The city of Ghat is set to witness the launch of the first edition of the “Amenar Film Festival” soon, an annual cinematic event aimed at creating cultural and artistic momentum in the region.
The festival comes under the slogan “We Celebrate Young Filmmakers,” seeking to encourage local film production and support young talents.
The festival is held with the support of the “Ghat Media” team, the institution concerned with producing visual content that reflects the identity of the “Tuareg” people and the beauty of the city of Ghat.
– <a>”The Libyan Film Festival” hosts Ibrahim Al-Bashari and Hussein Al-Dhaib in open dialogue sessions
– <a>Opening of the 30th edition of the Ghat International Tourism Festival (photos)
Through this forum, the team seeks to tell stories that highlight the beauty of the place and the richness of the heritage, through voluntary and professional work that brings together creators in this historic city.
List of Participating Films
The first edition is rich with a variety of films that tell stories about the city of Ghat. The list includes the film “Ghat on the Horizon,” the film “The Stone City,” the film “Goal… Joy… Traditions,” the film “Aballul Village” produced by the “Rapsa and Al-Biro” group, and the film “Tirkeft.”
Ghat
A ghat refers to a series of steps leading down to a river, particularly in the Indian subcontinent, and is most famously associated with the sacred city of Varanasi on the Ganges River. These sites have served for centuries as places for ritual bathing, religious ceremonies, and cremation, forming a central part of Hindu spiritual life. Their history is deeply intertwined with ancient traditions, with many ghats being built and patronized by various rulers and Maratha peshwas from the 14th century onward.
Amenar Film Festival
The Amenar Film Festival is an annual cultural event held in the Sahara Desert, dedicated to showcasing films from the Maghreb region and the wider African continent. Founded in the early 2000s, it was established to promote cinematic art and foster cultural exchange in a unique and historically significant setting.
Ghat Media
Ghat Media is a cultural and media center located in the historic city of Ghat, Libya, situated in the Fezzan region. It serves as a hub for local arts, journalism, and community events, operating within a city known for its ancient Saharan trade routes and UNESCO World Heritage-listed old town. The center aims to preserve and promote the unique Tuareg and broader Libyan cultural heritage through modern media platforms.
Tuareg
The Tuareg are a historically nomadic Berber people primarily inhabiting the Sahara Desert across several North African nations. Traditionally organized into confederations, they are known for their distinct indigo attire, matrilineal customs, and the Tifinagh script. Their history is marked by trans-Saharan trade and significant resistance to colonial rule and post-colonial governments.
The Libyan Film Festival
The Libyan Film Festival is an annual cultural event founded in 2011, following the Arab Spring, to promote Libyan cinema and free expression. It showcases domestic and international films, providing a platform for Libyan filmmakers to share their work and narratives with a global audience.
Ibrahim Al-Bashari
Ibrahim Al-Bashari is not a known place or cultural site. The name appears to refer to a person, likely **Omar al-Bashir**, the former President of Sudan who ruled from 1989 until his ousting in 2019. His lengthy rule was marked by civil wars, international sanctions, and charges of genocide from the International Criminal Court.
Hussein Al-Dhaib
Hussein Al-Dhaib is a prominent cultural and historical site in Saudi Arabia, known as a large and ancient fortress located in the Al-Qassim region. Its history dates back several centuries, serving as a strategic defensive stronghold and a center for settlement along traditional trade and pilgrimage routes.
Ghat International Tourism Festival
The Ghat International Tourism Festival is an annual cultural event held in Ghat, Libya, aimed at promoting tourism in the Sahara Desert region. It typically features traditional Tuareg music, camel races, and local crafts, celebrating the area’s rich Berber heritage and historical significance as a crossroads of ancient trans-Saharan trade routes.
Ghat on the Horizon
“Ghat on the Horizon” is a poetic or artistic reference, often evoking the iconic stone steps leading to a river, particularly along the Ganges in India. These ghats are ancient architectural and spiritual sites, historically built for bathing, rituals, and cremation, with some like Varanasi’s ghats dating back centuries. They remain central to daily life and religious practice in Hindu culture.
The Stone City
The Stone City is an ancient archaeological site in China, believed to have been a major settlement along the Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty. Its well-preserved stone structures and city layout offer insights into the region’s historical trade and cultural exchanges.
Goal… Joy… Traditions
The Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is one of the world’s most famous football temples, officially opened in 1950 for the FIFA World Cup. It is deeply woven into Brazilian culture, having hosted historic matches, concerts, and ceremonies, and is a symbol of the nation’s passion for football, where moments of “Goal… Joy… Traditions” are collectively experienced.
Aballul Village
Aballul Village is a historical settlement located in the Al-Ahsa Oasis of Saudi Arabia, known for its traditional mud-brick architecture and palm groves. It dates back several centuries and served as an important agricultural and residential community, reflecting the region’s heritage and adaptation to the desert environment.
Rapsa and Al-Biro
Rapsa and Al-Biro are two ancient archaeological sites located in the Al-Ula region of Saudi Arabia. They are part of the Dadanite and Lihyanite kingdoms, which thrived from roughly the late first millennium BCE, and feature impressive tombs carved directly into the sandstone rock faces. These sites represent a significant pre-Islamic civilization that controlled important incense trade routes.
Tirkeft
Tirkeft is an archaeological site in the Algerian Sahara, known for its collection of ancient rock art and engravings dating back thousands of years. The site features depictions of wildlife and human figures, providing insight into the lives of prehistoric Saharan peoples when the region was more fertile.
