From a short film about the pressure to marry to a feature following in Riyadh’s criminal underworld, Saudi Film Nights offers South African audiences a look at contemporary Saudi life through two very different stories.
On Thursday evening, the Lesedi Theatre at Joburg Theatre welcomed the South African debut of Saudi Film Nights, a showcase presented by the Saudi Film Commission in partnership with the Joburg Film Festival. They brought together filmmakers, industry guests and audiences for screenings of Irtizaz and Night Courier, followed by a Q&A with the visiting talent.
The screenings continue in Johannesburg tonight, Friday 9 October and the programme will travel to Durban on 11 October, and finally to Cape Town on 14 October. The remaining two cities will screen Siwar and First Funeral Day, offering an opportunity to discover more of the contemporary Saudi films included in the programme.
For those who make it to the cinema, the appeal lies in the variety of stories being offered. Irtizaz and Night Courier cover very different subjects, but both are interested in what happens when you find yourself caught between your personal needs and the expectations or circumstances surrounding you.
Irtizaz and the pressure to be chosen
Directed by Sara Balghonaim, Irtizaz is a 14-minute short that follows Juju, a young divorcee whose mother is determined to help her attract the attention of a wealthy, recently widowed woman at a funeral. The mother sees an opportunity for her daughter to re-enter the marriage market, and the event becomes a stage on which Juju is expected to present herself as a desirable match.
The premise is uncomfortable in a way that feels deliberately familiar. Juju is capable, intelligent and resourceful, but her mother keeps finding things to improve on. Her hair could be arranged differently. Her appearance could be improved. Every detail becomes another reason she might not attract a husband.
The constant scrutiny gradually builds into tension between mother and daughter. Juju is expected to accommodate her mother’s anxieties while managing the pressure of being assessed through her potential as a wife.
What makes the short effective is the opportunity it gives in exploring that pressure through an ordinary family relationship. The mother’s criticism is personal, but it also brings to light a larger set of expectations around marriage, femininity and what makes a woman socially acceptable. Juju is already a whole person, but the conversation around her always comes back to if she can secure a husband.
The result is a short film that balances discomfort and humour, allowing for the absurdity of the situation to be seen, without losing sight of its emotional impact. Its all-female central cast also keeps the story focused on the women negotiating these expectations, from the mother trying to manage her daughter’s prospects to Juju struggling to meet standards she never chose for herself.
While also hearing from the talent behind the film in the post-screening discussion, audiences were able to hear from someone who was also faced with questions of family relationships, social pressure and the space women have to define themselves.
Night Courier takes a darker turn
Directed by Ali Kalthami, Night Courier, originally Mandoob, is more focused on economic pressure and survival.
The 110-minute feature follows Fahad, a struggling man who takes work as a courier while trying to support his ailing father. The job brings him into contact with an illicit underworld, forcing him to navigate situations that challenge his principles and put his survival at risk.
Set against the streets of Riyadh, the film builds its tension around the decisions Fahad makes as his circumstances become increasingly difficult. His need for money is understandable, but every new opportunity comes with consequences, and the line between getting by and becoming entangled in something dangerous becomes harder to maintain.
One of the more interesting revelations to come out of the evening was that Mohamad Aldokhei, who plays Fahad, is known primarily for his work in comedy. This context adds another layer to a film that moves between crime, drama and dark humour, using tonal shifts to shape the audience’s experience of Fahad’s increasing precarious situation.
Whereas Irtizaz explores the emotional impact of being measured against social expectations, Night Courier covers what happens when financial desperation begins to dictate a person’s choices. The two films differ considerably in length, tone and genre, but both do place their central characters under pressure and track the compromises that emerge.
A wider window into Saudi cinema
Saudi Film Nights represent the Saudi Film Commission’s first presentation of the programme in South Africa. The initiative brings contemporary Saudi filmmaking to audiences across Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, with post-screening discussions giving people the opportunity to directly engage with visiting filmmakers.
The programme includes four films: Irtizaz, Night Courier, Siwar and First Funeral Day. While Johannesburg audiences are able to see the first two titles, the Durban and Cape Town screenings will showcase the latter pair.
For South African audiences, the programme offers an opportunity to encounter stories that may be less familiar locally, while considering the experiences and questions that travel across borders. Family relationships, the pressure to meet social expectations, financial insecurity and the search for personal agency are specific to each character’s circumstances, but they are not confined to one country.
The value of a programme like this is partially due to that exchange. Film allows for audiences to spend time in lives and environments beyond their own, without those stories having to resemble their experiences in every respect.
After Thursday’s screenings, Irtizaz and Night Courier made a compelling case for spending more time with contemporary Saudi cinema. One finds its tension in the family expectations of a young woman; the other follows a man who struggles to support his family and is forced into increasingly dangerous territory. Both are able to leave room for audiences to consider the forces shaping their characters’ decisions.
Where to catch Saudi Film Nights
Johannesburg audiences have yet another opportunity to catch Irtizaz and Night Courier tonight, Friday 9 October at the Lesedi Theatre at Joburg Theatre in Braamfontein.
The programme will travel to Durban on Sunday 11 October, with Siwar and First Funeral Day screening at the Drama Theatre at The Playhouse Company in Durban.
The final stop to Cape Town is scheduled for Wednesday 14 October, with the same two films screening at The Labia Theatre.
Saudi Film Nights is presented by the Saudi Film Commission in partnership with the Joburg Film Festival. Audiences interested in attending should check the organisers’ official channels for ticket availability and screening details.
