Anti-Cinema

At a glance

Anti-Cinema, is a 2025 Saudi movie, directed by Ali Saeed. with a runtime of 116 minutes.

Overview

Anti-Cinema is a Saudi documentary that ventures into the kingdom's hidden cinephile subculture during the decades when public film screenings were banned. The film profiles movie lovers who came of age in the 1980s without access to any cinema, yet found ways to keep their passion alive through informal screenings and smuggled videotapes. Reaching further back, it also uncovers a rich pre-1979 Saudi film history through the testimonies of pioneers who witnessed the art form before it was suppressed. A thoughtful and visually compelling portrait of cultural resilience, Anti-Cinema asks what it means to love an art form that your society has declared off-limits — and what is lost, and preserved, when culture goes underground.

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