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Desert Talk is a project consisting of film and sound works. The project has a dual nature, and is located between Saudi Arabian deserts (Dhanna) and the UK's closest edge to the peninsula (Dungeness). It is a cultural bridge, a continuation of the Arabian legacy, a lens focusing on the modern character of the Saudi Kingdom, a transcription of the recorded components of that voyage, and a way to reimagine the desert. In other words, this project is a conversation between two sites, situations, and languages of these un-empty landscapes known only to nomads.
The artist’s ultimate goal is to contribute to a cultural renaissance in which the craftsmanship of the desert and the lively traditions of the region coexist in harmony. The desert will be reimagined collectively, enjoying its inherent beauty and the sands' boundless potential for cultural progress.
Desert Talk is a captivating, situated film narrated by a grandfather and his son, embarking on a profound journey from Dhanna to Dungeness and back to Dhanna.
Awadh Alatawi is a poet, traveller, and a historian who embarked on a journey to cross the Saudi desert from a very young age. As a man of the desert, he found great beauty of what lies within the sands.
The nomad is a man who travels to a desert different than his own. Crossing landscapes and reaching from the Saudi desert to beyond the sea in search of himself.
Arriving from a far land to the shores of Dungeness is a journey of a nomad that only knows the desert.
Amid the arid vastness of Dungeness, a congregation of abandoned structures stands as a testament to the desert's maritime history. The creaking wood, rusted remnants, and whispers of the wind weave a story of time gone by.