Cinema Offers a New Experience for Visitors to the Sharjah International Narrator Forum
For the first time, cinema has joined the programme of the Sharjah International Narrator Forum, with a dedicated screening hall welcoming visitors with a selection of films, particularly classic productions that highlight the value and significance of friendship.
The initiative adds a distinctive cultural and heritage dimension to the forum, bringing together entertainment, cinematic experiences and memories of the seventh art, while complementing the forum’s theme and overall programme.
The forum, which opened last Wednesday, runs until September 27, with the participation of 120 narrators and researchers from 30 countries.
Heritage Films, Folk Tales and Narratives
Upon entering the cinema hall, visitors are welcomed by a large screen showing a selection of films from different periods in the history of cinema. The screenings recreate the atmosphere of classic cinema and offer audiences an opportunity to discover older productions that younger generations may not have had the chance to experience. The cinema also features screenings for children.
The initiative forms part of the diverse programme of activities featured at the forum. The visitor experience extends beyond heritage programmes, tales and folk narratives to include a range of cultural and entertainment spaces, including cinematic screenings.
Classic films have attracted particular interest among some visitors for their artistic value and the memories they evoke of an important period in the history of cinema. For younger audiences, they provide an opportunity to discover earlier approaches to filmmaking and cinematic presentation.
An Added Dimension of Entertainment
The cinema hall offers visitors an opportunity to relax and enjoy a film during their tour of the forum, adding an entertainment dimension to the event and complementing its diverse spaces and activities designed to appeal to different age groups.
Through its debut at the forum, cinema offers visitors a simple yet distinctive experience, bringing back memories of the seventh art through the big screen and adding a new dimension to the programme of the Sharjah International Narrator Forum.
Al-Musallam: Cinema Gives Stories of Friendship a Space for Expression
Dr Abdulaziz Al Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage and Chairman of the Forum’s Higher Organising Committee, said the introduction of cinema in this edition is directly aligned with the forum’s theme,“Stories of Friends.” He noted that friendship, by its very nature, is built around stories, memories and human experiences, while cinema has a powerful ability to transform such stories into images and scenes that can reach audiences across different age groups.
He said the initiative carries particular significance as it marks the first time that a cinema hall has been included among the forum’s activities, adding a new artistic and visual dimension to the visitor experience.
“Cinema here does not merely present screenings; it opens another window onto storytelling and gives stories of friendship a space for visual expression alongside words and oral narration,” he said.
Dr Al Musallam added that the cinematic component has also contributed to diversifying the forum’s activities and attracting new audiences, particularly young people and families.
He stressed that heritage storytelling is capable of keeping pace with modern art forms and reaching new generations through diverse approaches, while preserving its human essence and authentic values.