Doha: The first "ladies only" cinema in the Middle East opened its doors yesterday, at Aspire Zone Foundation's Ladies Club. More than 100 VIP guests and representatives of the film industry attended the opening of the Aspire Ladies Cinema.
The first feature length movie to be made in Qatar, "Clockwise" was the first film to be screened at the cinema. The story of the film, taken from a legend told by the residents of the Gulf a long time ago, revolves around a Qatari named Saad Ben Khalaf, "a singer and a drummer", who sells old watches in Souk Waqif in the centre of Doha. The protagonist reminisces about his glorious past and the movie takes the audience back in time to discover the life of the character and the secret behind the discovery of Fjiri art, a collection of maritime songs, taught by genies to humans.
The director of the film Khalifa Al Muraikhi said he was delighted that his film have been chosen as the Ladies Cinema's first feature. "Producing this movie was tiring and time-consuming," he said, "but I am proud of its artistic value and that we achieved international standards of film-making in completing it." Also present was the TV and movie actress Maysa Al Maghrebi, who plays the role of the genie in the film.
Egyptian film critic Khayria Al-Bashlawi spoke about women and Arab cinema, saying that cinema is one of the more important components of activating a woman's mind. "This opens our eyes and minds to other experiences," she said, "and I hope that this Ladies Cinema will become a bridge to communicate with women in other Arab states, allowing them to express their hopes and fears." Khayria closed by saying that the title of the film "Clockwise" was important, as it symbolised progress and moving forward in the world of Arab cinema.
© The Peninsula 2011
