The Ancient Ones

Ayman Zedani’s The Ancient Ones (2023) is a single-channel video installation that highlights the ancient trees of the Sarawat Mountains in Saudi Arabia, exploring themes centered around human influence on the planet. The short, evocative film maps out several of these trees, some of which are 1,200 years old.

Zedani began working on the artwork while researching the wildfires that started on Jabal Ghulamah mountain in 2020. Despite the fires burning for nine days, an ancient tree, Al’Reqa’ah, survived due to its location at the center of Al Suda village. The tree’s story has become a symbol of urgency in relation to the climate crisis.

Zedani’s film is an attempt to bring forward a visual and auditory experience of the trees and the people of the mountains.

Contributors: Professor Ahmed Ali Alghamdi, Wided Khadraoui, Ernie Indradat and Nour Ismaiel Sulaiman