Yaqoub Alfarhan, Star Of Saudi Film ‘Norah’ Says He And Director Tawfik Alzaidi Dreamed Of Having A Film At Cannes – Cannes Studio

May 21, 2024 8:08am

Title: Norah
Section: Un Certain Regard
Director: Tawfik Alzaidi
Logline: Set in a small remote Saudi Arabian village, in the 90s when artistic expression was banned, NORAH is a story about the basic human need to communicate through art, in all its forms. Nader, a new schoolteacher and an artist in secret, arrives at the village and meets Norah, a young woman who ignites the creativity inside him and inspires him to paint again. At great risk, they develop a delicate connection and a quiet bond. Nader enlightens Norah on the wider world outside of her tiny community and she realizes she must leave, to find a place where she can be free to express her artistic self.
Distributor: Nour Films
Panelists: Yaqoub Alfarhan (Actor), Maria Bahrawi (Actor), Abdullah Alsadhan (Actor), Paul Chesney, CEO of TwentyOne Entertainment
Key quotes: “Abdullah [Alsadhan] is representing all of the history. Maybe I was representing the present, and me and [director] Tawfik [Alzaidi] are from the same generation, whereas Maria, she was representing the future. For her to be the first time ever in a film, and to have the lead of such a project, definitely it’s an overwhelming experience for her but she gave her best and I think her spirit was all around the film.” – Yaqoub Alfarhan