While writing “Naga,” director Meshal Al Jaser was already imagining Adwa Bader as the film’s star, he said in the Variety Lounge presented by Film AlUla at the Red Sea Film…
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
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Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
While writing “Naga,” director Meshal Al Jaser was already imagining Adwa Bader as the film’s star, he said in the Variety Lounge presented by Film AlUla at the Red Sea Film Festival in a conversation moderated by Tatiana Siegel, Variety’s executive editor of film and media.
“Adwa is a really good friend of mine, which really helped in the process,” he said. “Early on in the draft, I would send her the script, she would read and give me notes, and then in rehearsal. I try to make sure she’s comfortable with the process, so when we’re on the set we give it a hundred percent.”
Bader, who was born in Texas and then moved to Riyadh, now lives in Los Angeles. Siegel asked Bader how her unique background shaped her path as an actress.
“I grew up watching a lot of movies, I was very influenced by Western media, so I think that’s what helped me understand more about film and the quality of films that I really enjoy,” she said. “And Meshal was really amazing with helping me transition into film because I wasn’t pursuing acting at the time … He shed a light on this, and now I know that I’m good at it, so I’m going to keep doing it. Why not?”
Looking ahead to upcoming projects, Al Jaser said he does not plan to shoot American films at this point in time. “I always think in Middle Eastern form, all the concepts that I come up with are usually local and Saudi stories, and sometimes I feel like that’s really what I can add to the table and even to international cinema,” he said. “We have so many stories that are untold.”
When asked about each of their inspirations, Al Jaser said he has always loved Korean cinema, which has been a big influence on his work. “They have scripts that are really well written, yet they choose to put it in a genre and kind of do it with fashion,” he said of his favorite Korean films. Al Jaser also named Yorgos Lanthimos as one of his biggest inspirations: “He’s an international director who managed to do both.”
The conversation then transitioned to discussing the Saudi film industry — which Bader said is finally being recognized by people in Hollywood.
“I think everyone’s just trying to figure out what their trade is, what their mark is, and it’s amazing to witness,” she said.
Watch the full conversation above.
