It's a gift that keeps giving. Emirati filmmaker Mansour Al Daheri, who won the top award in the Short Documentary section at the Emirates Film Competition (EFC) on Thursday, has announced he will donate his Dh30,000 prize money to a hospital in Abu Dhabi.
The 42-minute film, A Falcon Will Not Breed a Dove, is an intimate look at the life of Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan through the eyes of one of his most trusted aides and companions, Suhail Al Yabhouni, the man who dedicated his life to his service.
"It's only fair that this money goes to charity. Because that is what Shaikh Zayed's life was all about: giving. He started thousands of charity projects and donated millions to help people around the world. It's only a small amount, but this is my way of extending the legacy of our great leader," Al Daheri told tabloid!.
"I have chosen the Dar Al Shifaa hospital in Abu Dhabi because they are known for their charitable projects and they have kindly agreed to triple the amount I donated."
First entry
Held on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, the EFC was started 10 years ago to promote filmmaking talent in the Gulf. This was Al Daheri's first entry to the competition.
"It was a happy moment. We worked so hard on this for about a year and it's a great feeling to be recognised," he added.
The filmmaker, who works in a government department during the day, is also gathering support to create a bigger charitable movement.
"The Royal Cinema in Abu Dhabi has agreed to screen the film in the cinema and 100 per cent of the collections will go to the Dar Al Shifaa hospital's trust. I am also in talks with other cinemas to do the same," he said.
With four documentaries behind him, Al Daheri also revealed he is working on his first full-length feature film in partnership with Abu Dhabi's Image Nation.
"It's based on the hijacking of a UAE ship by Somali pirates last year. I can't say much but we are close to finalising the formalities," he said.
Al Daheri is urging people to donate through the hospital's website, daralshifaa.net.
