MUSCAT – The film ‘Long Distances’ is directed by Ali Al Bimani and Hamad Al Qasabi, and produced by Khatt Films. It is available on the ‘Ain’ platform of the Ministry of Information, and has been translated into English to reach wider audiences from different countries of the world. The events of the film take place in a remote village, located between the mountains adjacent to Wadi Al Sahtan. Omani director Ali Al Bimani said in a statement to the new agency that the film reflects the special case of an Omani girl, Suad Al Nusaibiya, who is a shepherd, and who later becomes the champion of long mountain races.
The Saudi Film Festival is one of the leading Gulf film festivals in the Arab Gulf region, and it attracts qualified filmmakers, writers and directors. The Festival featured extensive discussion sessions, in addition to specialized workshops, and qualitative films shown throughout the days of the festival; filmmakers also discussed their films, and shared new developments in this field.
On winning the Award, Al Bimani said, “We believe the win is well deserved, as the film found a wide echo in the festival, and was praised by many Gulf critics and Arab and non-Arab filmmakers, who were inspired by the film to visit the Sultanate and explore its beautiful environment, the people and common issues.” He expressed the need for such films, and pointed out the urgency to capture various facets of Oman and the stories that abound. “Omani cinematic productions are rare, which is what makes others ask about us our environment, our culture, and our history. We are in great need of the creativity of young people and empowering them in this aspect, with investments to produce and convey the image of Oman outside it in the most beautiful way, is significant. We require honest cinema that represents people and tells their story and issues that they live,” he added.
Suad Al Nusaibiya explained that the film presents two Omani personalities who are present in long distance running competitions at the local and international levels, and have achieved many results over the past periods. The film approaches her relationship with sports and racing, and how it contributed to positively shaping their sporting reality. The film has many dimensions, including the social dimension represented in the case of Suad, an Omani woman, who is able to win the bet of any challenge; it also demonstrates the tourism dimension with mountains, as the film sheds light on the beautiful Omani environment and the tourism attractions that the Sultanate of Oman abounds with.
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