![For its opening programme, developed in collaboration with the Red Sea International Film Festival, Hayy Cinema is celebrating luminaries of Arab cinema’s golden era.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KAASEBP3EJBNDEODYG5AFH2LKQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=385588c1e281dc8fde396d8688d1dee8b3697fc6ff4d0c97c91ba470d51df7fa&width=400&height=225)
![Hayy Cinema, a venue for independent films and Saudi's film community, has opened at Hayy Jameel in Jeddah. All Photos: Art Jameel](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/HPDYUHFSZ5BSXNS5RBPEJFQTLY.jpg?smart=true&auth=37be93c16b941a0a0b68a1038a827e63dfbb250e318bca8ed11757aac8fadeaf&width=400&height=225)
![The venue was designed by the Jeddah-based architectural practice BrickLab](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KGCM7TGXCVFHBJDIV6434X5QLQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=8960460a6adc4d92c1eff3e58f4be025aab239e5d97846cad0bedae6e2f8b4c5&width=400&height=225)
![It has a 168-seat theatre, as well as a 30-seat screening room, multimedia library and exhibition space.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5RLBA7STJBBIFIKNVJPMTPGD4E.jpg?smart=true&auth=de2f3d5c4547293c3af8fe4674e37017d60706a72aa78d11a17edbf8a893b09e&width=400&height=225)
![The multimedia library was conceived as a place where filmmakers and cinephiles will conduct research.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/XLVAAODM55CARJNLDGMO6ZATG4.jpg?smart=true&auth=99abcf895cc88cf5dc188db8b969a2245c70b3b82968fa6a035f0afb0860ed73&width=400&height=225)
![The opening programme was co-curated by Zohra Ait El Jamar, Hayy Cinema senior manager, along with writer and director Yaser Hammad.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/O5UHHJHFVZDZVJYEHXWUQPF4CI.jpg?smart=true&auth=850fb9badeb1d76d2a546fcdaefe0bd6c9509cb6531a3152549141da4ea79b84&width=400&height=225)
![Hayy Cinema is hosting an archival exhibition that features highlights from the oeuvre of Egyptian photographer Gamal Fahmy, who was at the forefront of capturing the developments of the film industry in Egypt in the mid-20th century.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5AQSS3OFKFDH7MNZKKYJN2R2RQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=18b99f3547b097580a6df73adbe3e329244f10c464a176f095c3e1a6e4aab865&width=400&height=225)
![The exhibition presents never-before-seen works by Fahmy, which take viewers behind the sets of some of the most renowned films of the era.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/PIYIR5ZJRVATNHUKFX2KVAROQM.jpg?smart=true&auth=348e4eea86bc93967ab33f56650dd0a04ae8ce3f3a100486de40dd7db4ba94c3&width=400&height=225)
![The exhibition, titled As Seen, will be running at the venue until March.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ET5PZ4PNDFFGHH75JDF5UHIU5M.jpg?smart=true&auth=61c5cdbf3e04872a1377a90def0cb72455a5c6ead8c1ee01806b6fc949a3d363&width=400&height=225)
![For its opening programme, developed in collaboration with the Red Sea International Film Festival, Hayy Cinema is celebrating luminaries of Arab cinema’s golden era.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KAASEBP3EJBNDEODYG5AFH2LKQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=385588c1e281dc8fde396d8688d1dee8b3697fc6ff4d0c97c91ba470d51df7fa&width=400&height=225)
![Hayy Cinema, a venue for independent films and Saudi's film community, has opened at Hayy Jameel in Jeddah. All Photos: Art Jameel](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/HPDYUHFSZ5BSXNS5RBPEJFQTLY.jpg?smart=true&auth=37be93c16b941a0a0b68a1038a827e63dfbb250e318bca8ed11757aac8fadeaf&width=400&height=225)
![The venue was designed by the Jeddah-based architectural practice BrickLab](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KGCM7TGXCVFHBJDIV6434X5QLQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=8960460a6adc4d92c1eff3e58f4be025aab239e5d97846cad0bedae6e2f8b4c5&width=400&height=225)
![It has a 168-seat theatre, as well as a 30-seat screening room, multimedia library and exhibition space.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5RLBA7STJBBIFIKNVJPMTPGD4E.jpg?smart=true&auth=de2f3d5c4547293c3af8fe4674e37017d60706a72aa78d11a17edbf8a893b09e&width=400&height=225)
![The multimedia library was conceived as a place where filmmakers and cinephiles will conduct research.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/XLVAAODM55CARJNLDGMO6ZATG4.jpg?smart=true&auth=99abcf895cc88cf5dc188db8b969a2245c70b3b82968fa6a035f0afb0860ed73&width=400&height=225)
![The opening programme was co-curated by Zohra Ait El Jamar, Hayy Cinema senior manager, along with writer and director Yaser Hammad.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/O5UHHJHFVZDZVJYEHXWUQPF4CI.jpg?smart=true&auth=850fb9badeb1d76d2a546fcdaefe0bd6c9509cb6531a3152549141da4ea79b84&width=400&height=225)
![Hayy Cinema is hosting an archival exhibition that features highlights from the oeuvre of Egyptian photographer Gamal Fahmy, who was at the forefront of capturing the developments of the film industry in Egypt in the mid-20th century.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5AQSS3OFKFDH7MNZKKYJN2R2RQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=18b99f3547b097580a6df73adbe3e329244f10c464a176f095c3e1a6e4aab865&width=400&height=225)
![The exhibition presents never-before-seen works by Fahmy, which take viewers behind the sets of some of the most renowned films of the era.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/PIYIR5ZJRVATNHUKFX2KVAROQM.jpg?smart=true&auth=348e4eea86bc93967ab33f56650dd0a04ae8ce3f3a100486de40dd7db4ba94c3&width=400&height=225)
![The exhibition, titled As Seen, will be running at the venue until March.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ET5PZ4PNDFFGHH75JDF5UHIU5M.jpg?smart=true&auth=61c5cdbf3e04872a1377a90def0cb72455a5c6ead8c1ee01806b6fc949a3d363&width=400&height=225)
![For its opening programme, developed in collaboration with the Red Sea International Film Festival, Hayy Cinema is celebrating luminaries of Arab cinema’s golden era.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KAASEBP3EJBNDEODYG5AFH2LKQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=385588c1e281dc8fde396d8688d1dee8b3697fc6ff4d0c97c91ba470d51df7fa&width=400&height=225)
Inside Hayy Cinema, Saudi Arabia's first independent cinema and film community centre
The space is intended to build a cinema language in the Jeddah community and provide a research and learning venue for filmmakers from the region
![Razmig Bedirian](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2F275b4b76-cb6d-410e-a5df-c23d65484c26.png?smart=true&auth=fc94b07464368c9c664f3bd102f95ffe4c76b1b38fe7d6fee2362e26add51d0e&width=70&height=70)
Razmig Bedirian
December 10, 2022
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