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Ramy Youssef’s animated series to have world premiere in Texas

Ramy Youssef’s animated series to have world premiere in Texas
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Updated 2 min 33 sec ago

Ramy Youssef’s animated series to have world premiere in Texas

Ramy Youssef’s animated series to have world premiere in Texas
  • ‘#1 Happy Family USA’ explores experiences of Muslim-American family in early 2000s

DUBAI: Egyptian American actor Ramy Youssef’s animated series “#1 Happy Family USA” will make its world premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, which runs from March 7 to 15.

The show explores the experiences of a Muslim-American family in the early 2000s.

Youssef voices Rumi Hussein, a 12-year-old boy with big dreams and a desire to fit in. Rumi, named after the 13th century poet, also has a hard time living up to the name.

Youssef also voices Rumi’s father, a former cardiothoracic surgeon who now runs a halal cart.

The series stars actress Alia Shawkat, who is of Iraqi, American, Irish, Italian and Norwegian descent, Egyptian-Canadian comedian Salma Hindy, US singer-actress Mandy Moore, “Ramy” actress Randa Jarrar, and US comedians Chris Redd, Akaash Singh and Whitmer Thomas.

Youssef is the co-creator of the series with US writer and TV producer Pam Brady. The pair are the executive producers of the show with Iraqi-British journalist Mona Chalabi. A24 and Amazon Studios co-produced.


Who’s who at the Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale

Who’s who at the Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale
Updated 1 min 28 sec ago

Who’s who at the Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale

Who’s who at the Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale
  • A rundown of the artists whose work will be displayed at this year’s event, which runs until May 25

JEDDAH: The second edition of the Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale begins today, showcasing more than 500 “historical objects and contemporary artworks” across five exhibition halls and outdoor spaces.  

This year’s theme is “And All That Is In Between,” a phrase the organizers say “encapsulates the vast and awe-inspiring scope of God’s creation as experienced by humankind.”  

Over the next four months, the event will, according to the website, present “a profound exploration of how faith is lived, expressed, and celebrated … inviting visitors to reflect on the divine’s wonders and humankind’s connection to it.” 

 Abdelkader Benchamma's 'Au Bord des Mondes' on display at the Pompidou Center in Paris this year. (Supplied)

The biennale will include new commissions from more than 30 artists, both local and international. The most prominent Saudi artist on the roster is Ahmed Mater, who was the subject of a mid-career retrospective — “Chronicles” — at Christie’s in London last year. Participation in a biennale such as this fits with Mater’s philosophy. In 2020, he told Arab News: “I see exploration, sharing and learning between cultures as vital. Culture is about sharing and progress. It is not static; it is dynamic.”  

Mater’s fellow Saudi artist, the printmaker and educator Fatma Abdulhadi will also be presenting works at the biennale. Her prints, she told the Berlin Art Institute in 2021, consist of “layer upon layer of deeper meanings which are expressed through the use of color. Each layer of color is a mirror that allows you to see the others clearly and accept them for what they are.” 

Saudi contemporary interpretive dancer Bilal Allaf told Arab News in 2021 why he prefers his improvisational approach to classical dance. “I feel I can express my emotions better,” he said. “I think it’s a pure art form of storytelling — a form of non-verbal communication. As a performer it’s a very profound expression.” 

Bilal Allaf. (Supplied)

Bahraini-American artist Nasser Alzayani was the winner of Louvre Abu Dhabi’s inaugural Richard Mille Art Prize in 2021. His practice, the Louvre said at the time, “is a research-driven documentation of time and place through text and image.” Alzayani told Canvas the following year: “I see the work that I’m making as a way of adding to the resources available.” 

Makkah native Ahmad Angawi is, according to art collective Edge of Arabia, “inspired by the colorful diversity of the culture of Hejaz.” He is the son of an architect, and has “adopted the concept of … the belief in the fundamental principle of balance, as a state of mind, as well as the belief in its application in the field of design.” 

