Black Gold Doha Film Institute Press Release 28-10-10
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Transcript of Black Gold Doha Film Institute Press Release 28-10-10
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Tarak Ben Ammars Quinta Communications and the Doha Film Institute to co-produce acclaimed filmmaker
Jean-Jacques Annauds $55million Black Gold
(Doha, Qatar) - October 28 2010- Tarak Ben Ammars Quinta Communications has signed a landmark
agreement with the Doha Film Institute (DFI) to co-produce the epic feature film Black Gold.
Antonio Banderas, Tahar Rahim, Mark Strong, Freida Pinto, Riz Ahmed and Liya Kebede have signed on to star
in Black Gold, an epic adventure adaptation of Hans Reuschs classic novel The Great Thirst.
Acclaimed filmmaker Jean-Jacques Annaud (Quest for Fire; The Name of the Rose; Seven Years in Tibet;
Enemy at the Gates) will direct based on the screenplay by Menno Meyjes (The Color Purple; Empire of
the Sun; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade). Jean-Jacques Annaud and Alain Godard have co-written the
story.
Principal photography began in Tunisia on October 18 and the film will shoot in and around Ben Ammars
Empire Studios in Tunisia, as well as on location in Qatar next year.
Black Gold tells the story of the rivalry between two Emirs in Arabia in the 1930s just as oil is being
discovered, and the rise of a young, dynamic leader who unites the various tribes of the desert kingdoms. The
film will sweep audiences into the heart of the Arabian Peninsula in a way not seen since David Leans seminal
Lawrence of Arabia some fifty years ago.
As previously announced, Warner Bros and Universal Pictures International will distribute the film worldwide
on a multi-territory basis, an unprecedented feat for a film about the Arab world.
Warner Bros will distribute the film in France, the United Kingdom, Latin America and the Middle East.
Universal Pictures International (UPI) will distribute the film in Germany and Spain.
Quinta Communications Eagle Pictures is handling distribution in Italy.
Remaining distribution deals are currently being finalised for a worldwide Christmas 2011 release.
Tahar Rahim, after his award-winning, breakthrough performance in Jacques Audiards Un Prophete, will
play the lead role of Prince Auda in Black Gold, a hero torn between two fathers, two loves, two choices, one
destiny.
Mark Strong (Robin Hood; Sherlock Holmes; Kick-Ass) is Audas father Amar, ruler of Salmaah, who is
forced to give up his beloved two sons after losing a battle to his fierce enemy Nessib, ruler of the kingdom of
Hobeika, played by Antonio Banderas (Mask of Zorro; You Will Meet a Tall, Dark Stranger) . Frieda Pinto
(Slumdog Millionaire; Miral) plays Princess Lallah, the daughter of Nessib and future wife of Auda. Riz
Ahmed (Four Lions) plays the role of the wisecracking Dr. Ali, half-brother to Auda, while supermodel Liya
Kebeda (Flower of the Desert) plays fiery Bedouin slave girl Aicha.
For Tarak Ben Ammar, the production of Black Gold represents the culmination of a thirty year journey to
adapt Hans Reuschs novel.
I am delighted that the Doha Film Institute will be my partners in bringing this epic story of Arab heroism and
nobility to audiences around the world, said Tarak Ben Ammar. When I first tried to make this film over 30
years ago, I could not find any Arab partners who shared my belief that culture and cinema was a priority.
Now, thanks to the inspirational vision of H.E. Sheikha Mayassa Bint Hamad Al Thani and her team at the Doha
Film Institute, I can see how much has changed and that progress is real.
For the Doha Film Institute, which launched at the Cannes Film Festival this year, Black Gold represents the
first, major, international feature film that the organisation has been involved with.
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Amanda Palmer, Executive Director of DFI said: One of the goals of DFI is to support and showcase Arab
storytellers and expand the reach of Arab films globally. Since our launch five months ago, we have been
looking for film financing opportunities that provide unique educational experiences to Qatari youth, and it
was important for us to find a production to film here. Black Gold will enable us to give Qatars young ta lent
hands-on experience on a major international production, so that we can train and develop a skilled film
community here in Doha and then build an infrastructure regionally to capitalise on growing global interest in
Arab cinema."
Central to both Quinta Communications and Doha Film Institute is the fact that Black Gold will deliver to
audiences around the world an entertaining adventure in the Arabian desert and the kind of breathtaking
action and spectacle that contemporary audiences are craving for.
This is a timely film for the whole family to see and enjoy together. We promise to transport them to another
world under the Arabian sky, said Ben Ammar. This is a big-budget, big, big epic with a lot of action.
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Notes to Editors:
About Quinta Communications:
Quinta Communications, founded in 1990 by Tarak Ben Ammar, is the only fully integrated, multi-platform
entertainment company formed and run by an Arab that has successfully established itself in Europe and
North America as well as the Middle East and North Africa. Tarak Ben Ammar has overseen an ever-expanding
infrastructure that now includes theatrical distribution operations in France (Quinta) and Italy (Eagle Pictures),
production studios (Empire Studios, Carthago Film Studios in Tunisia and Cinema City with Luc Besson in
France), post-production (LTC, Scanlab, Duran Duboi, Eclair Group) and TV Networks (Nessma TV covering the
Maghreb as well as Sport Italia and the DFree digital bouquet in Italy). Tarak Ben Ammar is also a board
member of The Weinstein Company, Telecom Italia and Mediobanca.
In 2010, Quinta co-produced two major feature films: Rachid Boucharebs Outside The Law, about the
Algerian struggle for independence from French colonial rule, received its world premiere in competition at
the Cannes Film Festival.
Quinta also co-produced Julian Schnabels Miral, based on Rula Jebreals biographical account of Palestinian
woman Hend Husseinis establishment of the Dar El Tifl orphanage following the 1948 partition of Palestine
and establishment of the state of Israel. The film received its world premiere in competition at Venice Film
Festival.
About Doha Film Institute:
The Doha Film Institute, founded in 2010 by H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, is
Qatars first international organization dedicated to film education and entertainment. Its initiatives includefunding film and television productions, year-round teaching and film appreciation programmes, as well as the
annual Doha Tribeca Film Festival. DFIs cultural partners include New Yorks Tribeca Enterprises, Martin
Scorseses World Cinema Foundation and Mira Nairs Maisha Filmmaker Labs. Along with its Founder, DFI
leadership includes Executive Director Amanda Palmer, Managing Director Maggie Kim, H.E. Sheikh
Mohammed Bin Fahad Al-Thani, H.E. Dr. Hassan Al-Nimah and H.E. Sheikh Jabor Bin Yousuf Al Thani.
Our website www.dohafilminstitute.com is a multimedia portal that features streaming video, online
education, specialized film programmes, filmmaker interviews, festival reports, photo galleries, podcasts,
financing information, useful links and a regularly updated blog filled with the latest news about the Institute
and its programmes.
Contact:
Doha Film Institute: Majid Wasi,[email protected]
Quinta Communications: Ali Jaafar,[email protected], +44 7917882843
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
