interview www.bahrainthismonth.com 40 November 2022 THE LEADING ACT As one of Bahrain’s most talented actors and creative directors, Qahtan Al Qahtani is a hugely influential figure in the Kingdom’s film and television scene. Bahrain This Month sat down with him to discuss his earliest silver screen inspirations, his subsequent career and what advice he’d give to the next generation of budding movie stars. “Back in the early Sixties, we were among the lucky families in Bahrain to have a television set in our old house in Manama,” he reminisces. “That was my first introduction to that magic box where I actually got hooked to see whatever was on, from Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck to the Western movies. These were broadcast on the only channel at the time, which was Aramco from Saudi Arabia. “One of my most vivid memories was seeing John Wayne walk into a saloon and order a drink. Obviously, this being on a Saudi channel and dubbed in Arabic, he asked for an ‘orange juice’. Can you imagine? “I asked my mother where I could get a frothy orange juice just like John Wayne’s, and she very diplomatically answered that it was only available in the West and not in Bahrain! “Ever since then, I wanted to be one of those cool people on the screen. Even at school we had a radio and I couldn’t wait for those times I could be sat in front of a microphone.” Mr. Al Qahtani’s performing career began with his graduation from the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Kuwait in 1978, along with five other Bahrainis who were lucky enough to be studying in the same field. A stint as a school teacher teaching photography then followed, before moving to the Ministry of Education to run educational programmes and quiz shows on both, radio and television. His major breakthrough came in 1984 as he was assigned as Head of Production at Bahrain TV, a position he held until 2000 when he was made an Advisor for Theatrical Affairs at the Ministry of Information Affairs. After six years there, he resigned to become a freelance actor and producer for television, movies and other projects. He is currently about to join the cast of a new drama series in Abu Dhabi amongst some of the most respected acting talent in the region, with filming set to take place soon. It is the latest in a long line of acting credits that he reflects proudly on. “As head of production at Bahrain TV, I was in charge of almost everything except the news,” he recalls. “This included big events such as GCC summits, GCC conference football games and basically anything major that was shown live. Not only that, but I pushed to show current affairs and drama programmes because I really felt variety was needed. It was work for 16 hours a day but so worth it. “The other thing that I really was so proud of was training people at that time. People of all backgrounds were working at Bahrain TV but
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