Abdelkader Benchamma, born in France to Algerian parents, creates “delicately executed and dynamic drawings of states of matter,” Edge of Arabia’s website states. “His drawings take their inspiration from visual scenarios that stem from reflections on space and its physical reality.” 

Abha native Saeed Gebaan is an industrial engineer by trade, and a co-founder of PHI Studio. “Through installations, programming and movement systems, Gebaan invites viewers to consider the intersection of science and society,” according to Riyadh Art. 

Nasser Alzayan, Seeing Things. (Supplied)

Louis Guillaume uses found materials to create his sculptures and “sees his creations as living works destined to evolve over time,” the website of Paris’ Cité International Des Artes states. 

The work of Lebanese multidisciplinary artists Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige has covered film, photography, sculpture, installations, performance lectures and texts. They have written that they “question storytelling, the fabrication of images and representations, the construction of imaginaries, and the writing of history.” 

Jeddah-based visual artist Bashaer Hawsawi works with mixed media and found objects. Her practice, according to theartists.net, is centered around “notions of cultural identity, cleansing, belonging and nostalgia.” 

Libyan artist Nour Jaouda, the Venice Biennale website states, “relishes in the slow, physical, and felt processes of fabricating hand-dyed textiles. (Their) inherent connectivity begets their association with the eternal and the divine; to the artist, textiles have no beginning or end.” 

Lebanese-French interdisciplinary artist Tamara Kalo was raised in Riyadh. “She works with photography, video and sculpture to investigate narratives that shape home, history and identity,” Riyadh Art states. 

Nour Jaouda's 'The Light In Between'. (Supplied)

Raya Kassisieh is a London-based artist of Palestinian heritage who says she “explores the politics of the body in a multidisciplinary practice that presents a deeply personal interrogation of form.” Her work “proposes that the body is the ultimate tool for reimagination and creation.” 

The Japanese artist Takashi Kuribayashi creates large-scale installations. The central theme of his work, he has said, is the “invisible realm” and its boundary. “The truth resides in places that are invisible. Once you are aware that there is a different world out of sight, you will be living in a different way.” 

Saudi photographer and filmmaker Hayat Osamah “seeks to challenge conventional norms and celebrate diversity,” Riyadh Art states, while Jeddah-born multidisciplinary artist Anhar Salem also works primarily in film, often using phone-shot videos “to question self-representation and image production in communities that have been marginalized as a result of migration and economic policies,” according to Cité International Des Artes. 

This year’s roster also includes Argentinian artist Gabriel Chaile; Amman-based Kuwaiti artist and curator Ala Younis; Asim Waqif, an Indian artist based in New Delhi; Taiwanese multidisciplinary artist Charwei Tsai; Lahore-based duo Ehsan ul Haq and Iqra Tanveer; Eurasian art collective Slavs and Tatars; Italian visual artist Arcangelo Sassolino; British architect and multidisciplinary artist Asif Khan; French-Iraqi artist Mehdi Moutashar; German-Iranian photographer and sculptor Timo Nasseri; Multimedia poet-musician duo Hylozic/Desires (Himali Singh Soin and David Soin Tappeser); Colombian multidisciplinary artist Nohemi Pérez; Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi, whose work is inspired by the miniature paintings of Mughal courts; Brazilian artist Lucia Koch; and the British interdisciplinary artist Osman Yousefzada. 


REVIEW: Netflix’s French thriller ‘Ad Vitam’ fails to pick a lane

REVIEW: Netflix’s French thriller ‘Ad Vitam’ fails to pick a lane
Updated 8 min 48 sec ago

REVIEW: Netflix’s French thriller ‘Ad Vitam’ fails to pick a lane

REVIEW: Netflix’s French thriller ‘Ad Vitam’ fails to pick a lane

JEDDAH: It’s hard to know quite what to make of “Ad Vitam.” Maybe because its creators don’t seem to have decided quite what they were making.

Co-writer Guillaume Canet stars as Franck Lazarev, whose wife Leo is just days away from giving birth to their first child. Franck is working a civilian job checking historical buildings for structural cracks (which makes for some stunning opening shots of Paris). A few days after finding their apartment has been ransacked, they are attacked by masked intruders, who kidnap Leo and tell Franck that unless he hands over “the key,” she will die and he will be framed for her murder. It all makes for a gripping 30 minutes.

