First Saudi commercial film draws crowds in Bahrain

Manama: The first Saudi Arabian film for commercial release is pulling in crowds in Bahrain, where Saudis must travel to watch the ground-breaking movie because of a ban on cinema at home.

Saudis who have seen Keif Al Hal (How Are You Doing?), a comedy dealing with extremism and oppression of women, said it was a step forward for Saudi society, but wished they could have seen it in their own country.

"It was a nice film. It was a 100 per cent accurate picture of Saudi society ... There's no exaggeration," said Reema Abdullah, a Saudi woman dressed in a traditional abaya, or black robe, with only her eyes showing.

"I really wish [I could have seen the film in Saudi]. This is one of the worst things," she added, speaking after a showing of the film in Bahrain.

It depicts a young woman named Sahar, who likes a liberal would-be film director. Her fundamentalist brother, however, chooses a religious man as a possible husband for her.

The brother and Islamist suitor are portrayed as aggressive, backward and conspiratorial. In some scenes, men inadvertently see women in private attire, or women are shown driving, flouting the official ban.

Abdullah Al Hameida, another Saudi, said the film - made by the Rotana entertainment group owned by Saudi tycoon Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal - did not go far enough.

Keif Al Hal was shot in Dubai, and stars a Saudi actress Hind Mohammad and Hesham Abdul Rahman, a Saudi winner of hit pan-Arab television show Star Academy.