Film Review: Girls of the Sun — A female Kurdish battalion gives Daesh a drubbing
'Girls of the Sun' is a war drama
The film is a fictional story based on a true story
Updated 09 January 2019
Gautaman Bhaskaran
CHENNAI: Eva Husson’s war drama “Girls of the Sun” is hitting movie theaters just as the world’s attention is once again focused on northern Iraq, where this fictional story, based on a true story, is set. It also comes as Hollywood, under attack for underrepresentation of women in the industry, is trying to stamp out gender inequality.
With the exiled Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani in the role of Bahar, commander of a Kurdish unit battling Daesh, “Girls of the Sun” is a paean to the courage and never-say-die attitude of a band of female combatants. From a bored but extremely patient wife in “The Patience Stone” to a Rajasthani woman in “The Song of Scorpions,” Farahani has a brilliant range.
In “Girls of the Sun” Bahar and her comrades take advantage of a male jihadi superstition that death at the hands of a woman will push them straight into hell. A university graduate from Iraq and once a lawyer by profession, Bahar was sold into virtual slavery, her husband murdered and her young son sent away to be trained as a rebel soldier.
Another strong female character is Mathilde (Emmanuelle Bercot), a French war reporter who lost an eye in a conflict zone and has landed in Iraq – a character obviously modelled on American journalist Marie Colvin who died covering the siege of Homs in Syria in early 2012. A film based on Colvin’s life, “A Private War,” has since been made.
French director Husson, the granddaughter of Spanish Republican soldiers, is believed to have written “Girls of the Sun” to explore the theme of resistance against fascist oppression. The message is decidedly feminist, the script is powerful and the action sequences are true to life.
According to one study, women accounted for just 8 percent of directors of the 250 highest-grossing Hollywood films made in 2018. The overall percentage of women in behind-the-scenes movie roles rose to a paltry 20 percent from 18 percent in 2017. “Girls of the Sun,” which competed for the Palme d’Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, marks a step by Hollywood in the right direction.
Inside ‘States of Light,’ Princess Reem Al Faisal’s photography exhibition
The acclaimed photographer discusses her black-and-white imagery and her upcoming shift to color
Updated 16 January 2025
Afshan Aziz
RIYADH: Over the past two months, a collection of black-and-white photographs taken by Princess Reem Mohammed Al-Faisal, granddaughter of the late King Faisal, has been on display at Riyadh’s L’Art Pur Foundation.
“States of Light,” according to a press release “explores the intersection of existence, reality and the Divine.” Through her lens, Princess Reem masterfully captures the interplay between light and shadow, transforming simple moments into meditative and poetic reflections on life, spirituality, and human connection. The exhibition, curated by Christiane Ashkar and Mohammed Al Shammaery, runs until Jan. 30.
A collection of black-and-white photographs taken by Princess Reem Mohammed Al-Faisal, granddaughter of the late King Faisal, has been on display at Riyadh’s L’Art Pur Foundation. (Supplied)
The show invites visitors on an evocative journey beginning in Jeddah at the Islamic Port — Saudi Arabia’s maritime gateway to its sacred sites — and moving through Makkah and Madinah to key locations such as Mina, Mount Arafat, Muzdalifah, the Jamarat, and the Grand Mosque. These photographs not only capture the physical spaces but also convey the atmosphere at these holy sites, allowing viewers to reflect on the sacred in the everyday.
Art critic Laetitia Guillemin describes Princess Reem’s imagery like this: “A muffled sound, an outspoken whisper: in each image, half-lights tell a story, carrying away the voices of inner silence.”
Princess Reem Al-Faisal at the opening of ‘States of Light.’ (Supplied)
Guillemin highlights the way Princess Reem uses light to evoke emotions and inner thoughts, revealing moments of stillness and contemplation through the simplicity of black-and-white photography. In her work, the half-light is not just a technical feature but a symbolic element that invites the viewer into a deeper space of meditation.
“In our modern culture, we have been trained to focus upon the physical, although we see through our mind, will, and emotion. There is a spiritual dimension that is expressed through beauty and creativity. This is what I try to achieve for myself through my work,” Princess Reem has previously said. Her photography is not just about capturing an image, but about translating the unseen. “Art without spirituality is not art; it is decoration,” Princess Reem says. “The essence of life, of the human being, is spiritual.
