As part of the Arab Cultural Festival, which it has been organizing since 2008, the Korea-Arab Society kicked off the 6th Arab Film Festival on Wednesday at Art Nine in southern Seoul.
The five-day film festival opened with “Royal Love” from the United Arab Emirates.
The festival included six other features and two documentaries: “Aseel” from Oman; “Kayan” from Lebanon; “Kick Off” from Iraq; “Militants” from Tunisia; “Reporting ... a Revolution” from Egypt; “The Battle of Algiers” from Algeria; “The Horses of God” from Morocco; and “Transit Cities” from Jordan.
“Horses of God” was invited to the Un Certain Regard section of the 65th Cannes International Film Festival last month.
Directed by Jamal Salim, “Royal Love” tells the story of an awkward young man’s unrequited adoration for a woman, but does not get the courage to express his feelings for her until it’s too late.
The “Beauty and the Beast”-inspired narrative then follows the man’s bedside dedication after she falls into a four-year coma, reading and talking to her every day. After she wakes up the woman predictably asks for the mysterious voice that stayed by her side.
The director Jamal Salim and actors Mansoor Alfeeli and Abdulla Zaid participated in the opening ceremony on Wednesday.
The films will be in Busan from June 25-30 screening at the Cinema Center.
All films have Korean subtitles, but some do not have them in English. Tickets cost 4,000 won.
By Philip Iglauer (
ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)
