With Yemen’s cultural scene decimated after years of conflict and extremism, Yemeni-American film producer Mohsen Alkhalifi is — along with his partner, the director Amr Gamal — working to revive the territory’s cinema industry.
In 2018, Alkhalifi transformed a wedding hall in his hometown of Aden into a makeshift cinema to screen the pair’s debut 10 Days Before The Wedding, the first Yemeni film to be commercially released in the country in four decades. It was followed by 2023’s The Burdened, the first Yemeni film to be screened in the Berlinale’s official selection, where it won Panorama’s Amnesty International award. Both titles were selected as Yemen’s Oscar submissions.
The ongoing Yemeni civil war — which started in 2014 and followed a difficult period for the local exhibition industry — has struck a blow to cinemas, particularly those in Aden. The old picture palaces are in disrepair, so Alkhalifi and Gamal decided to use their success to push for restoration of the city’s historic Arwa Cinema.
Born, raised and part-based in Aden, the 31-year-old producer and TV presenter also splits his time between Abu Dhabi and Washington DC. During the Arab Spring of 2011, he began shooting videos for TV programme The Screen Is Yours on the AlMajd TV channel, and emerged as one of Yemen’s first influencers with the satirical YouTube series Adeny Industry.
Alkhalifi’s collaboration with Gamal started in 2016. “Gamal was a well-known director in theatre and TV, who aspired to cinema and convinced me to be his producer,” says Alkhalifi. Funding for 10 Days Before The Wedding was a challenge but they raised $33,000 from local merchants in Aden and Yemen’s Ministry of Youth and Sports.
Alkhalifi is now producing Asim Abdulaziz’s short film I Broke A Vase, and is working on a third feature with Gamal. Through their Adenium Productions banner, the pair are committed to supporting Yemeni filmmakers. “We are using [our] international recognition to change the cultural scene,” asserts Alkhalifi.
Contact: Mohsen Alkhalifi
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