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.
Exploring innovation at ‘Behind the Curtains: Scenes of Craft’ exhibition in Saudi Arabia
Step backstage to experience the creative processes of 10 renowned design studios, where failure fuels creativity
Updated 05 November 2024
Hind Al-Khunaizi
DHAHRAN: As a part of the annual Tanween conference at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, the “Behind the Curtains: Scenes of Craft” exhibition stands out as a captivating exploration of creativity, resilience and innovation in the world of design.
The exhibition, aligned with the Tanween 2024 theme “Fail Forward,” invites visitors to embrace the beauty of setbacks as vital stepping stones in the creative process.
The exhibition, aligned with the Tanween 2024 theme “Fail Forward,” invites visitors to embrace the beauty of setbacks as vital stepping stones in the creative process.
(Courtesy of Ithra Studios)
Curated and designed in collaboration with Isola Studio, the exhibition showcases the works of 10 internationally acclaimed studios specializing in crafts, circular design and material research, and is on until Nov. 6.
“The idea of staging the exhibition led us to the name ‘Behind the Curtains’ because we want to show what’s behind what you see, through a theater approach,” Gabriele Cavallaro, co-founder of Isola Studio, told Arab News.
“We asked studios to display their latest projects, not just the final results, but also the process, including failures, trials, and broken pieces. This highlights that reaching successful design involves going through mistakes and challenges.”
Curated and designed in collaboration with Isola Studio, the exhibition showcases the works of 10 internationally acclaimed studios specializing in crafts, circular design and material research.
(Courtesy of Ithra Studios)
Each studio provided a behind-the-scenes glimpse into their artistic processes, sharing inspirations, prototypes, and materials that did not make the final cut. This transparency highlighted the essential nature of experimentation in design.
At the heart of the exhibition lies an interactive workshop area, where visitors can partake in hands-on activities including sketching, molding, and experimenting with various materials, allowing them to experience the creative process firsthand.
This interactive component emphasizes that creativity is often a non-linear journey filled with exploration and discovery.
The “Fail Forward” theme runs throughout the exhibition, encouraging visitors to see failures as essential learning experiences. By sharing their struggles and lessons, the design studios inspire visitors to embrace their own creative challenges.
Cavallaro expressed his hopes for visitors, stating: “I want them to understand the importance of taking risks in life to achieve success.”
Hia Hub session highlights vital role of pharmacies in Saudi Arabia’s growing skincare market
Updated 02 November 2024
Rahaf Jambi
RIYADH: Industry leaders discussed the evolving role of pharmacies in skincare during a session at Hia Hub, Saudi Arabia’s fashion, beauty and lifestyle conference, held in Riyadh’s JAX District from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3.
The session, titled “Re-Defining the Pharmacy Channels in Skincare,” brought together prominent figures, including Charlotte Devaux, general manager of wellness and masstige, Pierre Juhen, group president of Patyka, Mahmoud Mamdouh, CEO of Whites Pharmacy, and Cynthia Kattar, editorial director of Hia Magazine.
Mamdouh emphasized the pivotal role of trust in pharmacy skincare. He said: “When discussing pharmacies and skincare, the main concept is trust.”
(AN/ Huda Bashatah)
Over the past 15 years, pharmacies have cultivated strong relationships with customers, who often turn to pharmacists for personalized skincare consultations, he said.
Devaux added to the discussion by highlighting social media’s impact on consumer behavior.
(AN/ Huda Bashatah)
She said that while platforms such as TikTok and Instagram offered abundant information, consumers still preferred advice from trusted pharmacists. “Wellness has become a priority for consumers, driving the growth of skincare,” she said. “This reliance on pharmacies as credible sources of information and products is crucial in a marketplace filled with conflicting messages.”
Juhen elaborated on the expansive reach of pharmacies. In Saudi Arabia, there are about 6,000 pharmacy locations, compared to 20,000 in France, he said.
(AN/ Huda Bashatah)
He said that this dynamic retail channel had shown resilience, even during challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, where the pharmacy segment in France experienced growth of 4 percent.
Juhen highlighted the universal appeal of pharmacies and said: “Everyone visits pharmacies, regardless of age or socioeconomic status,” making them essential points of contact in the community.
The session concluded with a consensus among the speakers on the importance of pharmacies in the skincare sector. As trusted providers of personalized advice and quality products, pharmacies were well-positioned to lead the growth of skincare, they said.
