Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
This Is Bahrain has come a long way since its humble beginnings as a group of expatriates trying to put a positive spin on the country amidst negative international press after the 2011 unrest.
Now it is on the verge of becoming an official society with its own headquarters, an honour which will be rubber-stamped after Ramadan, and as part of the celebrations a feature-length movie will be created to showcase the kingdom’s culture.
This Is Bahrain is the brainchild of the Bahrain Federation for Expatriate Associations (BFEA) and has been touring the world since 2014 to showcase Bahrain’s history, tradition and culture.
BFEA secretary-general Betsy Mathieson expressed her delight at the news during a special multi-faith Ghabga gathering held at the Isa Cultural Centre on Sunday, which featured a communal prayer for peace and a showcase of traditional dances by children. She said: “When we started in 2011, it was a way of expatriates sticking together with our Bahraini brothers and sisters during difficult times. After that, it continued to expand and in 2014 we took This Is Bahrain on a sort-of roadshow around the world, to places like London, Brussels, Paris, Berlin, New York, Rome and more, spreading the message about how Bahrain is beautiful and harmonious amidst much negative press.
“We have tremendous support from His Majesty King Hamad, and we’re really gratified that he continues to receive us with an audience to thank us for our work. He inspired us to do this thanks to his compassionate and humanitarian views.”
Betsy, a former GulfWeekly columnist and agony aunt, revealed that a full-length film was in the works, which will highlight the culture and traditions of Bahrain using professional actors and actresses.
The feature will be entered in the ‘foreign film’ category at various film festivals, and has already received tremendous support from senior figures in the industry. Betsy is calling on anyone who has a story to tell of their time in Bahrain, whether through retelling tales verbally, through writing, poetry or singing, to get involved in the project by emailing info@thisisbh.com
She explained: “The movie is a community project, so I urge people to get in touch! This Is Bahrain has expanded leaps and bounds in just six years.
“We all feel like one family in Bahrain, and we are thrilled that countries are now reaching out to us to invite us to their home, to go there and tell the truth about Bahrain.
“There’s nothing more powerful than a true story.”
