RSIFF, 03: Elusive interviews, while the stars emerge from the Red Sea

RSIFF, 03: Elusive interviews, while the stars emerge from the Red Sea

Some three weeks before the festival began, while still in Mumbai, I thought of doing an exclusive interview with Shivani Pandya Malhotra, and some 2-3 other curtain-raisers. Now this could only be done via video or audio or email. I was ready for any of the three modes. But I had no way of contacting these officials, and approached the PR agency to help me out, which said that organising interviews were strictly its domain, and that it will consider the requests. Sadly, the requests were not entertained. I did not have either Shivani’s (my first priority, because of her Indian connection), email id, or her phone number, so I made concerted efforts to obtain her email id from other sources. Luckily, I succeeded. Two emails were sent. Neither drew any response. Nobody had a clue about the location of her office, or did not want to reveal the location to me, so I could not even try to meet her. I had to depend upon the PR Agency. Reminders were sent to them, which got the same response. A month later, I am still hoping to interview her. There were three other top RSIFF management who I wanted to interview, but the idea met the same fate. Obviously, they have been more than super-busy.

The Media Center (Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival)."

There were as many as three rooms marked Media Center (American, if you please), so I thought I would familiarise myself with the sanctum sanctorums, and start doing my stories from that evening itself. Nothing doing. The Media Center was the exclusive property of the PR Agency and its retinue, and the Media, as such, including journalists and critics, invitees from far-off lands, were debarred from entering these rooms. This was a first in my career. A Media Center was out of bounds to the Media! It had a tea and coffee dispenser, milk and some snacks. I made the wrong move of helping myself to some tea, only to earn cold stares. Reason? These, too, were the prerogative of the concerned personnel. Looking around the three rooms, I found some 60-70 laptops. And yes, they were out of bounds too, to journalists. This was the work-place and the office of the PR agency and its writers, managers, etc. I was not carrying a laptop, as every festival, particularly the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) I have attended, provides some basic facilities to the media: large rooms, PCs and laptops and an unending supply of tea, coffee and biscuits. Press conferences are held in this very Media room, making it very convenient for journalists to attend.

Quite obviously, what I saw was the norm at RSIFF, and the fact that I was unaware of these details was  seen as my fault. Desperate to start writing about the festival, I requested for a laptop to be placed my disposal, or lent to me for a specified period, as and when convenient. The request was rejected. As a result, I could not do any writing at all for the first whole week. Moreover, all the persons I wanted to interview were either unavailable, according to the agency, or had already left Jeddah. Somehow, I managed to find a PC at my own hotel, and filed one story, a whole week later. Meanwhile, the agency was feeding us with tons of stories, schedules, photos, images and reports, leaving us very little original stuff to write about, in any case. Counting our blessings, we were invited to the Red Carpet and the Inaugural Ceremony, on 29 November. Ritz Carlton is a 12-15-minute walk from Crowne Plaza, and badly needing some exercise, I walked the distance.

Reaching the first gate, I flashed my accreditation badge and the formal invitation, not to mention the email invitation on the subject. All this made no impression on the burly security staff members that had cordoned of the entrance area. They refused to let me enter. In fact, one of them pushed me backwards, from the entrance point. I demanded to know what was the reason for this. He pointed out to a distance notice, stating that entrance will only be allowed to those persons who had two round stickers on their identity badge. Having no previous information about this pre-condition, I asked one of them where could one get those stickers. He said he had no idea. After a lot of persuading, he agreed to call his supervisor, who came after 15 minutes and merely repeated what the moustachiod and bearded gent had been saying. I asked to meet his Manager, who came after about 45 minutes of my reaching the venue. And what he said proved that my wait had been an exercise in futility. He said, and I quote, “This entrance is not for the guests, but for the staff. The staff has been given these two stickers, to enter from here. There is another entrance (300 metres away), from where all invitees, including me, could enter, without the stickers.”

