In a lighthearted tone, Spike Lee started his interview with Variety at the Red Sea Film Festival, where he is acting as jury president, by discussing soccer and his passion for Arsenal of the United Kingdom Premier League.
He chuckles when asked if he plans to attend the 2034 FIFA World Cup in Saudi Arabia: “The key question is whether I’m still alive — I’ll be 77 in 2034. But if I’m around, I’ll be there!”
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Lee went with Vin Diesel and Michael Douglas to the Red Sea Fest to witness Al-Nassr, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, play Al-Ittihad.
Following his first visit in 1991 to obtain authorization for an all-Muslim unit to film in Mecca for his biography, “Malcolm X,” Lee is making his third journey to Saudi Arabia. This was the first time a (non-documentary) film team was permitted to shoot in the holy city. He came back in 2022 to see the film at the second Red Sea Film Festival, which was the kingdom’s first public showing.
Malcolm X began his Hajj journey to Mecca in April 1964, 60 years ago, when he traveled to Jeddah. To commemorate the film’s 32nd anniversary, Lee shared the following on Instagram on November 18: “I suggest you might want to watch this joint epic again, especially after the daughters of Malcolm X have sued the CIA, FBI and NYPD for $100 million for involvement with the assassination of their father.”
Lee remarked, “They’re guilty. I showed that in the film. In the scene after he’s shot, we see the NYPD officer coming in, as if he’s strolling through Central Park. When Malcolm travels to Egypt we see that he’s being followed by the CIA. So it’s in the movie!”
The NYPD said it would not comment on ongoing litigation, the CIA did not immediately reply to a request for comment, and the FBI said last month that it was its “standard practice” to refrain from doing so.
Lee claimed that his experience as jury president this year and his viewing of the 16 official competition films had opened his eyes to the various ways that filmmakers view the world. “I don’t want to get too specific because we haven’t yet unveiled the eight winning films, but we had lengthy discussions and we could easily have given out more awards,”
He noted, “We’re very happy with the films we’ve chosen.”
Lee admits that in order to fully experience the nation and its culture, he would like to stay for a longer amount of time. “Every time I’m here, I learn more about the local culture, the Saudis,” he remarked. “Every time I’ve been embraced and many people here know my films. So I feel at home!”
If the appropriate chance existed, the director says, he would be extremely interested in visiting local film schools and going to more Red Sea Film Festivals.
“I would be more than willing to come here and speak to the film schools, because they can make a real difference,” Lee stated. “One of my jury colleagues here is the Egyptian director, Abu Bakr Shawky, who was a student of mine at NYU. He’s now a great filmmaker. Back in the day, he was in my class!”
When asked what he plans to do next after completing “Highest 2 Lowest,” his adaptation of Japanese filmmaker Kurosawa’s 1963 crime epic “High and Low,” Lee declines to comment.
He noted, “Here’s the thing. I’m very superstitious to talk about things until they actually happen.”
“I’ve heard a lot of people over the years saying ‘I’m doing that, I’m doing this.’ That’s their choice, but for me, I just like to keep it close to my chest and let stuff happen.”
