Shams Al-Ma'arif

A very beautiful movie that I enjoyed and never felt the time, a wonderful comedy from everyone especially Baraa Alem, a movie written in astonishing way, and brilliantly produced. Greetings to you guys and very proud of you

The idea of a Saudi citizen wanting to be a film director might be a little bit derivative but the movie improves by the timeline and exceeds my expectations by being unpredictable and funny. Sure, it might have its corny moments but the acting and the production is better than any Saudi film i've ever seen.

I want to start by saying that I've known the work of the Gudos brothers since their collaboration with Telfaz and other Youtube related projects. I wasn't very excited to see the movie fearing that it would be similar to other national projects that are cliched or cinge-worthy. But after actually seeing the movie I realized that it's nothing like any other Saudi project I'm very proud and delighted by this experience.

The movie follows the path of a high school kid (Hossam) who is passionate about movies, a passion he shares with his physics teacher (Orabi) and his peers. The group decides to kick off their career and make use of Hossam editing and directing skills by filming a horror movie "Shams al-maarf". Throughout their journey they encounter the difficulties of having dreams and working to achieve them in an environment that is not supportive to say the least.

What I mostly loved about the movie is how relevant it is, everyone can relate to it in one way or another, but its relevance doesn't affect how well thought the story is. The performance of the actors was great, this is the first time that I see Bara'a acting and he didn't disappoint, I was a bit concerned that Sohayb performance might be over the top sometimes like in "six windows in the desert" but it wasn't, he did a great job portraying the middle aged teacher who still feels like a kid once reminded of his dreams. The soundtracks used in the movie were beautiful, I enjoyed that almost all of them were original and in the Saudi dialect. Finally I really appreciated that the movie is not trying to be something it's not, not imitating other projects and trying to find its own style and uniqueness.

Shams Al-maarf is definitely a turning point for me to believe again in Saudi filmmakers, it's a movie that I would enjoy watching again and again.

Loved the movie, the whole movie was so reflective of our society and of the things that touched and affected us in our most sensitive youth. The characters were so vibrant and vivid, the storyline had the perfect ups and downs that colors any great movie. The comedy was brilliant. The directing was innvoative and aesthetically beautiful. Loved everything about it and hopes it is a firestarter for a promising Saudi cinema.

It's fun, light and simple but very entertaining with incredible performances by it's three leading actors. Some breathtaking visuals with wonderful writing and directing. the dialogue is quick-witted and charming. Loved the childish & mature humor and the many Saudi-pop-culture references. If you grow up in Jeddah and went to a public school, the school scenes will feel very nostalgic and relatable. All and all well done.