Already very tired, I trudged my way to the specified gate, and entered without any hassle. Assuming that proceedings might have already begun, I asked my way around to find my seat. I was told that the ground floor was for VIPs only, and that I, being a media-person, carrying a Yellow Card (though God is witness that I never indulged in yellow journalism!) would have to sit on the first floor. When I reached the first floor, I was told that I would now have to go to the second floor. At the second floor, the lady ushers were surprised to see me, because I was the first person arriving there. Proceedings had not begun inside the Festival Gala auditorium, and I was advised that I could wait in the foyer downstairs, till the proceedings began. There I go.

Fatima Al-Banawi, Sohayb Godus, Baraa Alem, Najm, Nour Alkhadra and Faris Godus pose during the Red Sea International Film Festival 2023. (Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival)."

A large crowd was waiting in the foyer, where I was offered a drink. I asked the waiter what it was, and he said “champagne”. Ignorance, I guessed, champagne in Saudi Arabia? I asked his supervisor what the drink was, and he said it was a sparkling drink, certainly not champagne, and the waiter had mis-heard the name. A couple of that sweet, fruity drinks later, the action began. For it was time for the stars to descend on RC. I checked the Red Sea Day 1, mailer/newsletter:

“The Red Carpet starts at 1800 at the Ritz, followed by the Opening Ceremony and the World Première screening of HWJN, directed by Nasir Alyasiri, and starring Baraa Alem and Nour Alkhadra. Based on Ibraheem Abbas’s popular novel. In the sci-fi fantasy, a magical djinn finds himself fascinated by a human family who live in the same house but can’t see him. All Ticket Holders are invited to attend the Festival Garden after the Screening.

In-Conversation

For Festival early birds, this afternoon there will be a special talk with Bollywood Superstar Ranveer Singh at 1pm at the Vox Cinema.”

Will Smith will confirm, and I cross my heart, that I am not Johnny Depp!

After a deliberate miss at the In-Conversation, having heard Ranveer so many times, I was at the foyer, as the stars arrived. It seemed at first that he would not be able to enter the hall, what with fans, bouncers and organisers surrounding him, and the incessant demand for selfies. But where there is a Will there is a Way (Smith, to be exact). The tall, smiling black American superstar had many pulses racing. In good company was Freida Pinto, the Indian actress and Jury-member. The other international celebrities included, from Saudi Arabia and Gulf Co-Operation Council, stars and film-makers, such as Yaacoub Alfarhan, Ali Alkalthami, Naif Aldhufairi, Moyaed Althaqafi, Sumaya Ridha, Sara Taibah, Hira Mahmoud, Fatima Al-Banawi, Nayla Alkhaja, Hakeem Jomah, Yasser Alsoghaf, Faysal Aldokhei, Ayman Khoja and Majed Z. Samman.

From the wider Arab world, we saw the arrival of: Yousri Nasrallah, Nabila Obeid, Lebleba, Laila Eloui, Amina Khalil, Yasmine Sabri, Dina Elsherbini, Hala Sidqi, Nadine Nejim, Kosai Khauli and Nicolas Mouawad.

And the truly international talent that graced the occasion included Burak Özçivit, Joel Kinnaman, Amina Khalil, Sharon Stone, Diane Kruger, Ranveer Singh, Paz Vega, Maiwenn, Zoe Saldana, Michelle Williams, Catherine Martin, Lucas Bravo, Alessandra Ambrosio, Ed Westwick, Amy Jackson and Rita Ora.

Jury President, Baz Luhrmann and Ranveer Singh attend the Opening Night screening of "HWJN" at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2023 on November 30, 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival)."

HWJN had its world premiere, flagging off the festival, and was introduced by the director and the film’s lead cast, Nour Alkhadra, Baraa Alem, Naif Aldaferi, Alanoud Saud, Mohsen Mansour and Shaimaa Al Tayeb. Jury President Baz Lurhmann was in attendance, with his jury – Joel Kinnaman, Freida Pinto, Amina Khalil, Paz Vega, Hana Alomair and Fatih Akin.

Soon, the screen would be lit up.