Then the story goes back a full decade. Leo and Franck are trainees for the GIGN (essentially the French police’s anti-terrorist unit). They become ace agents, bond with certain colleagues, fall in love… you get the picture. It’s a montage — but one that takes around 20 minutes when it could have taken two. It throws off the momentum considerably.

Next, we jump ahead nine years to find Franck leading a team of agents who are called to a hotel where gunshots have been heard. Things escalate rapidly. Two perpetrators are killed, but so is Franck’s best friend, and his protégé is seriously wounded. Franck is fired.

But he can’t let it go. He gets his friend’s badge tested for DNA (explaining a notable focus on badges in the earlier flashback sequence) and discovers that one of the two perps was actually a government agent. A conspiracy begins to unravel. The key demanded by the kidnappers opens the locker where Franck has stashed the evidence.

Back to the present: Franck rushes to save Leo, and we’re back to frantic action, this time with mediocre parkour scenes and a paragliding sequence that is hilarious (unintentionally). Canet clearly fancies himself an all-action hero in the Tom Cruise mold. He doesn’t pull it off. Like the film itself, Canet is best when playing it small and gritty.

Credit to the makers for taking some big swings, but they don’t come off. And while “Ad Vitam” is entertaining enough, it’s also instantly forgettable.


Audio artist Tarek Atoui discusses his participation at this year’s AlUla Arts Festival

Audio artist Tarek Atoui discusses his participation at this year’s AlUla Arts Festival
Updated 13 min 57 sec ago

Audio artist Tarek Atoui discusses his participation at this year’s AlUla Arts Festival

Audio artist Tarek Atoui discusses his participation at this year’s AlUla Arts Festival

ALULA: Anyone walking through the valleys and mountains of AlUla will notice its unique stone formations and untouched carvings — but not many would notice the echoes of falling rocks. Lebanese artist and electroacoustic composer Tarek Atoui says some of the valleys sound like “porcelain or crystal.”  

“In Hegra, you don’t really hear it because it’s an archeological site,” he adds. “You really have to walk in valleys or in places that are wilder.”  

Atoui has made a name for himself by blurring the boundaries of sound, technology, art, and collaborative performance. His latest participation — at AlUla Arts Festival, in Bayt Al Hams (The Whispering House) — is a testament to his ability to blend the human, the natural, and the machine. On the festival’s opening night on Jan. 16, Atoui, French musician Toma Gouband, and students from AlUla staged an intriguing performance using custom-designed instruments, natural objects such as tree branches and rocks, and cutting-edge techniques.   

Tarek Atoui and French musician Toma Gouband during their performance at AlUla Arts Festival on Jan 16. (Supplied)

“I believe sound can take you to places where you really speak about the inner and not just the surface — and that’s what I love about it,” Atoui tells Arab News. “Sound is an abstract medium, so it can create sensations and emotions in us in an unexpected way, and what you choose to do with it is very personal and intimate. It’s something that allows you to speak of an identity, of an intimacy, of a fragility, that maybe image doesn’t allow you to. 

“If you want to find out about a place then, of course, you find out about its history, archeology, geology, its different social and political realities. But it’s mainly about talking to the people that inhabit it. And the best way, in my case, to have a dialog with people is through what I do. So that’s why it was very important to reach out to people in this way.” 

Bayt Al Hams, a dedicated hub for Atoui’s work, is a soundscape that will be changing almost seasonally, he explains. It showcases a selection of works that rely largely on four natural elements: water, stone, metal, and glass. 

Visitors to Atoui's “Bayt Al-Hams” exhibition. (Supplied)

The interactive space is scattered with contraptions that create sound, from textile squares to tablas to metal-infused ink hooked up to machinery developed by Atoui himself. 

