Mohammed Al Turki is a film producer, philanthropist and popular personality originally from Saudi Arabia, now working in Hollywood. We caught up with him at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival where a film he produced starring Richard Gere, ‘Arbitrage’, opened the event.

DFI: What persuaded you to take ‘Arbitrage’ on as producer, and how did the original plan develop?
Mohammed: I met with (director) Nicholas Jarecki through a mutual friend. We sat down for hours, talking about films and our knowledge of cinema and just bonded straight away.

At [that] time, the cast was completely different when I signed up. We had Al Pacino, Eva Green – Susan Sarandon was there but we didn’t know who the cop was. I just loved the story. It’s universal, and about the financial crisis, it’s timely yet timeless when it comes to moral values – and questioning them! – and it reminded me of the old seventies classics.

DFI: Why did you choose Richard Gere to play Robert Miller the billionaire, the main character?
Mohammed: We didn’t know that he was going to accept the script when he saw it. But he read it and he loved it and for us it’s an honour to have had someone like him, and get the opportunity to work with a Hollywood legend.

DFI: And Susan Sarandon of course…
Mohammed: Of course. We were blessed with the whole cast. Brit Marling is amazing; she’s a rising star. We’ve got Nate Parker as well – Both The Hollywood Reporter and Variety have called him one of the top ten actors to watch.

Mohammed Al Turki

DFI: What are your challenges and fears as an Arab working in Hollywood?
Mohammed: Hollywood is very diverse in accepting a lot of cultures. You know, film itself is an art and it’s universal. Anyone in the whole world can watch a movie and relate to it whether it’s in India, Saudi or America. There is no race, there is no religion. It’s a form of art. So, if people think I faced any difficulties – no I didn’t. We’re all creative heads and we just to excel and work together and try to get the best form of art to the masses.

DFI: What do you look for when picking stories?
Mohammed: A good script – a very good script. Strong, relative, meaningful and global.

DFI: Do you have an inclination to producing American films, over Arab ones?
Mohammed: No. My first opportunity to work on a film was with ‘The Imperialists Are Still Alive!’, directed by Zeina Durra, who is of Arab origin. But to be honest, I’ve never tried to work on an “Arabic” or “Hollywood” film per say. It’s an assessment based on quality and impact. ‘The Imperialists Are Still Alive!’ was a great success; it won Best Film at Washington Film Festival, Best Film at the Asian American Film Festival and it was in Sundance’s Official Selection in 2010. I am so very proudly from this region, and I would love to look at Arabic films, and talent, in the future.

DFI: So your next step is looking for Arab talents and filmmakers to work with?
Mohammed: Not right now, but it’s within my five-year plan.

DFI: What have you been working on lately?
Mohammed: I’ve teamed up with Justin Nappi of Treehouse Pictures; and have successfully developed three film projects after ‘Arbitrage’. We’ve also just signed up to do two more. The bigger picture is to work on up to five movies a year.

DFI: Are you planning on coming to Doha Tribeca Film Festival (November 17 – 24)?
Mohammed: I have a lot of interest in Doha Film Institute (DFI) yes, and would like to attend the festival. Funnily enough I was in Venice Film Festival recently, I had a film there – ‘At Any Price’ – which was in competition. I was invited to the opening night and it was playing Mira Nair’s ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’ – which was funded by DFI. It was one of my favourite films in the Festival…Mira Nair directed the film perfectly. Riz Ahmed (who plays the lead character Changez) is so talented. He played the role so well and the message behind the movie was very strong. I think to date, that is one of the best films DFI have invested in. Certainly one of my favorites.

Mohammed Al Turki (left) with the 'Arbitrage' team.

DFI: What advice would you give to aspiring producers?
Mohammed: Be patient, and be accepting to the challenges you will definitely face. Filmmaking is also just so spontaneous. You never know what will happen. I never expected any of this! I would also say, keep an open mind. Any dream can be made a reality with thorough dedication and hard work.