London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jun 13, 2026

Eminent British filmmakers unveil plan to share Saudi life with international audience

Eminent British filmmakers unveil plan to share Saudi life with international audience

Two eminent British female filmmakers - Georgina Paget and Thembisa Cochrane - unveil their ambitious plan to share Saudi life with international audience with undertaking joint projects.
Speaking to Saudi Gazette, they revealed that they will shoot their first Saudi joint venture film, written and directed by well-known Saudi woman director Ahd Kamel, in Jeddah in 2022.

“We are keen on exchanging our international experience with Saudi women. We are excited so much to see that Saudi Arabia is changing tremendously and we would like to be part of that monumental change with sharing stories and inspiring Saudi women,” they said.

Paget and Cochrane are producers of “The Colour Room,” a British drama film, which was screened at Red Sea Gala Theatre here on Sunday evening. Kerry Fox, main actress of the film, also accompanied them to attend the Red Sea International Film Festival.

Paget and Cochrane said the film is made by women. “We are the producers and its Script Writer Claire Peate and Director Claire McCarthy are also women, and the story is also about women. If women have dreams and they have the willingness to realize these dreams with actions with the support of other women and members of the society, they can achieve beautiful things for everybody,” they said.

The British producers said it is fabulous to see many young Saudis coming forward to filmmaking industry. “It is incredible to be in the middle of a Saudi audience who are laughing and crying as they are actively engaging with films. The young volunteers are also very helpful to all those coming from outside the Kingdom, with enthusiastically guiding us all around.”

They heaped praise on the young filmmakers from Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region for their passion in filmmaking industry. “It is wonderful to see many young women directors from the Kingdom and the Arab region as well. A lot of films about women from the region and the international scenes are being screened at the festival,” they said.

On her part, Ahd Kamel told Saudi Gazette that the new film “My driver and I” tells the story of unusual friendship that she had with her Sudanese driver and its impact on her life. Referring to the Saudi project, Paget and Cochrane said that they are going to make the film in Jeddah in 2022.

The film sheds light on a young woman growing up in Jeddah in 1980s and 90s and becoming an artist focusing a little bit on the life of the Director Kamel herself who wrote the script and becoming the director too. “In the process of making preparations for the shoot, we are learning more about Saudi society as it is complex like any other society with consisting of people of all kinds. We learn more about each other apart from sharing the Saudi life with the international audience too,” they said.

The Colour Room is a ceramicist biopic, which highlights the pivotal idea that the modern woman is forward-looking and not backward-looking. The film is inspired by the life of history-making British ceramicist Clarice Cliff.

The film, directed by Claire McCarthy from a screenplay by Claire Peate, highlights the women’s struggle to be heard within what is otherwise a feel-good story of talent triumphant. Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor plays Cliff, who rose to prominence in the 1920s by introducing modern designs and colors to the traditional English pottery industry.

Potteries employed many women in largely menial roles, but Cliff managed to impress so much one eccentric factory owner with her ingenuity that she was allowed to design her own range and eventually run her own studio.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Barclays Moves to Acquire GoHenry in Bid to Expand Youth-Focused Fintech Services
UK Lupus Patients Show Remission in NHS Genetic Therapy Trial
London Clean Air Zones Linked to Fewer Emergency Hospital Admissions for Respiratory Illness
UK World Cup Scheduling Research Suggests Energy Bill Savings From Off-Peak Usage
UK Economic Anxiety Rises Among Young People Over Long-Term Job Prospects
NHS Expands Meningitis B Vaccination Programme for School Leavers and New Students
London Ultra-Low Emission Zone Linked to Drop in Emergency Respiratory Hospital Admissions
Derbyshire Police Officer Investigated Over Alleged Use of AI-Generated Evidence in Case Files
UK Parents Back Proposed Under-16 Social Media Ban as Online Safety Concerns Grow
Four Palestine Action Activists Jailed Over Sabotage Attack on Israeli-Linked Arms Facility
Barclays to Acquire GoHenry in Push to Expand Digital Banking for Children and Teenagers
UK Government Reaffirms Defence Spending Commitment Amid Cabinet Pressure and Political Disputes
Belfast Unrest Prompts Security Review as Paramilitary Activity Comes Under Renewed Scrutiny
SpaceX IPO Pushes Elon Musk to Become World’s First Trillionaire After Record Valuation Surge
United States and Iran Near Landmark Peace Framework as Negotiations Reach Final Stages
UK Competition Watchdog Investigates Ryanair Family Seating Charges
Imperial College Study Links London Emissions Charges to Lower Hospital Admissions
Scottish First Minister Launches US Trade Initiative Ahead of World Cup Match in Boston
Fifteen Million Workers Gain Expanded Sick Pay Rights Under UK Reforms
British Retail Investors Secure Record Participation in SpaceX Share Offering
Keir Starmer and Micheál Martin Coordinate Response to Northern Ireland Violence
NHS Prepares for Major Disruption as Resident Doctors Announce Four-Day Strike
Bank of England Expected to Hold Rates as Energy Costs Complicate Inflation Outlook
Britain Moves to Ban Under-16s From High-Risk Social Media Platforms and AI Chatbots
UK Economy Contracts as Middle East Conflict Weighs on Growth
Defence Secretary John Healey Resigns Over Military Spending Dispute With Treasury
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Faces Leadership Crisis After Senior Cabinet Resignations
NHS Trust Secures Funding for AI Tool to Detect Heart Failure Earlier
Government Unveils £4.5 Billion Investment Plan for Walking and Cycling Infrastructure
Nationwide Reports UK House Prices Falling as Borrowing Costs Remain Elevated
Centre for Social Justice Says Two Million Britons Are Using Illegal Loan Sharks
UK Carmakers Warn EU Local Content Rules Could Damage British Manufacturing
UK Government Imposes Emergency Ban on Seven Potent Synthetic Opioids
Royal Navy Completes Major North Atlantic Anti-Submarine Exercise Off Norway
NHS Figures Show Nearly 3,000 Patients a Day Receiving Care in Hospital Corridors
CBI Cuts UK Growth Forecast as Middle East Tensions Drive Inflation Risks Higher
Dan Jarvis Appointed UK Defence Secretary Following Major Government Reshuffle
University College London Study Links Physical Punishment to Higher Risk of Bullying
East Midlands Railway Unveils First Refurbished Train in £60 Million Modernization Programme
RNLI Issues National Water Safety Appeal Ahead of Expected Heatwave
Climate Change Raises Subsidence Risks for Millions of Homes Across Southeast England
Manchester Advances Plans for Underground Piccadilly Station With £1 Million Funding Commitment
Anti-Immigration Violence Continues in Belfast Amid Heightened Security Concerns
UK Law Locks Great British Railways Into Public Ownership
Office for National Statistics Adopts Supermarket Checkout Data for Inflation Measurement
Applied Atomics Launches With $500 Million Space Infrastructure Order Book
BYD Plans Nationwide Rollout of Ultra-Fast EV Charging Network
UK House Prices Unexpectedly Fall in May
CBI Warns UK Growth Is Becoming Increasingly Dependent on Public Spending
Makerfield By-Election Fuels Speculation Over Labour’s Future Leadership
×