- How Middle East cinema is captivating audiences across the region and beyond
DUBAI: Cinema has been a part of Arab culture for many years with the first film coming out in the 1920s. The Middle East’s exotic locations, distinctive stories and penchant for fashion make for captivating films that have enthralled regional audiences.
Increasingly, films from the Arab world are casting a wider net as they make their debut on global streaming services.
The scenic landscape of the region has made a great setting for several productions — such as the 2016 TV show “Secret of the Nile,” a remake of the 2011 Spanish drama “Gran Hotel,” which is set in the picturesque city of Aswan against the backdrop of the Old Cataract Hotel, a historic British colonial-era hotel built in 1899 overlooking the river Nile.
More recently, Saudi Arabia has attracted several international productions — including “Kandahar,” starring Gerard Butler and filmed extensively in the heritage city of AlUla; Rupert…
