Exploring Oman

Two Omani brothers have taken it upon themselves to highlight the beauty of Oman and showcase its successful professionals and explorers through visual productions.

Creative, innovative and enterprising Omani brothers, Anwar and Jamal Al Asmi feel that there are scores of stories in Oman awaiting narration – and that cinema is the right medium to showcase these stories.

Heading a Muscat-based media company, Reality CG, which produces films and 3D computer graphics, the Al Asmi brothers have swiftly distinguished themselves in their field in Oman; in fact, one of their productions even earned them an Emmy nomination in the United States.

Describing themselves as a boutique creative media company, the team consists of four core leaders and a network of artists, writers and sound engineers. “We are passionate about storytelling: we believe that there are many untold stories waiting to be narrated,” says Jamal. “We just see Oman as an amazing place to tell these stories.”

Their latest film project, ‘New Explorers’, under the Brand Oman Management Unit and produced by Reality CG, perhaps best gives a glimpse into their company’s philosophy and approach towards filmmaking. “There were three major themes surrounding the film,” says Jamal. “It was primarily about Oman, thinking about the power of media, and finally, finding happiness in life.” The brothers were adamant that the film did not solely focus on the beauty of Oman’s natural surroundings; they were also keen on reflecting the character of those living in the country. 

...we believe that there are many untold stories waiting to be narrated

They further wanted to define a target audience for the film. “The largest audience whom we defined, was the ‘new explorer’,” says Jamal and proceeds to explain how they came up with this idea. While making the film, the brothers tried to get an idea for the type of person that flourishes in Oman. “We felt that there is a personality who doesn’t mind challenge and is a seeker of opportunity - and we described this personality as a ‘new explorer’,” he says.

‘New Explorers’ evokes the spirit of Oman’s ancient navigators and explorers who set forth to explore new horizons and discover new opportunities in the early 16th century. Filmed in the spring of 2011, the eight-minute film reflects changes occurring in Oman’s cultural scene through glimpses into several personalities’ lives.

Jamal also refers to the book, ‘Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience’, which talks about happiness in context to the film. “The conclusion of the book is that what makes people happy is not necessarily what they think would make them happy,” he says. “What brings happiness to any human being is seeking challenges/opportunities/overcoming obstacles and bringing you closer to your goal.” He says that their focus was on finding those people in Oman striving to find happiness and thus being in the flow.

‘New Explorers’ aims to project a different Oman to the world while clearly reiterating the Al Asmi brothers’ ambition to constantly bring forth novel stories from their country.

If you’re an aspiring filmmaker, or have an idea that you believe deserves to be translated to the screen, creative lab can help. Take a look at some of our projects, and read stories about Ghafet Osha, Jirfah and others on how we’ve helped turn concepts into finished productions. Take some time to flesh out your idea and in the meantime connect with filmmakers, producers, directors and creative individuals within the community, who can offer valuable feedback and advice. The creative lab team is committed to funding and developing ideas that can enrich community discourse and present a diversity of views. Get in touch and see if your idea makes the cut.