The festival fan's pick

If taking a bus or a cab from Dubai to Abu Dhabi every day after work to watch a movie or three during ADFF makes me a movie buff, then I am guilty as charged.

Film festivals are definitely my favourite events of the year and I usually attend around 18 movies on average during each one. My taste in films is very eclectic but I tend to have a flair for lesser-known culturally rich movies which deal with unusual and interesting topics and I have rarely been disappointed with the ones I have seen.

This year's line-up is one of the best I have seen at ADFF and selecting my ones to watch has been harder than ever. 

Free Men (Les Hommes libres) (France/Morocco)

Ever since I watched A Prophet at the same film festival two years ago, I have been eagerly waiting to see Tahar Rahim in his next big role. And from the looks of it, Free Men will not disappoint.

Based on true events, the movie follows the life of an Algerian immigrant in Paris (portrayed by Rahim) whose friendship with a Jewish Algerian singer transforms him from a black market thug to a freedom fighter, defying the Vichy rule and helping Jewish fugitives along with the founder of the Paris Mosque, Si Kaddour Ben Ghabrit (portrayed by Michael Lonsdale).

God Save my Shoes (USA)

This film should definitely be on any fashionista's list to watch. Not only has it got style bloggers drooling over the famed Vogue shoe closet, it also tries to explain and justify our love and obsession with shoes as women.

This documentary interviews shoe collectors from around the world (including celebrities like Dita Von Teese and Fergie) and explores the psychological, historical and cultural aspects behind the relationship between women and their shoes. Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik make an appearance too, as well as some incredible pairs which are set to give us some serious shoe envy.

The Yellow Sea (Korea)

Korean crime thrillers are as good as it gets. They always deal with complex morality dilemmas where good and evil coexist and are not as easy to distinguish.

To give you an idea, the hero of The Chaser from a few years ago is a pimp who spends the whole movie trying to save prostitutes from getting murdered.

In this film, the same actor and Korean star Yum-seok Kim plays a cab driver who agrees to be a one-time hitman in a bid to reunite with his missing wife and pay his debts.

Twists in these films are always unusual and the director Hong-jin Na is well known for his fast-paced and harshly cut action shots which make his films very interesting visually. 

In My Mother's Arms (Fi Ahdan Ummi) (Iraq, United Kingdom, Netherlands, UAE)

Iraqi director Mohammad Al Daradji's last feature, Son of Babylon, is one of the best Arab films I have ever seen till now, so I have great expectations for this one, directed by him and his bother Atia.

This documentary follows Husham, who turns his home into a small orphanage in the dangerous district of Sadr City in Baghdad and is struggling to keep it going under harsh circumstances.

The pure humanitarian approach regardless of any political and sectarian affiliation which Al Daradji demonstrated in Son of Babylon, and the touching subject matter of this one makes it the Arab film not-to-miss. 

Best Intentions (Romania)

Having watched a handful of Romanian films during the past years at film festivals, I have become a fan of these slow-paced features which discuss authentic everyday life and situations.

This film is about a guy, Alex, whose mother's stroke takes its toll on his life and brings out his worst anxieties, especially when family, friends, and strangers start flooding the hospital with different stories and advice all meant with good intention.

To avoid melodrama, a touching topic like this requires a mix of drama and light comedy, which Romanian directors excel at, so I have no doubt it will get viewers to identify with it especially if they come from a tight-knit society where situations like this are very common and true.