Saudi creative brings her late mother’s cooking to life

1 / 2
Waad Janbi’s animated short ‘Mom’s Spaghetti’ depicts a grieving teenage boy’s quest recreate a beloved dish his mother used to prepare for him. (Supplied)
Short Url
Updated 29 March 2024
Follow

Saudi creative brings her late mother’s cooking to life

  • Waad Janbi’s ‘Mom’s Spaghetti’ aired on MBC Academy, portrays the love language of food

DHAHRAN: In Waad Janbi’s new animated short film, “Mom’s Spaghetti,” which aired this week on MBC Academy, the Saudi creative serves the audience a universal story of overcoming grief after the loss of a loved one, and the importance of feeding your soul — and your stomach.

The animated short follows 14-year-old Amjad as he awkwardly — and delicately — navigates dealing with the loss of his mother by attempting to recreate a beloved dish she used to prepare for him.

The story starts on the first day of Ramadan and he is seen playing ball in front of his home. He interrupts the game when his grandmother gently pokes her head out from the window overlooking the street and tells him to take it easy since it is the first day of fasting in the holy month. He tells his friends he needs to step inside to help his grandmother and cheerfully goes in to support her.




Waad Janbi’s animated short ‘Mom’s Spaghetti’ depicts a grieving teenage boy’s quest recreate a beloved dish his mother used to prepare for him. (Supplied)

Inside, the mood is somber. His father and sister also live with them. They break their fast mostly in silence.

For the next several days, along with his sister and grandmother, he attempts to re-create the favorite spaghetti dish that his mother used to make. They fail. Until one day, Amjad finds a blue notebook with drawings on the cover. It is his mother’s recipe book tucked away in a drawer. They try again. And again. Until one day, it smells and looks the way his mother used to make. Tears fill his eyes as he, and his family, enjoy the dish that their beloved mother used to serve them.

Janbi, who is a filmmaker and writer raised in Makkah and educated in the US, used some of her family’s real story sprinkled into this fictional narrative.

“The real inspiration came from my younger brother, Hamza. When our mother died, he was very athletic so she would prepare vegetables for him — healthy things. Right before she died, she told him that she made him something that she saved in the oven for him. ‘I kept it for you,’ she said,” Janbi told Arab News.




Waad Janbi, Saudi creative

But then she died and the household was overcome with grief. During the funeral, the dish was forgotten. Eventually, Hamza went looking for it and realized that it was gone.

“It likely went bad and someone threw it out while they were cleaning. Hamza was really sad about it, sad how the last thing our mother made for him, he couldn’t taste. So, when I wrote the story, I had him in my mind. This was the last act of love that she made but he couldn’t eat that last dish. That last serving of love was untouched,” Janbi said.

The way mama showed love and what she was most proud of was food.

Waad Janbi, Saudi creative

“Mama was a phenomenal cook. She was famous for her macarona bechamel. Our relatives would flock over just to taste her food. But I guess many don’t make that normally during Ramadan so I switched it the more widely known spaghetti,” she said.

The title was inspired by an unlikely source: the US rapper Eminem, who was popular during Janbi’s youth. In his debut, and critically acclaimeded film, “8 mile,” he famously rapped a lyric where he says: “Mom’s spaghetti.” Janbi, who uses humor to cope with grief, decided to use it.




Waad Janbi’s animated short ‘Mom’s Spaghetti’ depicts a grieving teenage boy’s quest recreate a beloved dish his mother used to prepare for him. (Supplied)

“I was being playful with the title. Eminem wasn’t ashamed of his anger, he turned it into art. And, although I’m aware that he was problematic during different times, he was a poet and that line stuck with me and it would make me snicker to myself each time I heard someone mention ‘Mom’s spaghetti’ in my short film’s title,” she said.

This film is a love letter to all the things that inspired Janbi rolled into one.

In the Janbi household growing up, they would watch MBC on the screen while preparing the food and then switch to live footage of the Haram right before Maghreb.

Fast-forward to years later, Janbi enrolled in MBC Academy’s first online cohort dedicated to screenwriting. She then took a more advanced screenwriting course and did on-site training in Dubai. Through a group chat, mentors at MBC Academy encouraged former participants to write and pitch an episode as part of a series that would air during Ramadan. They were told that seven episodes would be selected.

Janbi felt the pull of her mother and was able to scramble together her story in the nick of time. Like her mother, she used a bit of this, a dash of that, and was able to produce a story that she shared with the committee. Her story was selected and was released as the second of the seven stories.

It was important for her to write it from the point of view of a Saudi teen boy, in order to subtly shift the conversation.

“In the story, the boy was trying to learn basic skills, to feed himself and his family. I grew up with very strict rules about gender roles; me as a girl, I’d have to help with the kitchen and my brother had to help feed those fasting with father. I began to understand the pressures my brother had and wanted to let Saudi boys know that they should be active in their own lives. Helping in the kitchen is good, helping your grandmother is good. And they should learn how to feed themselves!” she said.

