The Cultural Values Reflected in Saudi Movies on the Netflix Platform

(The movie (Sattar) as a model)

Abstract

The study aimed to understand how Saudi movie promoted Saudi cultural symbols and values by revealing the most prominent cultural values reflected in Saudi films available on Netflix. Specifically, the Saudi film “Sattar” was highlighted, as it gained widespread popularity upon its initial release in cinemas and also achieved high viewership when shown on Netflix, ranking among the top watched films in Saudi Arabia for several consecutive days and receiving multiple awards. The study used a mixed method approach in its methodology by combining ethnographic observation and content analysis in both quantitative and qualitative ways. The study reached a number of results, most notably: that the percentage of male actors outnumbered females by 92%, and that social beliefs were more prominent than religious beliefs by 62% and the most prominent values were (supporting marriage, calling the wife as family, the Darbawi category), and prayer was the most prominent belief. The religious faith reflected in the movie. Additionally, the results indicated that 55.65% of the cultural values related to clothing reflected traditional attire such as the Shemagh, Saudi Thobe, Abaya, and Shayla. Also, 57.15% of the dances were traditional, with the most prominent being dances performed to the Saudi Samri art. The study concluded that the methods of presenting values were predominantly implicit, with a significant proportion of 88.23%.