UAE | Heritage and Culture

Films explore highs and lows of life in the Gulf

Gangs of Baghdad, a documentary by Aida Schlaepfer of Switzerland, is one of the films in competition at the Gulf Film Festival which begins tomorrow at the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre at Mall of the Emirates.

  • Staff Report
  • Published: 00:38 April 12, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • A scene from the film Gangs of Baghdad, one of the movies to be screened at the Gulf Film Festival.
  • Image Credit: Supplied Picture

Dubai: Gangs of Baghdad, a documentary by Aida Schlaepfer of Switzerland, is one of the films in competition at the Gulf Film Festival which begins on Sunday at the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre at Mall of the Emirates.

The film highlights the psychological issues that victims of atrocities in Baghdad live with.

Three filmmakers from the UAE have been selected to showcase their works in the documentary segment of the festival.

Mountain Sheik by Nasser Al Yaqoobi captures the essence of men in the UAE; Shaikha Al Ayali's Heat the Beat highlights the growing musical phenomenon of rapping among men and women in the UAE; and Al Mureed by Nujoom Al Ganem captures the life of the UAE's most respected Sufi Shaikh, Abdul Raheem Al Mureed, and his annual event Mawlid Nights, which celebrates the birth of the Prophet.

There are also various entries from Iraq and Kuwait. The official entries from Iraq depict the struggles of different segments of the Iraqi society.

They include www.gilgamesh.21, directed by Tariq Hashim, which depicts the lives of two Iraqis, one in exile in Denmark and one in Baghdad; and One Day in Khadimya Prison for Women by Oday Salah which depicts the lives of Iraqi women.

Documentaries from Kuwait reflect the voices of ordinary people, such as When the People Spoke by Amer Al Zuheir which deals with the subject of youth empowerment; and Freedom Time by Ahmad Hamada, a collection of memoirs on war and peace.

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