Displaced Gazan artists’ work on display in ‘Under Fire’
An exhibition in Amman shows works smuggled out of Gaza during the ongoing Israeli assault
Updated 01 November 2024
Rawaa Talass
DUBAI: A couple tenderly embracing each other; a family gathering; a flowering cactus; and a sunset colored in pink, yellow and orange. Such imagery represents some of the delicate drawings produced by four displaced Gazan artists, whose works are currently being showcased at Darat Al-Funun, an art center in Amman.
Other images on display make for less comfortable viewing: exhausted people with missing limbs; men kneeling blindfolded in their underwear; women and children whose eyes are wide with terror.
“Under Fire,” which runs until the end of the year, consists of around 80 artworks by Palestinian artists Basel Al-Maqousi, Majed Shala, Raed Issa and Sohail Salem. All four have been forced from their homes due to the ongoing Israeli assault on the Gaza strip, which began in October 2023.
A piece by Basel Al-Maqousi from the series 'I Draw with Love, not with War.' (Supplied)
For the exhibition’s curator, Mohammad Shaqdih, receiving the artists’ highly-charged artworks proved to be a cathartic experience. “I was following their work on social media, but when (the pieces) reached Amman and I held them in my hands, I cried at first, to be honest,” Shaqdih tells Arab News. “I was in a state of sadness and I don’t know why. While I was looking through them, I would take a drawing and then quickly put it away. There’s so much death, sadness and blood in these works. At the same time, they embody a form of resilience and resistance. They have life.”
Organizing any art exhibition comes with its own set of challenges, but planning “Under Fire” was exceptionally difficult. According to Shaqdih, communicating with the artists through messaging applications and having their works transported across the border were the main issues faced by the curatorial team.
Raed Issa, 'Friends.' (Supplied)
In May and June 2024, around 100 artworks were taken from Gaza to Egypt. In early October, the works reached Jordan. “These works were passing through some conditions that were dangerous. Some of works were damaged or torn apart,” explains Shaqdih. “It was an adventure taking these works out of Gaza, but, thank God, they reached us.”
The surviving artworks — predominantly sketches and line drawings — were created, by necessity, using the most basic of materials. Raed Issa, for instance, created his figurative images on medical aid packages using tea as a coloring base. Sohail Salem drew intensely-lined pen drawings in school notebooks provided by the UN Relief and Works Agency.
Al-Maqousi is showcasing a series of drawings of daily life in crowded camps. “He said: ‘These works are not paintings or works of art for people to see or buy. They are a part of our bodies,’” Shaqdih says.
Sohail Salem, 'Tala Abu Ajwa, Girl Skater.' (Supplied)
Thematically, the artworks — which are being sold to benefit the artists — are simple and touching. They evoke despair, loss and confusion, but there are elements of hope, love and beauty. One of Issa’s images of two young individuals, depicted with unclear features, is slightly enlivened by the red flowers they hold in their hands.
“When you read the artists’ incredible accompanying statements, they’re full of human feelings,” Shaqdih says. “What they’re saying is that despite everything they’re going through with this genocide, they are still standing strong and resisting even if it’s through the act of drawing the daily massacres. They’re still able to work and express their existence as human beings under all the ugliness in this world. It’s a form of resistance and resilience.”
Majed Shala, born in Gaza in 1960, is one of the exhibition’s participants. His works in “Under Fire” depict personal memories, scenes of nature, and life under bombardment.
Shala’s home and studio were destroyed more than a year ago and he lost all of his artworks. “Under the sound of nonstop bombing, we were (told) to leave our area. We didn’t know where to go,” he tells Arab News. Shala is currently in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, where, he says, “the situation is continuously difficult. There is no safety and there are no essential supplies.”
On a positive note, he says he feels a sense of pride at having his sketches on display in Amman, a city he loves and where he has many friends.
“I hope that the world stands by those who have the rights, who own the land,” says Shala, “and doesn’t simply watch indifferently from a distance.”
DUBAI: The Future Generation Art Prize, one of the art world’s most prestigious prizes initiated in Ukraine in 2009, has announced its 2024 winners. Among the recipients are multidisciplinary artists who are associated with the Arab world.
