RSIFF: The first homegrown feature film shot entirely in AlUla wins big

The acknowledgment of the AlUla-produced film, 'Norah' at the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival this week further solidifies Saudi Arabia's standing as a hub for film-making and emerging talent in the global film arena.

The entire production was shot in the breathtaking surrounds of AlUla — a first in the region and film industry — stars Yaqoub Alfarhan, Maria Bahrawi, and Abdullah Alsadhan.

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Directed by Saudi man, Tawfik Alzaidi, Norah follows the journey of Nader in 1990s Saudi Arabia. A new teacher in a remote village, Nader meets Norah, meeting sparks an awakening of artistic passion within both, as Nader discovers his creativity and Norah finds the world beyond her village. The story explores their soulful connection and the life-altering impact it has on their artistic spirits.

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Norah explores topics such as the importance of relationships — platonic relationships — and the act of relationship building and connection, alongside the acknowledgement of Saudi and Arab cultural nuances.

Although a quiet exploration of passion and self-learning, Norah is not a predictable film and allows the story to play out infront of the audience, capturing their attention and retaining it for the entirety.

The locally shot, directed and produced feature film not only debuted at the illustrious Red Sea International Film Festival to a crowd of globally recognised celebrities and film professionals, the motion picture was awarded the title and prize of Best Saudi Film.