“It’s a kind of easy way to get into a complex, deep topic,” he says. “The things that are here have a double life. Let’s say they’re animated and automated through computer software and algorithms I write, which kind of drive this space, but they are also brought to life by human beings, the students we work with, the musicians we work with,” he explains.  

Atoui was first inspired by techno music, or, as he describes it, “music that had physicality to it.” He went on to study contemporary music, and began to understand that any sound can be musical. “You can work with sound in so many ways to make music. And that was liberating for me, because I didn’t know how to compose with scores and classical instruments,” he says.  

He was interested in poetry, literature, and theater too, but when he went to France — where he is now based — for university, he fell in love with the crossover between art, mathematics, abstraction, and sound.  

His unique art, he says, came “through a lot of improvisation, like thinking how to use the computer as a music instrument, learning how to code and to program and to create software for sound, and, from there, learning how to work with electronics and build electronic instruments.”  

Atoui’s latest participation — at AlUla Arts Festival, in Bayt Al Hams (The Whispering House) — is a testament to his ability to blend the human, the natural, and the machine. (Supplied)

He was also interested in education, which began manifesting in his practice.  

“Not having a musical background myself, I wanted to encourage people from different realms to also have a say in sound, or to use new technologies to make sound and music,” he explains.  

He’s worked with Palestinian refugees in camps, with groups in the suburban areas of Cairo, and in parts of Europe, Asia, and the US.  

“It was a really mind-opening experience to travel to all these places and to perform, teach, and interact with people. Slowly, I started to slide towards the art world, because this is where I found (more) freedom. I didn’t feel I was exclusively a musician,” he says. 

Atoui is not concerned that his work may be too avant-garde to ever go mainstream. 

“That’s no problem at all,” he says. “We each have our sensibilities and tastes. To me, also, there are musical things that are not music.” 


Hail museums: Treasure troves of history and heritage

Hail museums: Treasure troves of history and heritage
Updated 23 January 2025

Hail museums: Treasure troves of history and heritage

Hail museums: Treasure troves of history and heritage
  • Samia Suleiman Al-Jabri: Museums play a vital role in preserving heritage, protecting it from extinction, and connecting generations to their civilizational and cultural legacy
  • Al-Jabri: They (museums) provide an information-rich environment that enhances historical and scientific knowledge for both international visitors and tourists

Hail’s museums offer visitors a journey through time, bringing to life the ancient stories of the region’s ancestors.

A number of museums in the city highlight historical ways of life, traditional craftsmanship and an array of archaeological artifacts.

“Museums play a vital role in preserving heritage, protecting it from extinction, and connecting generations to their civilizational and cultural legacy,” Samia Suleiman Al-Jabri, associate professor of modern history at Hail University, told the Saudi Press Agency.

“They provide an information-rich environment that enhances historical and scientific knowledge for both international visitors and tourists, including students, researchers and cultural enthusiasts.

“Moreover, museums are key tourist destinations that promote cultural tourism, offering visitors access to diverse collections of rare heritage artifacts, which in turn significantly boosts the local economy.”

Al-Jabri said that Ƶ’s leadership was committed to enhancing the role of museums nationally, which strengthened national identity by showcasing the Kingdom’s cultural heritage.

The Authenticity Museum is one of the most prominent cultural, heritage and tourist landmarks in Hail.

It features a diverse collection of artifacts and tools that provide insight into the past.

The museum also highlights traditional furniture, from historical majlis (sitting rooms), heritage seating, and intricately hand-crafted cabinets once used in traditional homes.

Ali Bakhrisa, owner of the “Asalah” Museum, said: “Among the most notable items on display are ancient heritage tools, including pottery, cooking implements and hunting gear.

“The museum also showcases a collection of traditional clothing worn by the region’s tribes, featuring men’s garments such as the sadiriyya, dagla, kut and bisht, alongside women’s attire, which is hand-embroidered and woven, including the dagla, sabah, burqas and dara’a once worn by Hail’s women.

“In addition, the museum proudly exhibits a selection of classic cars from various manufacturers.”

The museum, which Bakhrisa said took 20 years to curate through extensive research trips across the Kingdom and beyond, boasts a rich collection of traditional weapons, including swords, daggers and antique rifles.

