The tragedy of the sinking of the "Peace Ferry 98" has once again come to the forefront, but this time through the gate of the seventh art, where a new Saudi film project inspired by one of the most influential humanitarian disasters in contemporary Arab memory has been announced.
Artist Nasser Al-Dossari and writer Mohammed Al-Mashout sparked a wide interaction on social media platforms after revealing the initial preparations for the film, sufficing with posting teaser footage on the "Snapchat" application, which caused a state of great anticipation among the audience.
From the pages of the "Death Ship" to the screen
The film is based on a real-life story documented by writer Mohammed Al Mashut, one of the most prominent survivors of the accident, in his famous 2012 book "The Ship of Death".
Nasser Al-Dossari is set to portray the character of "Al Mashout", in a widely praised choice due to Al-Dosari's ability to deliver roles with deep psychological dimensions.
The work details the bitter struggles the passengers experienced at sea, and the moments between death and survival.
As part of the promotion of the work, Al Mashout posted a photo of himself with Al-Dossari on the "X" platform, wondering how similar they are, which sparked a wave of interaction and reliving memories of the painful incident.
Followers expressed their enthusiasm to see the story with a Saudi dramatic vision, especially since the book on which the work was based provided an accurate documentation of the psychological and physical suffering experienced by the survivors.
February tragedy
The events of the disaster date back to February 3 , 2006, when the Egyptian ferry sank in the waters of the Red Sea during its voyage from the Saudi port of Duba to the Egyptian port of Safaga.
The ship was carrying hundreds of passengers, and the accident resulted in the death and loss of about 1,033 people, while 388 others survived, classifying the disaster as one of the worst maritime transport accidents in the region's modern history.