‘Ahlam Alasr' Film Achieves Remarkable Success at Red Sea Festival Premiere

The film is produced by Tape Productions in collaboration with the Red Sea Fund, and is directed by Fares Godus, starring Sohayb Godus, Najm, Fatma AlBanawi, and Hakim Juma. SPA
The film is produced by Tape Productions in collaboration with the Red Sea Fund, and is directed by Fares Godus, starring Sohayb Godus, Najm, Fatma AlBanawi, and Hakim Juma. SPA
TT

‘Ahlam Alasr' Film Achieves Remarkable Success at Red Sea Festival Premiere

The film is produced by Tape Productions in collaboration with the Red Sea Fund, and is directed by Fares Godus, starring Sohayb Godus, Najm, Fatma AlBanawi, and Hakim Juma. SPA
The film is produced by Tape Productions in collaboration with the Red Sea Fund, and is directed by Fares Godus, starring Sohayb Godus, Najm, Fatma AlBanawi, and Hakim Juma. SPA

Funded by the Saudi Cultural Development Fund, the film `Ahlam Alasr' attracted audiences at its premiere at the third annual Red Sea International Film Festival. The film’s premiere tickets were sold out within five days of the festival, and the movie garnered wide acclaim from both critics and the audience.
The film tells a unique story, exploring the depths of emotions and challenges faced by individuals in their daily lives. The story revolves around a retired football player who was famous before the internet came into existence. Along with his influencer daughter, he decides to seize an opportunity for revenge against those who wronged them. Together they embark on a toxic journey.
After the success of their first film “Shams Al-Ma'arif,” the Godus brothers impressed us again with their new film “Ahlam Alasr” and excelled in the film's direction, production, and acting. Director Fares Godus showcased precision in presenting the film, skillfully transporting the audience into a world of captivating details and events. The audience was also impressed and captivated by producer and lead character Sohayb Godus’ brilliant acting performance as well as Najm’s ability to inhabit the character she is playing.

“We are delighted with the support received from the Cultural Fund to bring our story to life and create something that lives up to the standards of the Saudi film sector. We are proud of the warm reception at the Red Sea International Film Festival, and we look forward to sharing this story with more audiences worldwide,” said Director Fares.

The film “Ahlam Alasr” is funded by the Cultural Development Fund through its Cultural Projects Incentive Program. Launched two years ago in partnership with the Quality of Life Program, the fund allocated a budget of SAR181 million to provide non-recoupable financing for projects in the cultural sectors, including film, to meet the needs of the cultural sector and contribute to its development.

The film, produced by Tape Productions in collaboration with the Red Sea Fund, directed by Fares Godus and starring Sohayb Godus, Najm, Fatma AlBanawi, and Hakim Juma, is expected to continue its screenings in other international film festivals. Its local cinema release will take place sometime next year, and the Godus brothers hope to sell international distribution rights soon to further solidify the position of Saudi film on the global stage.



Taipei Zoo's Veteran Giant Panda Celebrates 20th Birthday

Panda Yuanyuan enjoys her birthday cake for her 20th birthday at the Taipei Zoo in Taipei, Taiwan, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
Panda Yuanyuan enjoys her birthday cake for her 20th birthday at the Taipei Zoo in Taipei, Taiwan, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
TT

Taipei Zoo's Veteran Giant Panda Celebrates 20th Birthday

Panda Yuanyuan enjoys her birthday cake for her 20th birthday at the Taipei Zoo in Taipei, Taiwan, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
Panda Yuanyuan enjoys her birthday cake for her 20th birthday at the Taipei Zoo in Taipei, Taiwan, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

With politics set aside, well-wishers gathered to wish the Taipei zoo’s senior panda a happy 20th birthday.
Visitors crowded around Yuanyuan's enclosure to take photos of her with a birthday cake in the shape of the number 20.
Yuanyuan was born in China and arrived in 2008 with her partner Tuantuan. He died in 2022 at age 18 but not before fathering two female cubs, Yuanzai and Yuanbao, now 11 and 4 respectively and still living at the zoo.
Danielle Shu, a 20-year-old Brazilian student in Taiwan, said she found online clips of the pandas an enjoyable distraction. “And I just find it really funny and cute,” The Associated Press quoted Shu as saying.
Giant pandas are native only to China, and Beijing bestows them as a sign of political amity. Yuanyuan and Tuantuan arrived in Taiwan during a period of relative calm between the sides, which split amid civil war in 1949. China claims the island its own territory, to be annexed by military force if necessary.
Faced with declining habitat and a notoriously low birthrate, giant panda populations have declined to around 1,900 in the mountains of western China, while 600 pandas live in zoos and breeding centers in China and around the world.