Long-time collaborators Cairo-based Film Clinic and Dubai-based Front Row Productions are joining forces with Saudi Arabian companies Arabia Pictures Group and Rotana Studios to produce local rom-com A Matter of Life and Death.
The Jeddah-shot feature will revolve around the romance between two unconventional characters: Hayat, a superstitious young woman who is convinced she’s cursed, and Yousef, a shy heart surgeon dealing with a bafflingly slow heartbeat. Their fates collide as she is wishing for an end, while he is wrestling with even darker thoughts.
The feature will be directed by Anas Ba-Tahaf, whose 2021 drama Fay’s Palette, about a girl cloistered in her home by a controlling brother, was one of the first Saudi features to be made following the lifting of the country’s 35-year cinema ban in 2017.
Writer and actor Sarah Taibah, who took co-writing credits on Saudi fantasy drama Hwjn, is lead writer. She and Ba-Tahaf previously collaborated on the hit TV series Jameel Jeddan, in which she also starred as a girl who wakes up from a coma after five years.
Taibah, who also appeared in Saudi hit Mandoob, will star as Hayat opposite Yaqoub Alfarhan, who made waves internationally earlier this year for his performance in Cannes 2024 Un Certain Regard selection Norah as a teacher posted to a rural village in 1990s Saudi Arabia.
The local star’s credits also include Rashash and the upcoming Telfaz11 production AlGhaid.
The romcom was announced on the fringes of the fourth edition of the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, which is currently laying on its biggest market since its launch in 2021.
“We’re absolutely excited to unveil this one-of-a-kind Saudi tale,” says Film Clinic producer Moh Hefzy. “Sarah and Anas have woven a narrative that not only captivates but also strikes a chord by authentically showcasing the richness of human connections and the delightful quirks of life while exploring universal dilemmas”.
Front Row CEO Gianluca Chakra said the cooperation on the film was a sign of the growing pan-MENA film and TV ecosystem emerging in the region.
“This collaboration highlights how essential partnerships are for elevating the production industry in Saudi Arabia and the wider region. With this project, we’re infusing unique perspectives into our films, ultimately enriching the landscape,” he said.
Principal photography is set to begin in Jeddah on January 18, 2025
Front Row and Film Clinic previously teamed up on hit Perfect Strangers, Netflix’s first local language original for the MENA region.
Arabia Pictures Group and Film Clinic previously collaborated on drama Flight 404, which stars Mona Zaki and Mohamed Farrag, and is Egypt’s Oscar entry this year. Arabia Pictures has past form in the rom-com genre having produced 2023 picture #Gawwezni (aka Marry Me) starring U.K.-Egyptian star Amir El-Masry.
Rotana Studio is the production arm of the Rotana Media Group, one of Saudi Arabia’s biggest media and entertainment companies alongside MBC.
