Saeed Al-Khotani Saudi Gazette RIYADH — The Saudi-American Cultural Festival, hosted on Thursday by the US Embassy here, has attracted almost 700 visitors, according to American Cultural Attache, Robert Greenan. “We organized this event as part of the US Embassy's continuing efforts to enhance mutual understanding through cultural exchange events," he told Saudi Gazette, expressing satisfaction over the cultural event. He said the embassy may sett up an American Cultural Center in Riyadh in the foreseeable future to foster such events in the Kingdom. “We hope from our cultural events that the people of Saudi Arabia will gain insights into American culture and have a mutual understanding that could lay the groundwork for peace and cooperation through people to people connections," he added. The festival featured Saudi and American arts, films and photography. Over 60 historical photos of the visits by Saudi and Americans leaders to each other's countries, works of world famous American landscape photographer, Tom Till, together with selected pieces of Saudi artists, Abdulnazzer Gharem, Shaweesh and Tilfaz were displayed. Also a number of Saudi and American short movies were screened. The Saudi films were “Faten Drives Me Crazy “ by Mohamed Sendi, “Waynek” by Abdulaziz Alnjuym, and “One Man's Tricycles” by Farahat and Abdulaziz Alnjuym. Further, the festival had seen a children workshop and mural painting session, while the consular and educational officers at the embassy briefed visitors on US visa processing procedures and rich educational opportunities available in the US. The majority of visitors were young Saudis of both sexes. Saudi Gazette, was present at the event, interviewed some of them on why they attended and whether they got what they wanted. Sumayya Al-Shehri, online animation trainer, said she came to see the latest trends in conceptual works and said she found what she wanted in the works of the Saudi artist, Abdulnasser Al Garem. Yosra Kabban, physician, said she came out of curiosity and to change her daily routine of long working hours as physician and that she was impressed by the young Saudis' works, especially in the short movies. Lin Diab, a law student, said she came to see the short movies that was announced to be screened at the festival and she was impressed by them and the organization of the event.
Saad Kabbab, business student, said he came to know about the development of Saudi-American relations, and the photo exhibition of the exchanged visits of leaders of the two countries fulfilled that. Naif Al Obeidall, finance student, said he came to see the impact of Saudi culture on the Americans and saw it in one of the screened films that tackled this issue.
