Kanye West Making Short Film in the Middle East

Remember Kanye West's ridiculous and amazing 34 minute video for "Runaway?" According to the New York Observer, West and his creative team are at it again. However, this time, the video will take place in the Middle East.

West is expected to start filming in March, and sources have informed the Observer that the rapper's team has met with "film companies and government officials based out of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Doha Qatar to explore the idea of production."

Where the shoot will take place is up to the three countries themselves. A source involved in the discussions explained to the Observer, "A bidding war is going on between various government entities and private investors to fund the film. There are pretty intense rivalries between Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Qatar. They all want to claim the film as their own and take credit for generating the publicity."

The video was inspired after West fell in love with the region after a concert performance last year in Abu Dhabi. "There's a lot of preconceived notions and stereotypes about Emiratis and Qataris, which Westerners often play up," the source continued. "...Kanye is looking to bridge the cultural divide and break misconceptions."

For an example of what to (hopefully) expect, watch the "Runaway" video below: