Dubai: There was pandemonium at the fanzone at the Madinat Arena last night as the cast and crew of The Way Back walked the red carpet on the fourth day of Dubai International Film Festival.
Fans fell over each other as Irish actor and heart-throb Colin Farrell, American actor Ed Harris, British actor Jim Sturgess and acclaimed director Peter Weir signed autographs before the Middle East premiere of their Second World War drama.
Based on a story about a group of prisoners who escape a Siberian gulag and trek 4,000 miles to India and to freedom, the film is Australian director Weir's 13th feature. More than 100 fans had packed into the newly created fanzone as early as 6pm to catch a glimpse of the stars.
"I'm truly honoured to be bringing this movie to the Middle East and immensely proud to be a part of it. It's an incredible film," Farrell said. The actor, known for roles in films such as Phone Booth and Alexander, said he was lucky to have escaped the dreaded ‘Delhi belly' — a colloquial term used to describe a form of diarrhoea usually contracted by tourists — while filming in India.
"The rest of the cast weren't too lucky," he joked.
Harris said it was "amazing" to have worked with Weir again, after The Truman Show in 1998.
"He is a wonderful director and I can't wait to see the reaction of people here in Dubai," he said.
French actress Catherine Deneuve and Indian-American actor Sendhil Ramamoorthy will join the cast of Egyptian film Cairo Exit at tonight's red carpet, organisers have announced.
The seventh edition of Diff will run until Sunday.
