The documentary 'Al Manyour,' directed by Mohammed al Ajmi, won the Audience Award at the 10th Sur International Film Festival held in Lebanon from March 4 to 6.
The documentary delved into the agricultural process of Al Zamat — the traditional process of drawing fresh water from deep wells in coastal villages of the Sultanate of Oman for agricultural and home use that is now threatened by modernization.
With a slogan of 'Cinema for All,' this year's film festival shortlisted 29 films from 18 countries covering fiction, documentary, and animation, among others, with the jury comprised of Spanish director Anna Sandero Alfrez, Sudanese director Nasser Youssef, and directors Muriel Abu al Rous, Walid Mones, Fadi Syriani, and Shadi Zidan from Lebanon.
This is the second award won by the film after it won the Best Omani Film Award at the Sharqiyah Film Festival this year. "This award means a lot to me, especially that it is the first award won by the film at an international film festival," director Al Ajmi said.
"It was also heart-warming to know that cinematic art is connected with the audience. This award showed that it won the admiration of the viewers," he added.
He also said that "the film festival was a unique opportunity to introduce the cultural heritage of the Sultanate of Oman, of which it has plenty."
Beyond the award, he is happy to have learned a lot from other participants and to have been given a chance to interact with people who have the same passion for films.
Al Ajmi said that by making a documentary on 'Al Manyour', he hoped to be able to contribute to the preservation of this important Omani cultural heritage.
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