While food is vital to survival, certain dishes can truly make you feel alive. With curated ingredients and specific spices and herbs mixed just right, that culinary journey can turn that spoon or fork into a sort of time machine. It can bring you back to simpler times.

Janbi’s older sisters still have some of the handwritten recipes that their mother scribbled in loose notebook papers, each fragmented page tells a story of a time long gone but also serves as a treasure map to revive that magic.

“The way mama showed love and what she was most proud of was food. She would never hug us or kiss us or say ‘I love you,’ but she would lovingly prepare the dish you loved and that was her love language,” Janbi said.

Janbi was overwhelmed by the positive reception after her episode aired. Her friends flooded her inbox and tagged her on social media, praising the story that resonated deeply with viewers of all backgrounds. The storytelling was layered and complex but told in a clear way.

“Usually the artist is never satisfied with the final draft but I was happy with the way that the MBC Academy team was able to bring it to life, even though they modified some things and left things out that I was slightly upset about, like in my vision, the mother had different hair … but I also understood their decision,” she said.

Janbi especially wanted to thank MBC Academy’s Munira Altheeb, assistant project manager at MBC Academy Middle East, for her support.

But, most importantly, her family understood what she was trying to achieve. She had told her siblings about the story before it came out and when it was ready, they all watched it. Her brother, the one that inspired the story, was excited. Her older sisters cried. Her youngest sibling, a sister, was slightly upset that the story didn’t seem to include her.

“I told my little sister, ‘Don’t worry, the next film I write will feature a story from your point-of-view,’” Janbi said.

To this day, Janbi’s family have not yet perfected their mother’s green beans with shrimps dish, her favorite. But they will keep on trying.

And Janbi will keep on typing.

The short animated film, which runs just under 10 minutes, can be viewed on MBC Academy’s YouTube channel.

 


Saudi Arabia offers condolences to Sudan after 11 die in mine collapse

A general view shows the Ariab company gold mine in the Sudanese desert, 800 kilometers northeast of the capital Khartoum. (AFP)
Updated 30 June 2025
Follow

Saudi Arabia offers condolences to Sudan after 11 die in mine collapse

  • The collapse of the gold mine in the remote desert area of Howeid, northeast Sudan killed 11 miners and wounded seven others

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia offered its condolences to Sudan on Sunday after a gold mine partially collapsed in the country, killing 11 miners and wounded seven others.

The mine is in the remote desert area of Howeid, northeast Sudan.

The Foreign Ministry said the Kingdom stands with Sudan during this tragedy and wished the injured a speedy recovery. 


Jeddah panel explores declining marriage rates among youth

Dr. Khalid Sind speaks to attendees during the panel discussion. (Supplied)
Updated 29 June 2025
Follow

Jeddah panel explores declining marriage rates among youth

  • Discussion highlights changing views on commitment, societal pressures, search for meaningful connection

JEDDAH: Amid changing values, shifting priorities and growing alternatives to traditional partnerships, a panel titled “Why is there a decline in marriage today?” has explored evolving views on love, commitment and marriage.

Organized by Ta3mq, a platform focused on honest dialogue, the event at Hayy Jameel’s Rukn Space in Jeddah featured panelists from psychology, community leadership and youth engagement.

It was moderated by Tasneem Alshanqiti, Ta3mq founder, and Motaz Al-Safh, a Saudi engineer and entrepreneur. The session addressed generational concerns, fears and new definitions of partnership.

Panel members (L-R): Tasneem Al-Shanqiti, Dr. Rozana Al-Banawi, Motaz Al-Safh and Dr. Khalid Sindi. (Supplied)

Reflecting on her role, Alshanqiti said: “I wasn’t just moderating — I was carrying the voice of younger women,” adding that she aimed to create a safe space that encouraged openness and reflection.

Panelist Rozana Albanawi, founder of Qeema and Jeddah_CM, said that the discussion explored marriage from societal, religious and psychological perspectives, focusing on self-understanding, compatibility over idealism, and the evolution of love.

Al-Safh said that he focused on creating a safe, judgment-free space for men to express vulnerability.

He described the conversation as “more like a talk between brothers than a formal panel,” aiming to help participants understand their fears and feelings about love and commitment.

The discussion highlighted recurring themes among Saudi youth. Al-Safh said that a few key issues kept emerging: Fear of failure, feeling unready, and pressure from expectations. Many question whether marriage today feels like love or a liability.

He added: “But beneath it all, there’s a real craving for connection, just done right, in a way that feels safe and meaningful.”

Dr. Khalid Sindi, a relationship and marriage psychotherapist, offered a broader national perspective by linking personal challenges to policy and social change.

Speaking to Arab News, he noted the ongoing transition in Saudi marriage values — from traditional to more modern — while emphasizing the preservation of core Islamic principles.

He highlighted government efforts under Vision 2030, such as the Saudi Marriage Fund and Sakani housing program, aimed at easing economic barriers for youth.

