘From the Olives to the Sea’ is a short documentary that explores the contrast and emotional connection between two places — Jeddah, where I feel a deep sense of belonging, and Gaza, the place I’m originally from but never fully connected with.

“Winning the Audience Choice Award honestly means the world to us. It shows that people connected with our story, and that’s all we ever wanted — to be heard, and to make others feel something real.”


Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Timur Bekmambetov pick eight UAE stories to lead screenlife rollout

Updated 29 April 2025
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Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Timur Bekmambetov pick eight UAE stories to lead screenlife rollout

ABU DHABI: Ben Ross, CEO of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, joined Kazakh-Russian film director and producer Timur Bekmambetov on Tuesday at the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi to discuss screenlife, a pioneering format developed by Bekmambetov that is coming to the region for the first time.

Screenlife is a style of filmmaking where the entire story takes place on a digital screen — through text messages, video calls, social media and other everyday apps — reflecting how people communicate in today’s tech-driven world. Notable examples include the horror film “Unfriended” (2014) and the mystery thriller “Searching” (2018).

Ben Ross (L) and Timur Bekmambetov (R) at the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi. (AN Photo by Mohamed Fawzy)

In the session, Ross and Bekmambetov announced that they have selected eight stories from UAE filmmakers to bring to life after the launch of the Screenlife Program in June 2024, which aims to help UAE citizens and residents master this new format and create authentic narratives with global resonance.

“We were drawn to it because it is so innovative and so forward-thinking,” Ross told Arab News. “We enjoyed the screenlife movies, and it just felt like a natural step to evolve it into this region.”

Bekmambetov emphasized the universality of digital communication. “The digital world is the same universally. There is a different cultural element … but every family has a WhatsApp chat with hundreds of people on it. My family in Kazakhstan have one, and the internet in Abu Dhabi is the same,” he told Arab News.

He said that the format is “socially very impactful” and can give voice to those often left out of traditional cinema. “Because it costs nothing, you can tell stories about your individual life with no money. It will help us to engage very different storytellers.”

Ross noted that the selected projects reflect a wide range of stories. “Every story that we have chosen ... stood out in its own way. There’s a huge variety being told — it’s not formulaic.”

Bekmambetov also noted that Muslim women lead very different lifestyles, saying, “maybe screenlife will bring their stories to life,” to which Ross added that some of the stories currently in development already do.