3-D Imax Film on Arabia Depicts Hajj in 3-D, Premiers in UK
- Thu, 05/27/2010
27 May 2010
The premier of the IMAX film Arabia 3-D is being described as "one of London's most glamorous film premieres ever."
The Prince of Wales and Prince Turki Bin Nasser Bin Abdulaziz attended the London-premiere of Arabia 3D at IMAX Theatre along with many Arab and British key figures and VIP guests from the world of film, music, art and industry.
The film takes its audience on a trip over deserts, past ancient monuments, through the ruins of towering lost cities, hitches a ride on a camel caravan, swoops through a Bedouin tent and even plunges into the violet hues of the Red Sea, to mingle with silvery fish darting through technicolour coral reefs and all in amazing IMAX 3D.
Expert guides present differing aspects of everyday life and the history behind the desert land - Hamzah Jamjoom, a passionate young Saudi film student who studied in the US at the DePaul University, Chicago. Nimah Nawwab a Saudi female activist, youth leader, writer, poet, photographer and lecturer who has been dubbed "the voice of Arab women". Finally, leading Arabian archaeologist, Dr Dhaifallah Al-Talhi reveals the rich past of Arabia, from the mysterious Nabataean culture to the golden age of Islam. The visual effects and narration of the film takes the audience on a time travel journey through 2000 years of history, from Arabia's ancient past through to modern day, using the very latest IMAX 3D CGI.
Academy Award winner Dame Helen Mirren narrated parts of the film, twice Academy Award nominated Greg MacGillivray (for Dolphins and The Living Sea) of MacGillivray Freeman Films produced and directed it and distinguished author, historian and Middle Eastern expert Robert Lacey acted as consultant.
Greg MacGillivray, who has previously taken his cameras up Everest and to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, explains one of the reasons he chose to make the film. "I hope people will be moved by a fresh portrait of a culture based on strong family ties, education and deep faith – and a people struggling to find a balance between staying true to their valued traditions and finding their own modern way of life."
Arabia 3D is the first major production to be filmed entirely in Saudi Arabia. The filmmakers were granted access to over 20 sites, including Madain Saleh, inside the Grand Mosque and were even in Makkah (Mecca) to film the largest human gathering on the planet, the annual Hajj, where 3 million Muslim's gather to reaffirm their faith. This film is an unprecedented trip inside Arabia that aims to show the world what life is really like inside Saudi Arabia.
Robert Lacey, an author, journalist and historian who has lived in Arabia and worked as a consultant on the film, eloquently sums it up. "It evokes all the extraordinary colours and textures of Arabia, of being surrounded by history but at the same time amid a palpable sense of change. 3D does particular justice to it because you get the sense of a vast landscapes and a vivid knock-out picture of a proud, rooted culture in both its spiritual and practical dimensions."
But it is perhaps the young filmmaker Hamzah Jamjoom who explains the mix of modern film technology and ancient Arabian culture and what he feels it signifies for the future. "I think Arabia is entering a new golden age with a youthful generation of scientists, thinkers, and innovators who will ensure Arabia fulfils its potential. I hope this film becomes a catalyst for continued debate, greater insight and understanding."
Sources:
Hannan Taha, "Arabia 3D - A magical trip to myth and mystery land "Global Arab Network May 26, 2020
Marc Lee, "The heat is on at 'Arabia 3D' premiere" The Telegraph UK
The premier of the IMAX film Arabia 3-D is being described as "one of London's most glamorous film premieres ever."
The Prince of Wales and Prince Turki Bin Nasser Bin Abdulaziz attended the London-premiere of Arabia 3D at IMAX Theatre along with many Arab and British key figures and VIP guests from the world of film, music, art and industry.
The film takes its audience on a trip over deserts, past ancient monuments, through the ruins of towering lost cities, hitches a ride on a camel caravan, swoops through a Bedouin tent and even plunges into the violet hues of the Red Sea, to mingle with silvery fish darting through technicolour coral reefs and all in amazing IMAX 3D.
Expert guides present differing aspects of everyday life and the history behind the desert land - Hamzah Jamjoom, a passionate young Saudi film student who studied in the US at the DePaul University, Chicago. Nimah Nawwab a Saudi female activist, youth leader, writer, poet, photographer and lecturer who has been dubbed "the voice of Arab women". Finally, leading Arabian archaeologist, Dr Dhaifallah Al-Talhi reveals the rich past of Arabia, from the mysterious Nabataean culture to the golden age of Islam. The visual effects and narration of the film takes the audience on a time travel journey through 2000 years of history, from Arabia's ancient past through to modern day, using the very latest IMAX 3D CGI.
Academy Award winner Dame Helen Mirren narrated parts of the film, twice Academy Award nominated Greg MacGillivray (for Dolphins and The Living Sea) of MacGillivray Freeman Films produced and directed it and distinguished author, historian and Middle Eastern expert Robert Lacey acted as consultant.
Greg MacGillivray, who has previously taken his cameras up Everest and to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, explains one of the reasons he chose to make the film. "I hope people will be moved by a fresh portrait of a culture based on strong family ties, education and deep faith – and a people struggling to find a balance between staying true to their valued traditions and finding their own modern way of life."
Arabia 3D is the first major production to be filmed entirely in Saudi Arabia. The filmmakers were granted access to over 20 sites, including Madain Saleh, inside the Grand Mosque and were even in Makkah (Mecca) to film the largest human gathering on the planet, the annual Hajj, where 3 million Muslim's gather to reaffirm their faith. This film is an unprecedented trip inside Arabia that aims to show the world what life is really like inside Saudi Arabia.
Robert Lacey, an author, journalist and historian who has lived in Arabia and worked as a consultant on the film, eloquently sums it up. "It evokes all the extraordinary colours and textures of Arabia, of being surrounded by history but at the same time amid a palpable sense of change. 3D does particular justice to it because you get the sense of a vast landscapes and a vivid knock-out picture of a proud, rooted culture in both its spiritual and practical dimensions."
But it is perhaps the young filmmaker Hamzah Jamjoom who explains the mix of modern film technology and ancient Arabian culture and what he feels it signifies for the future. "I think Arabia is entering a new golden age with a youthful generation of scientists, thinkers, and innovators who will ensure Arabia fulfils its potential. I hope this film becomes a catalyst for continued debate, greater insight and understanding."
Sources:
Hannan Taha, "Arabia 3D - A magical trip to myth and mystery land "Global Arab Network May 26, 2020
Marc Lee, "The heat is on at 'Arabia 3D' premiere" The Telegraph UK
