BARAKAH MEETS BARAKAH
Saudi Arabia, 2016, 88 minutes, Colour.
Hisham Fagesh, Fatima al Banawi, Reem Habib.
Directed by Mahmoud Sabbagh.
In one sense, the title seemed to indicate that Barakah is actually meeting himself. However, when he becomes infatuated with the top Instagram model, Bibi, it is later revealed that her name is also Barakah.
This is a romantic comedy set in Saudi Arabia. There was some welcoming of the film as a pleasant romance but some strict Muslim commentators were strongly condemnatory of its flippant attitude, its permissiveness, disregard for aspects of Muslim law.
But the film does reflect some of the changes happening in Saudi Arabia in the 21st-century, at the end with a collage of memories of what the country was like decades earlier, the more open styles of, at least, upper-class families, women and their dress.
After the drama, Wajda, this is the next Saudi Arabian film. The director was to go on to his second film in 2018, Amra and the Second Marriage, a focus on a middle-aged woman and her lifestyle, traditional, the prospect of her husband marrying again in order to have a son, the impact on her, her visiting imams, lawyers, watching women’s videos from the United States – leading to resentment and an outburst at the wedding celebration.
It will be interesting if the director has the opportunity to make more films and to see his perspectives on life in Saudi Arabia.
1. A rare film from Saudi Arabia in the 2010s? The Saudi audience? For international audiences?
2. The sensitivity of strict Muslim audiences, their condemnation? The film as too permissive? Disrespect for the Koran and law?
3. The Saudi settings, the city and suburbs, the streets, cars, homes, photo shoots at the water, the cruise on the water? Atmosphere? Musical score?
4. Barakah’s story, his age, background, his telling the story of his mother and her death, the stories? His growing up? His uncle, rough attitude, drinking, Barakah looking after him? In the neighbourhood, with the midwife and her care for him? His job, for the municipality, interviewing people, selling goods in the open, the photo shoot, the letter of the law,
his concessions?
5. The introduction to Bibi, the glamour, the photo shoot, her attitudes, clothes and style, Instagram heroine, finances? Her background, explaining she was an orphan, her work in the shop, fashion and design, the wilful attitudes? Her mother, founding the company, the style and design of the clothes, customers? Her adopted daughter? The arguments at home? Her stepmother, the stepfather, wanting a child, Barakah and his meeting with the stepmother, casual clothes, discussions, referring to the midwife? And the fact that there was a pregnancy, the celebration, the costume party, the midwife present?
6. Bibi, acknowledging her name of Barakah, her enjoyment of Barakah’s company, his gifts, appropriate and not, her moodiness, sulking? The cruise? The band playing? Alienation from her stepmother, separation from Barakah?
7. The collage of photos and film clips, going back into the past, life and styles in Saudi Arabia, seeing films, Italian films, the terrorist experience, the clamping down, the closing of the cinemas? Restrictions?
8. Barakah, his friend at the theatre, the choice for Ophelia, the rehearsals, the costume, the performance, the few in the audience? His telling the truth to Barakah?
9. A glimpse of Saudi life, in public, in private, the characters quite secular in their behaviour, minimal reference to Islam? Saudi Arabia in the 21st-century?
