After Saudi Arabia recently broke its 35-year ban on cinema with Hollywood titles such as “Black Panther,” “Isle of Dogs” and “A Quiet Place,” the kingdom is now set for its first release of an Arabic film, the 4K restored version of controversial 1976 prophet Muhammad epic “The Message.”
Helmed by Syrian-American film producer and director Moustapha Akkad, “The Message” was an ambitious but failed attempt to bridge cultures with an origins-of-Islam narrative. The film was initially backed by, among others, the Saudi government of the time, but Saudi authorities subsequently turned against the film’s production as hard-line clerics gained more influence and the country took the ultra-conservative turn that caused movie theaters in the kingdom to be banned in the early 1980s.
“The Message,” which was nominated for a best music Oscar in 1977, was made in two versions: one in English, toplining Anthony Quinn and Irene Papas, and...
Helmed by Syrian-American film producer and director Moustapha Akkad, “The Message” was an ambitious but failed attempt to bridge cultures with an origins-of-Islam narrative. The film was initially backed by, among others, the Saudi government of the time, but Saudi authorities subsequently turned against the film’s production as hard-line clerics gained more influence and the country took the ultra-conservative turn that caused movie theaters in the kingdom to be banned in the early 1980s.
“The Message,” which was nominated for a best music Oscar in 1977, was made in two versions: one in English, toplining Anthony Quinn and Irene Papas, and...
- 6/11/2018
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
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