Sindi added: “Younger generations are seeking marriages that blend our cherished traditions with contemporary expectations of emotional connection and mutual growth. This represents not a rejection of our values but their natural adaptation to modern life.”

The panelists said that changing views on love and commitment reflected maturity rather than uncertainty.

Albanawi said: “There is high awareness among the generation now on marital topics, and many are seeking marriage with the right tools.”

She explained that conversation and dialogue help young people to commit while accepting uncertainty in relationships.

“The younger generation is looking for new ways to shape their marriage, such as avoiding unnecessary rules like high financial burdens or societal expectations that don’t match their reality.”

On the event’s outcome, Albanawi added: “A common theme was that marriages work best when couples marry early, are ready, and have family support.”

She noted that many believe delaying marriage increases fears and makes adaptation harder.

Sindi expressed a similar view on marriage’s evolving nature, saying that the changing views reflected progress and natural generational dynamics rather than fear or uncertainty.

“Rather than seeing shifting perspectives as problematic, the older generation should guide younger Saudis with wisdom and empathy.”

Highlighting the national context, Sindi noted the vital role of government initiatives in supporting Saudi Arabia’s vision for marriage and family life, demonstrating a commitment to making families society’s cornerstone.

Reflecting on the session’s emotional honesty, Al-Safh said that hearing men express concerns such as, “I don’t want to fail someone’s daughter,” revealed deep care often left unspoken.

Alshanqiti echoed the need for open, non-judgmental spaces, saying fears about failure and not being enough reminded her that many seek places where they can be truly seen and heard. She described the session as a step toward that openness.

 

 


Global sculptures at open-air museum in historic Jeddah

The new sculpture installations at Al-Arbaeen Lake reimagine public spaces as platforms for cultural engagement. (SPA)
Updated 29 June 2025
Follow

Global sculptures at open-air museum in historic Jeddah

  • The sculptures form a dynamic dialogue between the past and present, blending the site’s heritage with the language of contemporary art

JEDDAH: As part of a broader effort to revive the region’s visual identity through art, Al-Arbaeen Lake in historic Jeddah has been transformed into an open-air gallery featuring a curated collection of sculptures by international artists.

Led by the Ministry of Culture in cooperation with Jeddah Municipality, the initiative features 14 world-class artworks integrated into the city’s visual landscape, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Historic Jeddah's Visual Identity Reimagined Through Art Installations at Lake Al-Arbaeen. (SPA)

The sculptures form a dynamic dialogue between the past and present, blending the site’s heritage with the language of contemporary art.

Notable works on display include “The Illusion of the Second Cube” by Hungarian-French artist Victor Vasarely; “Rouge” and “Flexibility of Balance” by Alexander Calder; “Circular Mass” by Arnaldo Pomodoro; “The Bird” by Spanish sculptor Joan Miro; and “Giving and Receiving Love” by Lorenzo Quinn — a powerful piece that reflects human values through striking aluminium forms.

FASTFACTS

• Led by the Ministry of Culture in cooperation with Jeddah Municipality, the urban art initiative features 14 world-class artworks integrated into the city’s visual landscape.

• Notable works on display include ‘The Illusion of the Second Cube’ by Hungarian-French artist Victor Vasarely and ‘Giving and Receiving Love’ by Lorenzo Quinn.

The installations are part of a wider artistic movement that reimagines public spaces as platforms for cultural engagement.

By transforming urban environments into art experiences, the project invites both residents and visitors to explore the intersection of architectural heritage and modern creativity.

It underscores the growing role of art in shaping urban identity and fostering public appreciation for visual beauty in shared spaces of the Kingdom.

 


Saudi FM receives Djiboutian counterpart

Updated 29 June 2025
Follow

Saudi FM receives Djiboutian counterpart

  • The two sides discussed bilateral relations and ways to enhance cooperation in various fields

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received his Djiboutian counterpart, Abdul Kader Hussein Omar, in Riyadh on Sunday.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed bilateral relations and ways to enhance cooperation in various fields, the Foreign Ministry wrote in a post on X.

The two ministers also chaired a meeting of the Political Consultations Committee between the two countries, during which they discussed coordination on key regional and international issues.

Saud Al-Sati, deputy minister for political affairs, was among the officials in attendance.

 

 


Saudi FM receives written message from Russian counterpart

The message was received by Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji during a meeting with Russia’s ambassador to the Kingdom.
Updated 29 June 2025
Follow

Saudi FM receives written message from Russian counterpart

  • Al-Khuraiji and Kozlov elaborated on relations between their countries and ways to enhance them in various fields

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a written message from his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

The message, regarding Saudi-Russian relations and ways to support and strengthen them in various fields, was received by Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji in Riyadh during a meeting with Russia’s ambassador to the Kingdom Sergey Kozlov.

During the meeting, Al-Khuraiji and Kozlov elaborated on relations between their countries and ways to enhance them in various fields. Topics of common interest were also discussed, SPA added.