- Region’s leading documentary platform will premiere ‘Chernobyl: A Natural History’ on November 21
- Documentary Voices, to be held until November 25, will chart the power of documentary making in ushering in ‘green living’
- Sessions on various aspects of documentary making to be led by professionals
The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, the Emirate’s dedicated authority to promote culture, heritage and the arts, will highlight the importance of sustainable lifestyles and ‘green living’ through the medium of films with the third edition of ‘Documentary Voices.’
The region’s leading documentary platform, Documentary Voices discusses socially relevant themes by screening evocative documentaries from around the world. The event also features workshop sessions led by leading documentary makers and film professionals, thus opening doors for dialogue and new learning for youth talent in the region.
The third edition, this year, will commence with the Middle East premiere of the award-winning documentary, Chernobyl: A Natural History (Tchernobyl: Une histoire naturelle), directed by Luc Riolon, who has directed over 50 documentaries and is noted for popularising science through artistic creativity and compelling photography. The screening will be held on November 21, from 8pm at the Dubai Knowledge Village, Conference Hall.
To be held through November 25, Documentary Voices will continue to explore the power of documentaries in making meaningful social change and instilling the concept of ‘green living’ to reduce the environmental footprint.
Several dedicated workshops, discussion panels and documentary film screenings will be held to encourage and support aspiring filmmakers to create strong documentaries that can beneficially impact the society. The workshops on each day will cover specific aspects of documentary making – from screenwriting to editing, sound design, cinematography, direction and production.
Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting-Director General of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, said: “Over the past two years, Documentary Voices has achieved its objective of promoting documentary filmmaking as a means of promoting vibrant debate on social causes. The initiative has also promoted a culture of documentary filmmaking in Dubai, thus contributing to the evolution of a strong film-making industry in the UAE.â€
He added: “This year, the event’s emphasis on the environment and sustainable living, complement the focus of the Government in promoting ‘green living’ to conserve our nature for future generations. Documentary Voices will play a key role in enhancing awareness of sustainable development, and also encourage young filmmakers to tackle subjects of strong social relevance.â€
Mrs. Mahshid Zamani, Managing Director of Documentary Voices, said: “Documentary Voices believes in using the powerful medium of documentaries to deliver a message to society about pressing issues. This is exactly the kind of work that has been displayed in the past two years and this year is no exception.â€
To take part in Documentary Voices workshops, please contact 0561268316 or email: n_k_50@yahoo.com. This year, one enrolled participant will get the chance to win a scholarship at the SAE Institute in Dubai, one of the largest private colleges for audio and film production, interactive animation and applied multimedia in the region.
With the support of United States Department of State, Documentary Voices will also fly in graduate students from the University of California (UCLA), Los Angeles, to interact with UAE film students and take part in hands-on workshops by editing a rough cut of one of the Documentary Voices’ film productions.
The inaugural film, Chernobyl explores the apparent resurgence of wildlife in Chernobyl, the site of one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters. Although the zone is forbidden for humans, zoologists and radio-ecologists are making surprising discoveries, which will be unravelled by the documentary.
For more information please visit: www.documentaryvocies.com
