Nephew of the King of Saudi Arabia, talks to LOC about the film that recreates the life of King Faisal, produced by Andrés Vicente Gómez
They execute a Saudi prince before the visit of Philip VI
The Saudi odyssey of Andrés Vicente Gómez has arrived this weekend on the billboard of Saudi Arabia and Arab Emirates after a long journey through the desert. The film Born King , a Spanish-British co-production directed by Agustí Villaronga and produced by the widower of Concha García Campoy, tells the epic of the Saudi prince Faisal, who at just 13 years embarks on a momentous diplomatic mission to meet with the then monarch British, Jorge V.
In 1919, after World War I, his father receives an invitation from London. The monarch sends his third offspring. The visit of the baby of the family becomes the first of a member of the Saudi royal family to England. During his stay, the child travels to France. Both nations, winners of the contest, then design the new world order. In the Middle East, the collapse of the Ottoman Empire offers a golden opportunity for Abdelaziz. Faisal, who would be king from 1964 until his death in 1975, manages to establish alliances that cement the tight control of the House of Saud over the country. An authority that comes to this day.
The vicissitudes of that adventure captivated Andres, who has now signed the first western film shot in Saudi territory, with a budget that is close to 19 million euros. A mission that coincides with the efforts of the kingdom to improve its international image and for which it has had the support of the direct family of King Faisal. One of the members of Saudi royalty most involved in the project has been the young prince Saud Bin Turki al Faisal, grandson of that child who won the favor of the West on behalf of his father and made History. "The film has reached the whole family. We are very proud," Saud acknowledges in an exclusive interview with LOC from Dubai.
How have the descendants of King Faisal received the film? It shows how far my grandfather traveled in his commitment to diplomacy. It's a great story and it helps us to open our eyes to what happened at the beginning of the 20th century. Have King Salman and his son, Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, seen the movie? Yes. We made a screening for the monarch. We have not released the film until we obtained the approval of the court. They saw it and gave us the green light. We are glad that this happened. The crown prince is also very involved in the history of Saudi Arabia. Having your permission is important. What was the response? I was looking forward to seeing people's reaction. We have always been very cautious about the reception of this production. The first day, when the lights came back on in the room, I saw many happy faces. We didn't have enough graphic material from that historical moment but I think the team did a great job representing the personality of King Faisal. It was hard to represent and present it to the world. For the first pass all tickets were sold. It is a very good sign. For us, it is the first time we have told our own story through cinema. What were the challenges? They have to do with the fact that it was the first film shot and produced here. For example, the writing of the script and its review by local historians was a challenge. There were some problems but not many. I was filming in Riyadh myself. It was a pleasant experience, the first time I attended something similar. I was fascinated by how quickly the actors put on makeup. It was also fun to see foreign actors in Saudi dress. But I must say that they adapted very well from the beginning. I think they found a home here. Although it is a fragment of Saudi history, the film has Spanish DNA. How was the Spanish participation? I feel very close to Spain. It is true that much of the team that has been behind the project comes from there. In Madrid, in addition, the editing tasks have been carried out. That is why we feel the need to be projected in Spain. I know the country because I have visited Barcelona and Valencia. I am a fan of motor sports and have attended a race there. It is a beautiful country that can boast of always having good weather.According to the criteria of
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