Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
broken clouds
weather
OMAN
23°C / 23°C
EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Four Omani short films in race at Bahrain festival

Kochi Metro short film
Kochi Metro short film
minus
plus


MUSCAT, DEC 11 - Four short films from Oman, including Al Khathiya (The Fort) produced by Oman Film Society, are competing in the Kochi Metro-Bahrain Short Film Festival in Manama, which started on Tuesday. Another film The Dust Cities between Oman and Morocco, which is also produced by Oman Film Society, will be screened at the festival.





The Dust Cities will also be screened at Zagora Film Festival where Mohammed al Kindi, one of the five fest, will present the film and explain the similarities he saw between Oman and Morocco especially in Zagora, Nizwa, Bahla, Izki and Samayil.





“Some of the folklore is also same as in Oman. The way of building their homes in the past is also similar. The same materials, such as mud, are used and the structure of the houses are similar — the corridors, windows and doors. The ways of farming whether it is the palm trees or the grass that is used as fodder for their goats or the shape of the farms itself are so striking that inspired me to do the film,” explained Al Kindi.





Oman is witnessing a growth in film-making whether it is in short or feature films or documentaries, said Al Kindi, Chairman of Oman Film Society. “Driving the growth is the government support and an important initiative has been the Sultan Qaboos Prize. It is a great opportunity for film-makers in the country. The medium is an important tool in expressing and conveying a message to the world. There is so much more to do in Oman, but film-makers will need support from the government and the private sector.”





Indian actor and film-maker Raveendran from Cochin Metro Short Film Festival said film-making does not need actors, the need is for good characters.





“The trend has changed. People love behaviour. The most important element is character, so we need to search for characters. Some of the leading directors in the world do not use known actors. They use unknown people who suit the characters.”



SHARE ARTICLE
arrow up
home icon