The filmmakers and stars of films contesting in the Dubai International Film Festival’s Muhr Feature competition recently gathered at the Koubba Bar, in Al Qasr Jumeirah, to discuss their works. The competition is open to narratives from the Arab World.
Movies this year include Razzia, The Journey, Stories of Passers Through and The Man Behind the Microphone.
Among the guests was Koutaiba Al Janabi, a veteran documentary filmmaker, and director of Stories of Passers Through, who admitted he does not like to categorise his films as documentaries.
“Some people like writing diary entries with a book and pencil. But I was in love with the film camera, whether it was Super-8 or 16mm cameras. So, I decided to make a visual diary,” he said.
Having grown up in Baghdad, a city that struggled with political agendas and injustices, Al Janabi was in a state of perpetual sadness, until he found his release: the camera. He said he found joy at the cinemas, which flourished with Egyptian and French movies, of which he has fond memories.
“I can’t forget the film, Z [1969]. It involved politics, and we see the fight for justice, and all these stories inspired me,” he said.
This joy soon evolved into a passion for photography, and filmmaking. Over 40 years of that desire to record visual diary entries has now been edited into his latest film.
On the other side of the spectrum is the young Ameer Jabara, leading star of Razzia. Tackling his most complex role yet, he had a lot to talk about the philosophical dilemma his character endures in the movie.
“Salam was a complicated character because he has many personalities inside of him, which comes from the Iraqi society,” he said. “I used parts of my memory from working at the ice cream shop to become the character of Salam.”
Jabara, had to channel specific individuals from his time as a child, in Iraq, for his role, and it was something he was proud of.
“I always think about these things, life and death, and for me, it is something that is very true. In Arabic, we call this haqeeqat.” He explained.
— The Young Journalist Award (YJA) at Diff is a training programme for high school and university students who are aspiring writers and reporters. Seven students are competing at the festival this year. One winner will secure a monthlong internship with Gulf News.