It also features an exquisite array of traditional jewelry and ornaments, historically worn by women on social occasions and renowned for their authentic heritage designs.

The museum also highlights traditional architecture once common in the region, showcasing distinctive architectural styles and locally sourced building materials.

One of the most renowned museums in Hail is the Found Influence from the Past Museum, housed in a clay structure more than a century old.

Its owner, Khaled Al-Matroud, has carefully transformed this historic home into a museum that showcases a remarkable collection of more than 2,000 artifacts, elegantly arranged across its wings and corridors.

A standout feature is the heritage majlis, known for its soaring ceilings — reaching up to eight meters — and its impressive 15-meter width, reflecting the region’s architectural style.

This majlis was ingeniously designed to adapt to seasonal needs, with distinct shapes for summer and winter.

The museum also preserves the charm of a traditional Hail house, featuring numerous rooms and an open courtyard that facilitates natural ventilation, further enhanced by the lush greenery of palm, orange and lemon trees at its entrance.

Fadi Al-Abdullah, a passionate admirer of historical artifacts, praised these museums for preserving and documenting the intricate details of a past era.

Antar Al-Kilani, an Egyptian resident, views these museums as a gateway to discovering the cultural and historical heritage of the region.


Saudi content creators win big at TikTok Awards in Dubai

Saudi content creators win big at TikTok Awards in Dubai
Updated 23 January 2025

Saudi content creators win big at TikTok Awards in Dubai

Saudi content creators win big at TikTok Awards in Dubai

DUBAI: Two Saudi content creators made a mark at the TikTok Awards ceremony on Wednesday.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Mohammed Hemex was honored with the Sports Creator of the Year Award, while Emad Ramen earned the title of Food Creator of the Year.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The event drew a star-studded crowd, including US-Iraqi entrepreneur and fragrance mogul Mona Kattan, accompanied by her co-stars from Netflix’s “Dubai Bling.” Among them were Ebraheem Alsamadi, who decorated the venue with centerpieces from his brand Forever Rose, Safa Siddiqui, Danya Mohammed, Marwan Al-Awadhi (DJ Bliss), and Jwana Karim. Also in attendance were “Love is Blind Habibi” stars Mohammed AlKiswani and Nour El-Hajj.

The Creator of the Year award was presented to Yara Aziz. (AN/ Mohammed Fawzy) 

The Creator of the Year award was presented to Yara Aziz. Ahead of her win, Aziz, who boasts 6.5 million TikTok followers, told Arab News: “I started everything on TikTok. It’s been five years now, and this is my first award ever with them. I am nervous, I am excited, I am happy, I am content and I am grateful.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Originally a medical student, the TikToker attended the event wearing a dress handmade by her grandmother, a process she documented on TikTok for her followers. 

Reflecting on the experience, Aziz described the process as “extremely stressful.” She explained, “Honestly, it was stressful for my grandma, she felt like she was under pressure to make something quick and fast. But honestly, it turned out perfect.”

Before the announcement, Aziz mentioned that winning this award would mark the most memorable moment of her social media career — and it did.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The night included performances by Haitian-French artist Naika, known for the viral hit “Sauce,” and Egyptian rapper Marwan Moussa, a TikTok favorite, who thrilled the audience with tracks such as “Tesla,” “Batal Alam” and “Hob Khenaa,” joined by co-singer Nourine Abouseada for the latter.

Egyptian rapper Marwan Moussa thrilled the audience with tracks such as “Tesla,” “Batal Alam” and “Hob Khenaa.” (AN/ Mohammed Fawzy) 

The night celebrated other talents including Syrian Canadian Osama Marwah, who won the Video of the Year, while Egyptian singer Tul8te was named Breakthrough Artist of the Year. Lebanese chef Abir El Saghir received the Visionary Content Award, Abdullah Annan was honored as Changemaker of the Year, Shihab Al-Hashemy won Education Creator of the Year, and Nouran El-Sayed took home the Fashion & Beauty Creator of the Year award.