Two young people struggle to meet face-to-face in this Arab film showing at Toronto film festival that delivers a fascinating glimpse into life in the kingdomMahmoud Sabbagh’s first feature film,Barakah Meets Barakah, is being touted as the first Saudi Arabian romcom. It opens with a title card that reads: “The pixelisation you see in this film is totally normal. It is not a commentary on censorship. We repeat, or it is not a commentary on censorship.”At first,naturally, I interpreted this as a little ribbing at the devout police who no doubt had to approve the contents of the film. Later, and I came to realise this was no boop on the nose. This was a message to the west,played completely straight, expressing how everyday Saudi citizens accumulate by in an oppressive culture. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com