Gown to impress: The Saudi designer on a mission to make vogue sustainable
JEDDAH: A panel dialogue was held at this time in Jeddah throughout the second version of the Pink Sea Worldwide Movie Competition, titled “Hawjan: From the Novel to the Display,” to make clear the journey of reworking the best-selling novel “HWJN” right into a film.
From written phrases to the display screen, the audio system defined the success of the well-known fantasy novel and the complexities of reworking it for the massive display screen.
The e-book, pronounced Hawjan, was the primary best-selling novel within the historical past of Saudi Arabia when launched in 2013. It’s the first e-book of a collection of metaphysical and supernatural novels that depict the outcomes of interacting with the unknown realm of the jinn, which co-exists with the human world.
Written by Ibraheem Abbas and translated into English by Yasser Bahjatt, the action-romance story particulars the interplay of two worlds and the unity of two completely different species to cease the evil of their worlds from slipping into one another.
It additionally sheds gentle on good jinns and exhibits the world from their perspective, with people haunting their houses, and exhibits how some people are extra evil to one another than jinn are to them.
The concept of adapting the novel has been tickling the formidable thoughts of the producer-turned-director Yasir Al-Yasiri after he was gifted the e-book in 2017 by his good friend, Emirati filmmaker Majid Al-Ansari.
At first, Al-Yasiri didn’t take an curiosity within the e-book, till his good friend insisted he reads it. “I learn it in a single day and I used to be really like: Woah, that is one thing I wish to work on,” stated Al-Yasiri in a press launch at The Ritz-Carlton Jeddah on Saturday.
He added that he determined to work on it as a result of it “tackles a style that’s hardly ever addressed within the Arab world” and to “break the norm and produce one thing recent.”
The 2 males instantly began engaged on the script and began the casting and filming course of in 2018 with Al-Ansari as a director and Al-Yasiri as a producer. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic restricted Al-Ansari from coming to Saudi Arabia, main Al-Yasiri to turn into the director, and he proceeded with filming.
The story introduces Sawsan, a medical scholar from the world of people, and Hawjan, a curious man from the realm of the jinn, which humankind can’t see. The jinn man takes an curiosity in realizing Sawsan and her household after they transfer to a brand new home, the place Hawjan and his household have been dwelling for years.
Whereas making an attempt to keep up the boundaries between his life in each worlds, Hawjan discovers that he comes from a royal bloodline and tries to reclaim his proper to the throne.
The script, written by each Al-Ansari and Al-Yasiri, ensures that the story has the required adjustments for the display screen, however doesn’t drift away from the e-book.
One of many greatest challenges the crew confronted was making a metropolis that exists within the jinn world —Milaj Metropolis, which no human has seen. Al-Yasiri stated they’d to remember the civilizational surroundings of the jinn world, which existed earlier than people.
Casting the actors was a bit tough, looking for characters within the actors somewhat than actors who may painting them. This led to the casting of the sensible Saudi actor Baraa Alem as Hawjan, Nour Khadra as Sawsan, Nayef Al-Dhufary as Zanan, and Al-Anood Saud as Jamara.
Because the e-book grew to become a significant hit in 2013, the publishing homes had been ordered by the non secular police to cease promoting it 11 months after its launch, because it stirred controversy amongst dad and mom who began complaining that their youngsters had been studying black magic, and learn how to name upon jinn.
One month later, the e-book was again on cabinets after the editors, and the reviewing committee, made positive it was away from the claims.
A teaser trailer was launched earlier at this time by Vox Cinema, giving a glimpse into the world created by Al-Yasiri. Produced by Picture Nation, MBC, and Vox Cinema, the film will probably be out in 2023.
