Henrick Vartanian
Freida Pinto (“Slumdog Millionaire”) has been offered a role as an Arabian princess in “Black Thirst” to be directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud (“Enemy At The Gates” and “Seven years in Tibet”). “A Prophet” lead Tahar Rahim, plus Antonio Banderas and Mark Strong are also in talks to star in the movie, which will shoot on location, in Tunisia. The film will be a big romantic story about oil, religion, tribes and tradition. Producer Tarak Ben Ammar told the Daily Mail: “This is the story of an Arab prince in 1929. He’s well-educated and he’s married to a beautiful princess. He’s confronted with the problem of what the discovery of oil will bring to the Bedouins. The Americans want the oil, but what will be the real cost?”
Based on the 1975 book “South Of The Heart: A Novel Of Modern Arabia,” by Hans R. Ruesch, it follows the events in 1920s, when the Gulf region started to confront America’s interest in the black gold known as oil.