ROUTE 10

Saudia Arabia, 2021, 82 minutes, Colour.

Baraa Alem, Fatima Albanawi.

Directed by Omar Naim.

Route 10 is a film from Saudi Arabia with the director from Lebanon. It is a brief, effective drama, a literal road movie.

Route 10 is extraordinary, 800 km of straight road through the desert – and the audience having all kinds of views and perspectives of the road and the desert.

The audience is invited into Saudi Arabia, the affluent aspects of Riyadh, an influential family, brother and sister, living in a mansion, summoned to fly to Abu Dhabi for their father’s second wedding. They are informed of flights being cancelled so they have to travel by road.

There is tension between brother and sister, some alienation from the past, so the early part of the journey has some bickering, querulous aspects. The brother drives – and audiences are interested to see if the woman drives a car in Saudi Arabia. Eventually she does.

Many commentators have made the comparison with Steven Spielberg’s classic short drama, Duel, a driver on the road, an anonymous menacing driver in pursuit. And this happens with the couple on the road, some road games with an anonymous driver, though seen to be male, their ignoring him after a breakdown, relishing his discomfort. They also speculate on who the driver could be, remembering business connections (and the brother is continually on the phone), or the consequences of an injury by accident in the past. What follows is a series of menacing, pursuit, overtaking, bumping into cars, his threat to them when they stop at a wayside petrol station, putting a scorpion in the car. When the couple see a police patrol on the road, the policeman does not believe them, threatens them with stealth of the car, until the pursuer then attacks the policeman and kills him. There is a dilemma for the young woman, a popular trained nurse respected at the hospital, who wants to go back to help the policeman.

Ultimately, there is more pursuit, cars driven off the road, the confrontation with the driver, disposing of him – and taking his car to drive to the wedding.

There has been a lot of social discussion, the role of the financial barons of the country, their methods, inhumane treatment of those working for them, bad memories of their father and his treatment of their mother, and a final confrontation with him as they arrive at the wedding.

1. A Saudi Arabia Road movie? Route 10, length, to Abu Dhabi? Through the desert?
2. The brief running time, setting the situation, the characters, the unknown assailant, the theories, the action? And the personal relationship between brother and sister, children and father, mother?
3. The location photography, the various views of the road, from above, on the road, the lanes, the surrounding desert, the dunes, the supermarket, the prayer building, the police in the car, the men with their truck? The musical score?
4. The situation, the cancelled flights? Assuming that this was the case, not checking? The wealthy family, the father and his business sense, no human compassion, his face on the magazines, relationship with his son, the phone calls, the deals, the law, demands? Relationship with his daughter, ignoring her? His late wife? The new marriage, wanting his children at the wedding?
5. The affluent family, the house, the car, the servant, treatment by the father, the later suspicions of him behind the plot? Servant, mechanic?
6. The character of the son, age, experience, treatment by his father, working for his father, saying he worked with him, the phone calls, the deals, anxiety? Memories of childhood with his sister, blinding the boy? Suspicions that the assailant could be connected with him? The daughter, age, experience, nurse, service, respected at work?
7. The driving, the vistas of Riyadh, the vistas of Route 10, Nasser driving, Maryam offering, eventually her driving? Their talk, memories of the past, bickering, listening, reconciliations, memories? Disillusionment with their father, fond memories of their mother, Maryam having tapes?
8. The mysterious assailant, pursuing them, playing road games, his clothes, mail, anonymous? His Jeep? Pursuit, swerving, overtaking, going behind, unnerving them? His breakdown of their passing? The continued pursuit? Stopping at the supermarket, Nasser and his manner, the scorpion in the back? Going to pray, the disappearance of issues?
9. The pursuit, bumping the car, getting out, the attack, Nasser and his fall, the injury, Maryam and attending it? His dizziness?
10. Stopping for the men, their truck, borrowing the phone, the assailant, the attack, Maryam and getting the phone, injuries?
11. The scorpion, Maryam and getting it off Nasser’s foot?
12. The control on the road, his phone call, suspicions, handcuffing Nasser, the attack on the policeman, his injuries, crashing into the windscreen, his death? Maryam and her scruple about returning?
13. The policeman’s gun, shooting the tire, the discussions about going back, the pursuit, Nasser shooting, the crash, their car overturned, going back to the body of the assailant, revving the car, bearing him in the sand?
14. The continuing in his van in his Jeep, arrival at the wedding, closing injuries, confronting their father?