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Rolling Stone _ Middle East

October’s Doha Tribeca Film Festival will open with the world premiere of Black Gold, co-produced by the Doha Film Institute and Tunisian producer Tarak ben Ammar’s Quinta Communications. The film – which charts the experiences of two warring emirs after the discovery of oil in 1930s Arabia, and stars Tahar Rahim, Antonio Banderas, Mark Strong and Freida Pinto – is one of the biggest movie projects ever undertaken in the Arab world, and has been adapted from Hans Ruesch’s novel, The Arab, by renowned director Jean-Jacques Annaud (Seven Years In Tibet, Enemy At The Gates).

The movie, which will be internationally distributed by Universal and Warner Bros., marks an important milestone for both Qatar and the Middle East in general, serving as proof that the region is emerging as a key market in international cinema. Amanda Palmer, executive director of DFI, insists that its opening slot at the festival is based on merit, not tokenism. “I only made the decision after I’d had the chance to see the film,” she says. “You want to have an opening film that appeals to a wide audience. I had a lot of faith in the project, and after I saw it I knew that it would be a great film to open the festival.”

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http://www.rollingstoneme.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=687