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The Flower Men

“Stories are like a mirror.”

The ancient village of Rijal Almaa, in the mist-laden mountains of Asir on the southern Arabian peninsula, is among the most isolated places on earth. Its ancient culture holds customs unbroken since pre-Ottoman times. Ghost stories and tribal music blend with Islam and fast-arriving modernity.

Women are still hidden, mostly, from public life. Men, who wear flowers in their hair since time immemorial, hold complex and ambiguous religious, tribal, and gender-based identities.

In The Flower Men, we follow three such men -- from three very different generations -- as they navigate the excitement and challenges of a world changing faster than ever before.

With extraordinary and unprecedented access, and shot on Arri Alexa with vintage prime lenses, Flower Men is a unique and cinematic portrait of a region as it changes before our eyes and the eyes of those who call it home.

  • Alex Chitty
    Director
    VICE on HBO, Red Sea Mission
  • Jake Burghart
    Director
    VICE on HBO, Red Sea Mission
  • Jana Kozlowski
    Producer
    VICE on HBO, many other projects
  • Nicolas Karlson
    Producer
    The Kill Point, Vice
  • Genres:
    Culture, international, tribal, religion, observational
  • Runtime:
    54 minutes 36 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 22, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    100 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Language:
    Arabic, English
  • Student Project:
    No
Director - Alex Chitty, Jake Burghart