Jasem Almuhanna, has led a riveting talk at the International Photography Festival ‘Xposure’ about the importance of narrating authentic Arab stories in the global film and media industry. At a Stage X session titled “Telling Our Stories: A Director’s View of Arab Narratives”, the Kuwaiti director was lauded for his commendable dramas such as “The Cage” and “The Exchange”, both of which are currently available on Netflix in 190 countries.

Almuhanna shared with his audience about how he had come to appreciate the inimitability of Arab tales and their compatibility with global standards, a blend that he stressed was indispensable for the proliferation of Arab content. “When we say a story came out of Kuwait, we mean the story came from the Arab world,” he said.

Almuhanna also acknowledged the necessity of breaking free from the shackles of a lacklustre infrastructure, thereby advocating the importance of collaborating with like-minded people who share the same ardour. “Upon returning from New Zealand, I associated myself with the ‘crème de la crème’ of Kuwaiti firms that not only honed my skills but also introduced me to an array of local talent,” the director said.

Explaining that it was his interaction with the President of American Society of Cinematographers that inspired him to pursue his vocation in Kuwait, Almuhanna commented, “That was the impetus that spurred me to realise my dreams in Kuwait”.

Almuhanna expanded on this saying, “Most of the great directors started from their own countries and then ventured into Hollywood, where they were already established in their respective countries. That’s when it dawned on me that I didn’t need to relinquish my identity to achieve success. I needed to create content from my homeland”.

The director voiced his desire for his personal story to galvanise other Arab individuals working in the production industry to aspire to captivate a global audience through local Arab stories. “Arabic content creators have an innate ability to be international. They should believe in their identity, for it can be the key to success. Just yesterday, I was delighted to learn that my show, “The Cage”, is among the top ten shows on Netflix in Poland and France,” he declared.