The third edition of the Gulf Film Festival, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture, has a rich showcase of Emirati films, underscoring the evolution of cinema, as an industry, in the UAE.
The strong show of UAE films this year is a testament to a vibrant cinema culture, led by local content creation, taking roots in Dubai.
Gulf Film Festival opened with UAE film-maker Ali Mostafa’s City of Life set in Dubai and exploring the existing complexities within an emerging multicultural society’s race, ethnicity, and class divide. The first multi-lingual feature film to be written, produced, and directed by an Emirati using international cast and crew, City of Life blazes an impressive trail for Emirati filmmaking.
Maher Al-Khaja explores the case of a group of journalists who go missing after exploring the ‘Red Area’ in The Curse of the Devil, which marks its international premiere at GFF. The media frenzy created by the disappearance results in an intense battle between humans and the djinns. Maher won a special mention at the second edition of GFF for directing the film, The Fifth Chamber Oujia.
Muneer Ibrahim documents the symbolism of UAE’s national bird, the falcon, in his documentary To Fly A Dream, highlighting the centres where the falcons are bred, trained, and looked after.
UAE-based Indian filmmaker Soniya Kriplani narrates the silent revolution led by Emirati women to dispel all misconceptions associated with the Hijab – from oppression to expression in Dobuy- The Fabric of Faith.
Upcoming student filmmakers from the UAE bring movies portraying an array of themes. Aisha AlSuwaidi’s Re-construction explores the growth in the popularity of plastic surgeries, emphasizing people’s opinions on the trend, the related side effects, and the consequences. The current status of the Arabic language and the young generation’s view points in a trial to find solutions is highlighted in Jumana Al Ghanem and Ahlam Albannai’s Am Arabi.
The hard work, perseverance, and the overlooked momentary joys of construction workers who have built the Middle East from the ground up is examined in Moath Bin Hafez’s Constructing Dreams. The mountainous region of Ras Al Khaimah and the culture it retains is explored in Sha’am: The Forgotten Village by Mohammed Ghanim Al Marri.
From Emiratis to Maseratis, Moaza Al Sharif’s Second Wife investigates the innate relationship between the Emirati men and their love for cars, while married and single Emiratis share their thoughts and opinions on the principle of expected dowry in The Dowry by Maitha Hamdan.
The story of the first-ever hip-hop crew of two brothers in the UAE, and their journey towards becoming renowned artists is charted in Shaikha Awad Al Ayali’s Heat The Beat 2. In Jin Hunters, by Latifa Al Karrani and Shamsa Ahmad, two girls embark on a journey to find themselves open doors to the world of djinns and finding themselves in a haunted house.
The Emirati short films include Jamal Salim’s My Home, which depicts the story of an Emirati struggling to find a job. Levity – Xero Error Minus 1 by Ashraf Ghori is based on the creation of the first naturally-intelligent cyborg, XE7, that is sent back in time to record lost history. The story of a little girl awaiting her father’s return near the village gates is picturised in Amjad Abu Al Ala’s Emirati-produced movie, Teena.
The struggles of an illegitimate son are narrated in Mohamed Alsaadi and Talal Mahmood’s Al Suhayli, while Noura’s Apple by Manal Bin Amro illustrates the relationship shared between two childhood friends and their bond that has built over time. Bin Amro’s film won the Script Competition for Emirati short films at the festival last year.
Ghaimat Shrooq by Ahmed Zain narrates the tale of five teenagers who escape from school, while Fadel Al Muhairi’s Night Guard depicts the life of a night guard who spends his time solving the problems of others. Solo by Ali Al-Jabri depicts the tale of a musician unable to achieve his dream.
Student filmmakers in the UAE have submitted entries on a range of issues – about family, friendship and the challenges faced by the society at large. Among those are, Hamda Al Bastaki’s El Laileh (The Night), which depicts a contest to see who collects the most sweets on Hag Al Lela. The race for first place is between four children, including Mansoor, a young lonely boy.
The most commonly faced social issues and conflicts that exist in a society is portrayed in Nasser Jaber Al-Rahma’s And the Silence Remains. The traditional game of hide-and-seek is parodied on screen in Lahg by Khalid Al Abdulla while Mohammad Ahmed Fikree’s mini series
Omar! “To School,†is the story of a boy who cannot seem to get to school in time due to the absence of his father.
The jealousy and hatred that exists within a society is creatively highlighted within a group of four friends in Shamma Abu Nawas and Hafsa Al Mutawa’s Shhh, while Mariam Alkhayat portrays the innocence of young love and the challenges it faces in society in her film Neighbours. The search for the illusion of the truth is battled by the reality of an illusion in Hamad Saghran’s Al Gubah (Midst of the Sea).
The ‘Lights’ segment presents the cinematic musings of Emirati filmmaker Mohamed Alsaadi who explores the feminine psyche in Mahfouz, in which a missing child is adopted by a woman, whose husband has left her after having an affair on a business trip. A lonely woman is suddenly faced with the choice of marrying another man when she notices that her husband is hardly ever around in Mohamed Khalil Hosa’s Two. Essa Al Janahi’s Hable Al Ghaseel (Clothes Line) points out that although people are different we all have something in common.
Shadmehr Rastin gives an insight into the life of an autistic child in a documentary titled Make Me Perfect, highlighting how the combination of supportive parents and professional help can give autistic children the freedom to do things independently. UAE short film Ba’ad Alzhan (To Mistrust) by Naser Al Yaqoobi educates the audience on the moral of trust, while Abdullah Al-Ramsi documents the conversations that take place On the Road in his short film.
Filmmaker Heba Abu Musaed’s Nafaq describes the struggle of a woman trying to erase the memory of abuse and extortion from her mind. UAE-based Japanese filmmaker Shoko Okurano documents the simple yet unique life of an Emirati-Japanese couple who live in the desert in A Sketch of a Life in the UAE – Saif and Minako.
The Gulf Film Festival being held until April 14, is supported by Dubai Culture and is held in association with Dubai Studio City. More details on the festival are available online at www.gulffilmfest.com.