She describes Arabic poetry and “the rich imagery it contains” as her greatest inspiration. “Photography is a modern form of poetry, and I use it to condense complex philosophical ideas into a single image,” she says.
“States of Light” features images from her international travels — including China, Egypt, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Syria, and the United States. (Supplied)
“States of Light” features images from her international travels — including China, Egypt, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Syria, and the United States — but it is in her depiction of the pilgrimage sites in Makkah and Madinah where the depth of her spiritual engagement is most evident. Her photographs convey not just the architectural grandeur of these locations but their profound spirituality. Through the careful manipulation of light, Princess Reem captures meditative moments of prayer and contemplation, where time seems to stand still.
Princess Reem’s exhibition is not just a collection of photographs; it is a meditation on the eternal, a dialogue between the material and the spiritual, and a reflection of her deep-rooted connection to her cultural and spiritual heritage. As her photographs explore the divine in the everyday, they invite viewers to contemplate their own relationship with the eternal and the unseen. The absence of color invites the viewer to focus on the essence of the scene, devoid of distractions. “Black-and-white is metaphysical. It gives you the metaphysical side of art,” says Princess Reem. “People can get distracted by color and forget about the image itself, but a black-and-white photograph forces people to focus.”
And in an era dominated by digital photography, Princess Reem remains committed to using traditional film. “99 percent of my work is on film,” she says. “The depth, the rendition of the shades, the textures… all of this is far more superior in film.”
Despite her passion for black-and-white imagery, Princess Reem says she is currently working on a new series of color images.
“I’ve been going around photographing Saudi Arabia in color. It will be my new focus. Currently, it’s just Saudi Arabia, but maybe other countries in the future. What I find fascinating is that color photography changes my perspective,” she says. “In black and white, my focus was on shades, shadows, and light. But (now), the color itself becomes the subject. It’s fascinating, and it’s beautiful. This shift has completely changed my approach to photography.”
Whether photographing in black and white or in color, however, Princess Reem stresses that, first and foremost, her focus is on creating work that expresses something meaningful, not on creating something that will sell. A true artist, she emphasizes, should not be motivated by money, but by a deeper calling.
“If my work doesn’t cost $10,000 a piece, then (people say) my work has no value,” she says. “But the concept that art is (just) a career is totally wrong.”
Highlights from Sotheby’s first-ever international auction in Saudi Arabia
A selection of lifestyle lots from the Kingdom’s first international auction
Updated 15 January 2025
Arab News
DUBAI: On Feb. 8, Sotheby’s will host “Origins,” which it is billing as “the first international auction in Saudi Arabia’s history.” Alongside works from famed international artists such as Rene Magritte and Andy Warhol, and regional luminaries including Etel Adnan and Mohammed Al-Saleem, the auction will also feature a number of luxury items and sports-related lots. Many of the lots will be on display in the accompanying exhibition which runs from Feb. 1-8 in Diriyah’s Bujairi Terrace. Here, we highlight a few of the items that will feature in the sale.
Louay Kayyali’s ‘Then What??’
Anticipated to achieve an auction record, the expressive canvas from 1965 explores themes of exile, trauma and war, in relation to the plight of Palestinian refugees. The work will be offered from the Samawi Collection – one of the largest, and most long-standing, private collections of Modern and Contemporary Arab, Iranian and Turkish art.
Rene Magritte’s ‘L’Etat de veille’
One of the world’s best-known and best-loved Surrealist artists, René Magritte is famed for his intriguing images combining everyday objects in whimsical and thought-provoking contexts. “L’État de veille” belongs to a series of dreamlike gouaches featuring several emblematic motifs: a sky filled with clouds, window frames and a house façade.
Refik Anadol’s ‘Machine Hallucinations: Mars’
The auction also features extraordinary digital art, by one of the medium’s most sought-after artists, Refik Anadol. “Machine Hallucinations: Mars” (estimate: $800,000 – $1,200,000) is a real-time generative AI painting that builds from data from a space telescope with visual memories of Mars and endlessly reinterprets this to generate hallucinatory landscapes – a reflection on the relationship between technology, AI and space exploration.
