Saudi Arabia: After 35-year ban lifted, The Emoji Movie becomes first film screened

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The films were screened in a makeshift theatre inside Jeddah's state-run cultural centre, which authorities equipped with a projector, a red carpet and a popcorn machine

Times of Ahmad | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The New Arab
By Al Arabay | January 17, 2018

The Emoji Movie became the first film ever to be publicly screened in Saudi Arabia, ahead of the lifting of the decades-long cinema ban as part of Vision 2030.

Ahead of the official lifting of the ban in March, that will see the opening of the kingdom's first public cinema, Saudi film-lovers were treated to a showing of two family-favourite comedies on Saturday, The Emoji Movie as well as Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie in a double bill.

It comes as little surprise that the social-media-centred film following the 'meh' Emoji who longs to have more emotions than the one he has been assigned, was the first to be shown.

Saudis are well-known social media friends, professing one of the highest proportions of Twitter users on the planet.

The choice of film however did attract some ridicule,with some joking that Saudi Arabia would reinstate the cinema ban after being put off by the film, which was not especially well-received by critics.

The films were screened in a makeshift theatre inside Jeddah's state-run cultural centre, which authorities equipped with a projector, a red carpet and a popcorn machine, according to a report by Reuters.

"Until now, there is no infrastructure for movie theatres, so we are trying to take advantage of [alternative] venues to approximate the cinematic form," said Mamdouh Salim, whose Cinema 70 brand organised the week-long screenings.

"We tried to use these films to be a starting point as the first cinematic screening after the decision on 11th December to permit movie theatres."

Cinemas were banned in the ultra-conservative kingdom in the early 1980s, under pressure from Islamists who scorned entertainment such as music and film, as well as mixing between men and women.

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