The main $100,000 prize was granted to Dhaka-based artist, Ashfika Rahman. Other “Special Prize” winners include Iraqi-Kurdish artist, Tara Abdullah Mohammed Sharif, Palestinian artist Dina Mimi, Pakistani artist Hira Nabi, Indonesian-born artist Ipeh Nur, and Zhang Xu Zhan, who was born in Taiwan.
Special Prize winners will share a $20,000 pot between them to support the development of their projects.
Ashfika Rahman. (Supplied)
The prize’s 21 shortlisted artists are displaying their works at the PinchukArtCenter in Kyiv until Jan. 19, 2025 amid a recovering domestic art scene following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“A lot of artists are still actively present. Obviously, many artists in the beginning of the war have escaped but many also stayed,” artistic director of PinchukArtCenter and jury member, Björn Geldhof, told Arab News. “What is important is that from the very start of the war, artists were looking for ways to engage, and when I say ‘engage’, I don’t only mean through art, but how can they be functional in a situation like this? How can they serve their country?”
Ashfika Rahman. (Supplied)
The prize’s participants this year are exploring a thoughtful range of topics, expressed through immersive installations. According to a press release, what is “recurring through the exhibition is the exploration of local histories and mythologies to overcome historical trauma and the long-lasting effects of wars, as well as the process of liberation from the oppression of colonial influence.”
What sets the Future Generation Art Prize apart from others in the field is its focus on championing up-and-coming artists who are 35 years old or younger from around the world.
The curators of the exhibition. (Supplied)
One of the main issues facing emerging artists is a lack of access to curators, galleries and museum professionals to help boost their careers and encourage their artistic practice, according to Geldhof.
“We want to really speak to an emerging generation with the strong belief that they kind of imagine the future,” he said. “They are dealing with concerns differently than the middle generation, so to speak. . . They imagine, in a very different way, how the world can look like.”
New York’s Met collaborates with Mideast homeware label Sedar on art-inspired furnishings
Updated 30 October 2024
Saffiya Ansari
DUBAI: New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Middle Eastern interiors brand Sedar Global are collaborating on a new range of soft furnishings featuring works of art in the former’s collection, with the first launch celebrating nature-themed creations.
Nahel Selo, creative director at Sedar Global Interiors, spoke to Arab News recently about the collection and what he envisions the most popular prints will be — including whether there are plans to feature Arab artists.
The Great Wave by Katsushika Hokusai as wallpaper. (The Met x Sedar Global)
The works of artists including French impressionist Claude Monet, Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh, Japanese printmaker Katsushika Hokusai and Austrian painter Gustav Klimt have been translated into fabric form.
They will be used for wallpaper, curtains, upholstery and pillows to “(make) fine art accessible in a way that fits seamlessly into the home,” Selo said.
According to Sedar, the initial release “celebrates nature and new life through elements like land, sea, and air” and Selo explained the decision to launch with this collection.
Roses by Vincent van Gogh in the form of a roller blind. (The Met x Sedar Global)
“Nature has a universal appeal, and we felt that it’s something people can connect with on a deeper level, especially in our region where the landscape is diverse yet often harsh … plus, nature-themed designs are versatile; they complement both contemporary and traditional interiors,” he said.
While the target market includes individual homeowners and interior designers working on larger projects, Selo predicts that the “sea-inspired pieces might steal the show.
Red Poppies Charles Demuth on pillows.(The Met x Sedar Global)
“There’s something about the fluidity and tranquility of the ocean that speaks to people, especially in coastal areas.”
Future seasonal introductions will be thematic in nature, drawing on the 1.5 million works in The Met’s collection, which spans 5,000 years of art from around the globe.
When it comes to Middle Eastern creatives, Selo says the team at Sedar, which translates the artworks into pattern-form and soft furnishings before they are approved by The Met, is “looking into it.
“It would be a beautiful way to celebrate our regional culture. We’re exploring ways to bring in local artistry and add that unique Middle Eastern touch to future capsule collection releases,” he noted.
Grasshopper and Iris by Katsushika Hokusai as wallpaper. (The Met x Sedar Global)
When it comes to his own home, the creative designer is not one to shy away from bold uses of color and print.
“My home is slightly more bold and industrial. So I’d probably go for a (Wassily) Kandinsky on a wallpaper feature behind my sofa.
“Kandinsky’s geometry styles add depth and a statement talking point to a space,” he said, referring to the abstractionist Russian painter who died in 1944.