Mohammad Al-Saleem’s ‘O' God, Honour Them and Do Not Honor an Enemy Over Them’
A true pioneer, Saudi arist Mohammad Al-Saleem greatly contributed to the evolution of art in the Kingdom and currently holds the world record for any Saudi artist (set at Sotheby’s in London in 2023). “O' God, Honour Them and Do Not Honor an Enemy Over Them” is inspired by the gradating skyline of Riyadh from the desert, with both the skyline and calligraphy blended into mosaic-like designs across the surface.
Michael Jordan’s 1998 playoffs shirt
One of the auction’s top lots — expected to fetch around $1 million (SRA 3,753,740) — is this iconic No. 23 shirt, worn by the greatest basketball player of all time in the NBA playoffs of his final season with the Chicago Bulls, which has come to be known as ‘The Last Dance.’ It is, Sotheby’s states in the auction notes, “perhaps the most beloved period for the champion, as he reached the apex of his popularity and powers.” Artifacts from this period are, the auction house says, “both highly rare and coveted.”
Ruby and diamond bracelet
Among the many high-end jewelry pieces on offer at “Origins,” including an Art Deco sapphire and diamond bracelet, and a sapphire and diamond ring from Cartier, is this ruby and diamond bracelet attributed to US jewelry house Harry Winston, described as “an impressive and highly flexible piece crafted circa 1972.” It is expected to sell for between $210,000 and $300,000.
Cristiano Ronaldo jerseys
“Origins” will feature several shirts worn by one of the greatest football players in history: Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese legend — who now lives in Riyadh and plays for Al-Nassr — has won FIFA’s Ballon D’or five times (only Lionel Messi has more) and has become synonymous with the number 7 shirt, such as this one, the Portugal jersey Ronaldo wore in the 2024 UEFA European Championships quarterfinal against France, which is expected to fetch over $50,000.
Unique commissioned Cartier Crash
“Cartier is renowned worldwide as the king of jewelers and the jeweler of kings,” the auction notes say. “Among their most famous creations is the Crash, the subject of an enduring mystique and cultural relevance.” These watches, with surrealist-inspired warped faces, were only ever produced in small quantities, and this particular model, which is expected to fetch between $130,000 and $260,000, is a true one-off, custom made in 2007 for “a top private client of the Maison.”
Hermès handbags
The auction will include several bags from the venerated French luxury fashion house famed for its exclusive handmade products/status symbols. Among them will be this limited edition Jaune de Naples Swift and Osier Wicker Mini Picnic Kelly, which is expected to fetch around $50,000 at auction, as well as “four exquisite Diamond Himalaya Birkin, Himalaya Kellys, and Constance of various sizes,” Sotheby’s says.
Cultural convergence: Saudi artist, US jazz legend unite in an evening of musical exchange
Updated 14 January 2025
Lama Alhamawi
RIYADH: In an evening of musical and cultural exchange, Saudi artist Ahmed Mater hosted an American delegation of musicians featuring jazz legend Herbie Hancock, Manhattan Transfer singer Janis Siegel, and local Saudi artists in his studio in JAX on Monday.
“One of the most important aspects of this visit was the arts. The arts intersect and converge … art such as jazz, contemporary art, visual art, there is a dialogue between them,” Mater told Arab News.
He also underlined the importance of “dialogue between art that is local, Saudi, and historical, and art that is western, American, (such as) jazz.”
Saudi artists and American musicians from the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UC Los Angeles visited Ahmed Mater's studio for a private tour. (AN photo by Jafar Saleh)
Mater himself specializes in a range of art forms including photography, video, sound, installations, video art, filmmaking and drawing.
His studio in JAX is filled with historical books, vintage film reels, and equipment, along with art supplies that he offers to artists for learning and creating. His mission is to use the studio as a foundation to support and nurture artistic talent.
Mater welcomed local Saudi artists and American musicians from the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at the University of California, Los Angeles to his studio for a private tour and discussion.
