Binoche is in Jeddah with documentary In-I In Motion and received an honorary award the opening night of the festival.
Oscar-winning actress Juliette Binoche has championed the progress that women filmmakers are making in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking to Screen at Red Sea, Binoche said: “There’s an opening that is happening with women, and that feels good. I think that Jomana [R. Alrashid, chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation] is really trying to bring ideas to open up, and helping young filmmakers, women filmmakers from Africa, from the Middle East. I think it’s fantastic.”
Marking her first visit to the Kindgom, Binoche said she was keen to explore more of the region. “I don’t know the country enough, about the people living here, real people. That I would like to see,” she said.
Binoche is in Jeddah with documentary In-I In Motion, which marks her directorial debut and first premiered at San Sebastian. It is an account of her dance-drama collaboration with British choreographer and dancer Akram Khan, which was performed in 2008.
The documentary, she explained, was inspired by the late Robert Redford, who came to see the show in New York. “He said to me at the end of the show, you’ve got to make a film out of this.”
The rehearsals had been filmed, as had the show itself, but the tapes had sat in a drawer for 15 years. The resulting documentary comes from editing down more than 170 hours of rushes, said Binoche – a process that took 10 months of editing.
The film was supported by global luxury group Kering through its Women In Motion program, which supports leading and emerging female talent in the film industry. Kering also partnered with Red Sea on its Women in Cinema event, held here on Friday.
Binoche was presented with an honorary award the opening night of the festival.
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