عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

Saudi Film Forum: Cinema Beyond the Screen

The forum’s first session hosted Prince Turki Al-Faisal.
The forum’s first session hosted Prince Turki Al-Faisal.
TT
TT

Saudi Film Forum: Cinema Beyond the Screen

The forum’s first session hosted Prince Turki Al-Faisal.
The forum’s first session hosted Prince Turki Al-Faisal.

“Where cinema transcends the screen,” marked the opening of the Saudi Film Forum, which began on Wednesday evening in Riyadh.
The event attracted a large audience of filmmakers from around the globe, including American actor and producer Will Smith, this year’s special guest.
During the opening, Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan said : “Through the Saudi Film Forum, we are starting a new era that goes beyond creativity... toward a fully integrated film industry that connects us culturally and economically with the world.”
The first session featured Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, who spoke about the important role of films in bridging cultures.
He recalled how, nearly 50 years ago, the introduction of film on television helped Saudi society connect with the world and allowed others to understand Saudi culture.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal’s Experience
During the session, moderator Faisal Abbas, Editor-in-Chief of Arab News, asked Prince Turki, “If you had a magic wand to choose a film about the Kingdom to produce, what would it be?”
The prince replied : “That’s a tough question. From my experience in producing films, some have had a significant impact on how people view the Kingdom and Islam, as well as what Saudi Arabia represents.”
He recalled the first Saudi-funded film, made nearly 20 years ago about the Arab historian Ibn Battuta, which was similar to a documentary. He noted that another film about the Hajj was produced that same year, and both were shown worldwide.
“My favorite film is ‘Born a King,’ which I co-produced,” Prince Turki shared.
“It tells the story of King Faisal's first journey abroad at age 13, commissioned by King Abdulaziz. I believe it was one of the first narrative films shot in the Kingdom with Saudi actors,” he added.
On Arab cinema, he said : “Many Arab films I've seen tend to be quite gloomy in terms of visuals and storytelling, which makes me reluctant to watch them.”
He stressed that films should aim to bring joy to viewers rather than leave them feeling sad or distressed.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

WWF: Wildlife Populations Plunge 73% Since 1970

In this photograph taken on October 1, 2024, a tiger rests under a tree at the Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur district of India's Rajasthan state. (Photo by Peter MARTELL / AFP)
In this photograph taken on October 1, 2024, a tiger rests under a tree at the Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur district of India's Rajasthan state. (Photo by Peter MARTELL / AFP)
TT
TT

WWF: Wildlife Populations Plunge 73% Since 1970

In this photograph taken on October 1, 2024, a tiger rests under a tree at the Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur district of India's Rajasthan state. (Photo by Peter MARTELL / AFP)
In this photograph taken on October 1, 2024, a tiger rests under a tree at the Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur district of India's Rajasthan state. (Photo by Peter MARTELL / AFP)

Wild populations of monitored animal species have plummeted over 70 percent in the last half-century, according to the latest edition of a landmark assessment by WWF published on Thursday.

Featuring data from 35,000 populations of more than 5,000 species of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish, the WWF Living Planet Index shows accelerating declines across the globe.

In biodiversity-rich regions such as Latin America and the Caribbean, the figure for animal population loss is as high as 95 percent, AFP reported.

The report tracks trends in the abundance of a large number of species, not individual animal numbers.

It found that populations under review had fallen 73 percent since 1970, mostly due to human pressures.

The index has become an international reference and arrives just ahead of the next UN summit on biodiversity, which will spotlight the issue when it opens in Colombia later this month.

"The picture we are painting is incredibly concerning," said Kirsten Schuijt, Director General of WWF International, at a press briefing.

- Tipping points -

"This is not just about wildlife, it's about the essential ecosystems that sustain human life," said Daudi Sumba, chief conservation officer at WWF.

The report reiterates the need to simultaneously confront the "interconnected" crises of climate change and nature destruction, and warned of major "tipping points" approaching certain ecosystems.

"The changes could be irreversible, with devastating consequences for humanity," he said, using the example of deforestation in the Amazon, which could "shift this critical ecosystem from a carbon sink to a carbon source."

"Habitat degradation and loss, driven primarily by our food system, is the most reported threat in each region, followed by overexploitation, invasive species and disease," the report said.

Other threats include climate change, in particular in Latin America and the Caribbean, and pollution, notably in North America, Asia and the Pacific.

- 'Incredibly concerning' -

The biggest decline is found in populations of freshwater species, followed by terrestrial and marine vertebrates.

"We have emptied the oceans of 40 percent of their biomass," said Yann Laurans of WWF France.

Continent by continent, the average decline reached 95 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean, followed by Africa, down 76 percent, and then Asia and the Pacific, which declined 60 percent.

The reduction in populations is "less spectacular" in Europe, Central Asia and North America.

Some populations have stabilized or even expanded thanks to conservation efforts and the reintroduction of species, the report said.

The European bison, for example, disappeared in the wild in 1927 but in 2020 numbered 6,800 thanks to large-scale breeding and successful reintroduction, mainly in protected areas.

While calling the overall picture "incredibly concerning," Schuijt added: "The good news is that we're not yet past the point of no return."

She pointed to global efforts including a breakthrough pact landed at the last UN meeting on biodiversity in 2022 to protect 30 percent of the planet by 2030 from pollution, degradation and climate change.

But she warned, "all of these agreements have checkpoints in 2030 that are in danger of being missed."

Several scientific studies published by the journal Nature have accused WWF of methodological biases in its index that lead to an exaggerated extent of the decline of animals.

"We remain really confident of its robustness," said Andrew Terry of the Zoological Society of London at a press briefing, highlighting the use of a "range of indicators, looking at extinction risk, biodiversity and ecosystem health to really broaden that picture.”