The director, producer and key cast members of Black Gold, the Doha Film Institutes first international co-production, appeared at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF) to discuss the film ahead of its glittering premiere, which will launch the third edition of DTFF. The consensus among them was that Black Gold was a noble, universal […]
The consensus among them was that Black Gold was a noble, universal story that will usher in a new era of film in the Arab world.
Set in 1930s Arabia, Black Gold tells the story of two warring Emirs who make a truce that binds them to respect a no mans land between their desert kingdoms. However, after oil is discovered, the stage is set for control of the area and the riches it promises to yield.
At a crowded press conference, Tarak Ben Ammar, the films producer and CEO of co-production partner Quinta Communications, said: We are proud to be here presenting the film with the Qatari people, six years after I first came to Doha.
He also spoke of his pride in filming during the Tunisian revolution, comparing the new openness of Tunisia after Ben Ali with the advances in storytelling that will come from the films new view of the Arab world, a far cry from stereotypical Hollywood portrayals of Arabs. He cited Warner Brothers and Universal Pictures involvement as indicating new openness to diverse Arab charactersa positive step.
The films director, Jean-Jacques Annaud, said: My experiences of being on holiday in the region were very different from what I had heard and read in the media. It became my passion, and I wanted to make a film about the Arab world. We wanted people to travel for two hours to an Arab world that is not Hollywood.
Ben Ammar praised the wonderful authenticity of Taher Rahim in creating the character of the Emir, which Rahim attributed to the universality of the films themes. British actor Mark Strong agreed, saying: The film is about dignity, integrity, honesty, and being a good father, all of which cross cultural boundaries. As Amar, I didnt feel like I was playing An Arab, I felt like I was playing a father who just happened to have those qualities.
Freida Pinto was asked about playing an Arab woman in the film, and stated that her character was brought up in a different time with different traditions: Princess Lallah wants freedom, but she pushes delicately against her tradition by respecting her father as opposed to rebelling against it outright.
In closing, director Jean-Jacques Annaud said that Black Gold is not just a film about the Arab world. At the heart of the film is an open discussion about what the future will hold, which every civilization in the world has had to deal with.
Black Gold stars Antonio Banderas, Freida Pinto, Tahar Rahim, Mark Strong and Liya Kebede. In a novel collaboration, legendary composer James Horner (Titanic, Troy, Avatar) composed the films score, featuring Qatari vocalist Fahad al Kubaisi on the moving opening track and collaborating with Qatari composer Abdullah al Manai on an adaptation of a traditional Bedouin song.
