RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Culture has launched an audio podcast entitled “1949” to highlight updates about the Kingdom’s cultural sector with its 16 sub-sectors. Each episode will cover a topic from one of these sectors, discussing it with a professional critic. The first episode of the podcast dealt with cinema and filmmaking, under the title “Why are we affected by films,” presented by film critic Abdulaziz Al-Zamil. He talked about the expressive tools that films possess, which enable them to influence the audience and stir up their emotions. The name of the podcast, “1949,” came from the year in which a royal decree was issued setting the general framework for radio in Saudi Arabia. The podcast is the latest digital product offered by the Ministry of Culture to serve the cultural sector that provides a window for Saudi critics to present their ideas.