Davida MacDonald, cultural attache at the US Embassy, attended the gathering and outlined her experience touring the studio with the delegation of musicians.
“Dr. Ahmed Mater is a legend … I always love coming here. It is just a place of creative ferment, there are filmmakers and artists and musicians,” she said. “We are so excited the US Embassy has partnered with the Saudi Music Commission and the Ministry of Culture to bring these jazz legends to the Kingdom for the first time.”
Hancock’s visit to the Kingdom is part of a celebration of Saudi-US cultural ties, sponsored by the Arts Envoy Program from the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Saudi Music Commission, the Ministry of Culture, Music Hub, and the King Fahd Cultural Center.
“The genuine interest and affection with which this group of stellar musicians has been received by Saudi musicians, as well as the public at large, is just a testament to the energy, dynamism and creativity of the Saudi music scene,” she said.
The cultural attache underlined the importance of the visit, which she described as a “two-way exchange” with “American jazz musicians sharing their craft with Saudi musicians and learning from Saudi musicians.”
MacDonald said the tour was meant to be a five-minute affair but instead lasted an hour, with detailed discussions of art and music.
Mater said that Hancock had “a unique and memorable reaction” to the studio and that “the spirit of his visit was friendly and familiar, rather than formal,” leading to a longer and more comprehensive tour.
“For example, he (Hancock) was curious and asked me about Saudi artists and the music they make, such as Mohammed Abdu, whose pictures were presented in the studio.”
Mater highlighted that his colleague and fellow artist in the studio, Abdullah Al-Qarni, a qunun player and maker, was present and played alongside Hancock in a spur-of-the-moment performance.
“The studio team was present and Al-Qarni played the qunun and explained the eastern and western maqams. They worked on comparing how the sounds resonated,” he said.
Afterward, Al-Qarni and Mater presented Hancok with a qunun to take with him back to the US.
“It was a beautiful night for everyone,” Mater said. “Art, like jazz, fine art, and visual art … there is a dialogue between them, this is the beauty of today.”
Doha museum explores life and work of painter and sculptor Jean-Leon Gerome
Updated 14 January 2025
Rebecca Anne Proctor
DOHA: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art houses what could be described as an unlikely find for the Qatar-based institution.
“Le Barde Noir” — “The Black Bard” — is an oil-on-canvas painting by Jean-Leon Gerome, a French painter and sculptor who lived from 1824-1904. Created in 1888, it is as instantly captivating as it must have been when first created.
'Le Barde Noir' by Jean-Leon Gerome. (Supplied)
It features a character often said to be a Nubian musician, wrapped in pink fabric and sitting on a carpet as he stares out intensely. Behind him is an intricately tiled wall in blue hues, while his yellow shoes — similar to North African babouches — are placed neatly to one side.
The work, arguably one of Gerome’s most mesmerizing, bears many hallmarks of the Orientalist style pioneered by European artists in the 18th and 19th centuries that often featured imagined images of the eastern world.
The concept is explored, pondered and contested in “Seeing Is Believing: The Art and Influence of Gerome.” The exhibition, which runs at the museum until Feb. 22, sheds light on the artist’s legacy — how his art has both positively and adversely influenced depictions of the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia region and continues to do so today.
Gerome was one of the most commercially successful European artists of the 19th century. At the time, he was celebrated as a visual storyteller and historian who brought the faraway lands of Greece, Rome and the East to life through his work.
Ultimately, it would be the artist’s representations of North Africa and the wider Arab world that would constitute his legacy. From 1855 to 1880 he travelled to Egypt, Turkey and other areas to create some of Orientalism’s most poignant and memorable representations.
The show includes almost 400 works of art, many drawn from the forthcoming Lusail Museum’s impressive collection of Orientalist art, including European depictions of the Arab world dating from the 16th to 19th centuries. It also includes major loans from Qatar Museums’ General Collections and institutions worldwide such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Islamic Arts Museum in Malaysia.
The exhibition has been organized as a legacy of the Qatar–France 2020 Year of Culture, a year-long program of collaborations between institutions across both countries. It is jointly produced by the Lusail Museum, which is set to open in 2029, and Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, both in Doha.
