Arab Idol Mohammad Assaf performed for his fans at the premiere of The Idol, the film inspired by his rags-to-riches story, at The Beach in Dubai on Friday night. But the outdoor screening, part of the Dubai International Film Festival’s (Diff) slate of events, had to be cancelled due to rough weather at the seaside venue. Assaf turned up with a big smile to calm hundreds of fans and performed a few songs for them, namely his massive hit Ali Al Keffiyeh (Raise Your Keffiyeh).
Organisers moved the free beach screening to the Madinat Arena on Sunday night, and promised that Assaf would walk the red-carpet gala. Attendance will be free, but tickets will have to be bought on diff.ae.
Oscar-nominated director Hany Abu-Assad spoke of his inspiration for The Idol. “When I first heard his voice, I got goose bumps,” he said, adding that he was really keen to show his film to Arab audiences.
“This is a movie for Palestinians, for Arabs. We had great reviews in Toronto [International Film Festival], but who cares? I care about here,” he said.
