JEDDAH: A Saudi film will be screened for the first time at the Fifth European Film Festival which kicks off at the Italian Cultural Center in Jeddah Wednesday. The festival will be held until April 20. Eight European countries will take part, including Italy, Spain, Britain, Germany, Turkey, Switzerland, France and Ireland. The aim is to share the traditions and culture of Europe and Saudi Arabia. The film festival has been organized by European consulates and delegations in Saudi Arabia. The world-renowned films have already been screened at international festivals. A number have won awards. Mamdouh Salem, filmmaker and film director at Rawad Media for Media Production and Distribution, said that this is the first time a Saudi film is being shown at the European film festival. A number of Saudi films were shown a month ago at the Asian Film Festival, including “Jeddah: Meeting of Cultures”, a documentary on last year's Jeddah flood calamity by Salem and others. “Films are a medium to show our culture, tradition and lifestyle, so this film festival is a great opportunity for me to show our culture and lifestyle to expatriates,” said Salem. He said that the European Film Festival will be a good chance to see and experience European cinema and benefit from their expertise and experience. The films which are going to be shown include: Romanzo Criminale, an Italian film about a Magliana gang in 1960 on April 6; El Secreto De Sus Ojos (The secret in her eyes), a Spanish film based on the story of a novelist, on April 9; and a French comedy L'arnacoeur (Heart Breaker) on April 11. The Saudi film, “Jeddah, where culture and civilizations meet”, about people of different cultures and civilizations who share the self-perception of being a “Jeddawi”, will be shown on April 13. “Bella Martha”, an award-winning German film about a woman who has a passion for cooking, will also be shown on April 13. “Young Victoria”, a dramatization of the turbulent first year of Queen Victoria's rule and her enduring romance with Prince Albert, will be show on April 16. “A touch of spice”, a film about a young Greek boy growing up in Istanbul, whose grandfather, a culinary philosopher and mentor, teaches him about life and cooking, will be shown on April 17. Babem Ve Oglum (My father and my son), a Turkish film about a rebellious youth who has been politically active as a university student, will be shown on April 18; and Vitus, a Swiss film about a 12-year-old boy who almost seems to be from another planet, on April 20.