The third section includes specially commissioned works by artistswho reinterpret Gerome for the 21st century. (Supplied)
It takes an in-depth look at Gerome’s practice and oeuvre through three sections. The first, “A Wider Lens, A New Gerome,” is curated by Emily Weeks and presents some of the artist’s most prominent paintings. “Between Gerome and Photography: Truth is Stranger than Fiction” is curated by Giles Hudson, curator of photographs at the Lusail Museum, and highlights his influence on photography of the Arab world. The final section, “I Swear I Saw That,” is curated by Sara Raza and explores Gerome’s impact on contemporary art.
The third section includes specially commissioned works by artists such as Babi Badalov from Azerbaijan and Nadia Kaabi-Linke from Tunisia, who reinterpret Gerome for the 21st century.
Guest curator Raza told Arab News that the opportunity was a chance “to reassess Gerome’s art within the context of the problems of the larger Orientalist genre and its continuation and manifestation in art and society.”
She said none of the artists in her section were interested in Gerome and added: “However, what they were interested in exploring was Orientalism’s continuation through their own visual languages and the ideas of free appropriation.”
Limitless Orchestra marks world premiere at Dubai Opera with show honoring Johann Strauss, Hans Zimmer
Updated 11 January 2025
Shyama Krishna Kumar
DUBAI: Dubai Opera played host to a world premiere this week that reimagines orchestral music for a new generation of music lovers.
“Global Waltzing — from Johann Strauss to Hans Zimmer,” presented by The Limitless Orchestra, took place at the intimate venue at the heart of Dubai on Jan. 10 and 11.
The brainchild of Russian-German violinist and composer Aleksey Igudesman, the orchestra enjoys the distinguished patronage of legendary film composer Hans Zimmer, who also made a special guest appearance on stage on both nights.
The orchestra enjoys the distinguished patronage of legendary film composer Hans Zimmer, who also made a special guest appearance on stage on both nights. (Supplied)
Under Igudesman’s innovative “fail forward” approach, “The Limitless Orchestra” breathes new life into the traditional boundaries of symphonic artistry, blending timeless musical techniques with contemporary creativity to deliver an experience that is as daring as it is transformative.
“The world definitely does not need another orchestra, for sure, but I think the world needs this orchestra and other orchestras like it,” Igudesman said ahead of the show.
“The orchestra essentially has not changed, or an orchestra has not changed its format more or less for 150 years. It has become an institution, a very vital cultural institution. But everything that stays the same becomes stagnant and becomes a museum, and then dies eventually, and we do not want an orchestra to die. So, for me, I think launching the ‘Limitless’ orchestra with the help of my great friends is something that I just had to do, because I did not want to have the things that I love so much die, and I wanted to show a possible new way of doing things.”
The show sees the orchestra revitalize the timeless works of Johann Strauss. (Supplied)
The show sees the orchestra revitalize the timeless works of Johann Strauss, skillfully blending the cherished compositions of the Austrian king of the waltz with the epic film music of Hollywood legend Zimmer.
Zimmer, displaying his trademark humility, said: “I don’t think there are limitations to classical music. I would hate to go about ruining Bach or Mozart. That’s their music and we can have new music.
“I’m just a peasant of music. I write film music. But the weird thing is that every day I get to go out and hire an orchestra. I get to go out and play in arenas for 20,000 people. So, something is working with what I’m doing. I’m adding instruments to the orchestra, I’m adding playfulness.”
“Global Waltzing — from Johann Strauss to Hans Zimmer” took place at the intimate venue at the heart of Dubai on Jan. 10 and 11. (Supplied)
The program will showcase a dazzling fusion of classical and cinematic music through an innovative selection of compositions, including the opening piece, “Emperor Waltz, Sultan Style,” by Igudesman and Tristan Schulze, inspired by Johann Strauss.
Other pieces include “Sherlock Holmes Fantasy,” “From Time to Time — Inception Waltz,” and “The Banker’s Waltz.”
Igudesman, celebrated for his electrifying performances and whimsical approach to classical music, will perform original works and innovative compositions, accompanied by the mesmerizing voice of soprano Ekaterina Shelehova.
