A total of four feature films directed by Emiratis will screen at this year’s Dubai International Film Festival (Diff). And that, says chairman Abdul Hamid Juma, represents a wind of change.
“It’s an accomplishment,” he says. “We have a total of 11 Emirati films, 15 Khaleeji films this year. Seven years ago, the entire Arab world would produce around 60 to 70 films. Now in the festival alone, we have 72 films by Arabs.”
As the eight-day festival begins, here are the Emirati films you should watch out for:
Film: Beshkara
Director: Abdul Rahman Al Madani
Cast: Moza Al Mazrooei, Felicia Corral
Category: Short film
A Filipina maid finds out her daughter in the Philippines has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and desperately wants to leave. But when the Emirati grandmother she cares for doesn’t want her to go, the maid’s world is turned upside-down.
Film: Zinzana
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Cast : Ali Al Jabri, Saleh Bakri, Ali Suliman, Ahd Kamel.
Category: Feature film
Zinzana, the thriller by 28-year-old Emirati director Majid Al Ansari is creating a lot of buzz this year, partly because the film hits UAE cinemas on the same day as its gala screening. Produced by Image Nation Abu Dhabi, the film is set in a small town police station where Talal (Saleh Bakri) is held for an unknown crime. His interrogator Dabaan (Ali Suliman), sets in motion a series of events that results in a deadly cat and mouse game.
Screening at: Madinat Arena on December 10 at 6pm and Mall of the Emirates at December 12 at 10pm.
Film: Smell of Bread
Director: Manal Ali Bin Amro
Cast: Ashjan, Ghanem Nasser, Khalid Dehiab, Mariam Sultan, Soumaya Dahech
Category: Feature film
After being named Most Promising Filmmaker in 2009, director Manal Ali Bin Amro returns to the festival with a film about a hearing-impaired child, the daughter of a baker, who is abused in her own home. Her life turns upside down as her family members refuse to acknowledge the incident.
Film: My Dear Home with Love
Director: Aisha Al Zaabi
Cast: Mariam Muhsin and Saleh Al Jasmi
Category: Short film
In this heartwarming film, nine-year-old Fatima, who does not like her new house, sets out to find her old home. She befriends 11-year-old Khalid who joins her on her journey.
Film: Omnia
Director: Amena Al Nowais
Cast: Omnia Ibrahim
Category: Documentary
This short documentary follows a 32-year-old victim of female genital mutilation who attempts to reconcile with her past as she deals with questions of love, femininity and of consent.
Film: The Man Who Saw Snow in the Summer
Director: Ali Bin Matar
Cast: Shahzad , Baber , Nasser , Waleed
Category: Short film
A laundry man is exploited by his employer for profits.
Film: Going to Heaven
Director: Saeed Salmeen Al Murry
Cast: Abdullah Masoud, Fatima Al Taei, Mariam Sultan, Jumaa Al Zaabi, Ahmed Al Zaabi and Abdullah Al Junaibi.
Category: Feature film
A winner of the UAE Ministry of Interior’s $100,000 Cinema Award, Al Murry is an established filmmaker who’s won many awards at Diff. His latest feature is about Sultan, an 11-year-old boy, who longs for his grandmother as he suffers in the presence of his cruel stepmother. He sets out on a journey with a friend to re-live the memories he shared with his grandmother.
Film: The Man Who Met an Angel
Director: Tarek Al Kazim
Cast: Assem Kroma, Philip Jamal Rachid
Category: Short film
Daniel has an encounter with an angel and begins to live his life helping others. One day, a mysterious man challenges his theory and Daniel does everything he can to prove himself right.
Film: Abdullah
Director: Humaid Al Suwaidi
Cast: Mansour Al Feeli, Fatima Al Taei, Alaa Shaker and Hamaid Alawadi
Category: Feature film
A heartwarming look at ambition versus tradition, Abdullah is about a young Emirati who has been hiding his passion for music from his family. But as his aspirations become more and more difficult to conceal, he is forced to make tough life choices.
Film: Open Wound
Director: Sarra Al Shehhi
Cast: Maral Tatar, Hamid Tavakoli
Category: Short film
A young boxer Nadia resolves to confront the uncle who subjected her to abuse. When she finally gets the chance to do it, she is faced with making a decision that could change her life forever.
Film: Only Men Go to the Grave
Director; Abdullah Al Kaab
Category: Feature film
Abdullah Al Kaabi, who was in the spotlight in 2010 for his short film debut starring Jean Reno, is ready with his first feature film. Only Men Go to the Grave looks at the life of a blind widow whose sudden death leads her family to unravel the secrets of her past.
Film: A Tale of Water and Palm Trees
Director: Nasser Al Dhaheri
Cast: Sultan Alkowaiti, Aqidah Almouhairi, Gayah Aldhaheri, Yasain Altakriti, Hussain Albadi
Category: Documentary
A look at how the UAE’s prosperity came from the blood and sweat of its ancestors, this film is intended to be a message to future generations to teach them about the sacrifices that have been made so they can enjoy the present.
Diff runs from December 9 to 16. For screening timings and tickets, go to dubaifilmfest.com.
