Do not copy others or blindly follow trends, says Omani actress Buthaina Al- Raisi at SIFF

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

In a lively talk on Day 3 of the 9th Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFF), popular Omani actress Buthaina Al-Raisi stressed that the road to success in the film industry is achieved by following one’s heart and respecting the audience.

Sharing her views with a large audience at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre where SIFF 2022 continues its run until Oct.15 under the theme, ‘Think Film’, the actress said that aspiring filmmakers today can create professional short films within the confines of their homes using smartphones which are equipped with advanced apps to edit, create montage and design colour schemes.

These films can then be streamed online on various platforms to showcase their talents and engage with viewers. Discussing the type of content that can be created, the actress advised young filmmakers at SIFF: “Be original in your content; do not copy others or blindly follow trends. Even if that content is not new, find a different angle to make it unique.

You must believe and respect your work and the audience, and you will succeed.” She noted that the road to success is not easy and that obstacles will only make one stronger as he/she continues the journey. Sharing her journey in the film industry, the Omani actress said that although she had enrolled in a university in her home country to study Information Technology, securing a seat at the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Kuwait dramatically shifted her career path.

“I had a tough choice to make when I was accepted to study in Kuwait. I ultimately followed my heart and started a new journey in a different country,” she said. Al-Raisi also revealed how she began broadcasting live traditional game sessions with guests during the pandemic, which quickly garnered a huge following.

As a word of caution to the young audiences at SIFF, she said: “I always think hard before I venture online on a new platform like TikTok because anything I do might have repercussions that might destroy what I already built.”

The 9th Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth marked the debut of its eagerly awaited ‘Green Carpet’ event with the screening of the beautifully filmed adaptation, The Secret Garden, at VOX Cinemas in Al Zahia, Sharjah.

This first-of-its-kind event at SIFF offered an opportunity for the audience to engage with the filmmakers and discuss the behind-the-scenes making of the rich, dense film that honours Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic 1911 story of alienation, anger and illness. The welcoming décor with a refreshing green walkway and inviting floral arch leading to the theatre was a mesmerising spectacle inspired by the film’s pastoral gardenscape.

Directed by Marc Munden, The Secret Garden is a coming-of-age tale of young orphan Mary Lennox (Dixie Egerickx) who successfully finds a new lease of life and undergoes a positive transformation as she begins to fall in love with her ‘secret’ garden.

The therapeutic power of nature is beautifully presented in the film with magical elements and dazzling performances to match and is brought to life through vivid characterisation, sufficient realism, depiction of human nature and misgivings, suspense and mystery.

During a discussion following the screening of the film, Munden pointed out that at its core, “the film explores the darker theme of grief, and how with the right nurturing and attentive care, broken hearts can be healed by forging a strong connection through nature, allowing it to bloom back to vibrant life.”

The film presents a fair share of pain, troubling sentiments and dramatic twists and turns seamlessly running throughout, and there is active imagination too at play with the characters as they grapple with their own life’s difficulties and loneliness.

The film is a telling lesson that all is really not lost if only one could brave up and be curious and imaginative. At the heart of The Secret Garden is a reverence for nature that stimulates positivity and fodder for Mary to genuinely celebrate life as it is meant to be.