ShareBy Ahmad Jabr
Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center hosted on Monday a red-carpet event for 'The Exchange', the first Kuwaiti Netflix original series. A star-studded cast attended a special screening of the show that has been translated into five different languages and comes with high potential and anticipation of putting Kuwait's drama in its rightful place on the global map.
"I believe that if Netflix didn't already have faith in our drama in terms of stories, cast, production and all other aspects, they wouldn't have collaborated on this project," veteran Kuwaiti movie and TV star Zahra Al-Kharji said. A household name in the industry, not only in Kuwait and the Gulf region but also the Arab world, Kharji believes that Kuwait has always been rich in tremendous talent capable of performing on the highest international levels.
People attend the screening of the Exchange.And perhaps Kuwait's talents are starting to catch international attention. "It's an incredible experience. I never would've dreamed of this," said co-writer Anne Sobel. "[Nadia Ahmad] has been a good friend of mine for a long time and I feel very fortunate that she chose us to work on this project."
Nadia Ahmad wrote The Exchange, a Kuwaiti drama set in 1987 and tells the story of two women making their way at the Kuwait Stock Exchange. "I'm proud that we got the chance to do this," lead star Rawan Mahdi said. A young actress based in Kuwait, Mahdi graduated from the Higher Institute for Dramatic Arts in 2015 and won an award for 'Best Supporting Actress' at the Kuwait Theater Festival for her role in 'The Wedding'. "My message to young aspiring actors and actresses is to always keep going and never stop," she said.
Delicate themes
Inspired by true events, the show tackles many delicate themes including women's empowerment. It explains how two women overcame social norms to break into a field such as the stock exchange at a time when male dominance was still at a high level in society compared to modern times. "I wanted to inspire intelligent hardworking women to strive to reach their highest potential even when the challenges seem insurmountable," Sobel said.
"It is a very important topic," said veteran Kuwaiti actor Jassem Al-Nabhan of the show's theme. "It addresses several issues such as working women, the challenges they face, and efforts needed to allow them to work."
Nabhan has starred in several Kuwaiti movies and drama works throughout his storied career, some of which were performed on the international stage. But the language barrier has always been a main challenge in Kuwait's road to reaching a wider international audience. He believes that The Exchange, which presents a compelling story in multiple languages on a widespread platform such as Netflix, has the potential to break this long-standing barrier.
Mohammad Al-Mansour, another veteran Kuwaiti TV and movie star who's witnessed the rise of Kuwait's drama, TV and cinema since the golden age of the industry, says Kuwait has long established its presence in the field in the Arab world, and it's time it leaves its mark on the international scene as well. He agrees that Kuwait has limitless potential in this regard.
"I am very lucky they chose me to be part of this amazing event, being on Netflix and going international," said Shabnam Khan, a young aspiring actress who plays a role that kick-starts the events of the series.
The Exchange, which premieres exclusively on Netflix on February 8, 2023, is produced by Beyond Dreams and directed by Kuwait's Jassem Al-Muhanna and Egypt's Karim Al-Shenawy. "It was really fun to go out of the comfort zone, try this new experience and collaborate with great talent," said Shenawy, who's worked on several other projects with Netflix in the past. "I read a great script that I wanted to do. For me, this is a great universal story - the story of two great women who are really inspiring [told] in a fun and enjoyable way."
"It is a dream come true," said Muhanna. "I think [The Exchange] puts Kuwait on the map in terms of filming and production that is on par with international levels." "This experience went well for me and my colleagues, especially in terms of moving from the local to the international scene," said actor Faisal Al-Amairi.
The Exchange is a Netflix original series conceived and written by celebrity TV presenter, actress and activist Nadia Ahmad, with Anne and Adam Sobel. The cast includes Rawan Mahdi, Mona Hussain, Hussain Al-Mahdi, Mohammad Al-Mansour, Zahra Al-Kharji, Huda Al-Khateeb, Faisal Al-Amairi, Jassem Al-Nabhan, Maryam Salih, Asmahan Tawfiq, and Abdullah Bahman.
