Saudi Arabian film shows theaterless kingdom

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"They favored superficial movies with a decadent, sexual orientation that brought in large profits," he said. "The cinema became synonymous with everything that is corrupt and it became an evil symbol in people's head, one that will destroy their identity."

Al-Mutairi said there is no law that bans cinemas, but he said Saudis are unwilling to open theaters for fear of a clash with Islamists.

"No one wants a confrontation with the street," he said.

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He and other movie aficionados are encouraged there were no disruptions of the cartoon shows, shown solely for women and children, in Asir and Riyadh.

"That signals some kind of acceptance to the idea of movies," said al-Mutairi.

Until the unofficial ban on movie theaters is reversed, movie fans are seeking outlets through which they can lobby for cinemas. One such outlet is a popular Saudi Web site, started in 2000, where Saudis can read about the latest releases and discuss movies in chat rooms.

Al-Mutairi and a group of about 50 men who subscribe to the site have rented a hall in Riyadh where they meet to watch DVDs. It's really not a movie theater and only men are allowed, but the group's goal is to have it licensed as a cinema.

Al-Hussein, who markets a children's magazine, said his first trip to the movies will always be special.

"In films, I had always seen stars meeting their girlfriends at the movies or seen an actor munching on pop corn. But I never really knew what it felt like," he said.

"In the theater, the emotions I had were more intense than those I had watching a movie alone. When I was laughing, everybody else was laughing. When I got scared, everybody else got scared," added al-Hussein. "It was an experience I'll always be proud of."

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