Far away from the opening night of the Dubai International Film Festival (Diff), where movie stars, directors, socialites and influencers walked down the coveted red carpet, this young journalist walked backwards to The Beach at the JBR.
The open-air setting, combined with tourists on vacation, residents, and avid film lovers, was quite an experience. At the Beach, lined with colourful bean bags on this particular Wednesday night, attendees could enjoy the fresh air, ocean sounds and good movies.
Renowned Iranian director Majid Majidi’s first Indian cinema debut, Beyond the Clouds, was screened on the opening night of Diff. The story of brother-sister duo — Amir (debutant Ishaan Khatter), a drug dealer who almost gets busted, and Tara (Malavika Mohanan), hitting her aggressor in the head with a brick, and ending up in prison — was a true melting pot of emotions. The movie is beautifully shot. Majidi immerses the audience in the lives of his characters, in turn creating an immediate bond with the audience. Moreover, the story deals with many social issues and the subtle Bollywood influences and humour balances the tragic elements out.
Other films to be showcased this week include the original 1933 version of King Kong, which is sure to attract many fans. There’s also Mountain, Grain of Sand and The Man Behind The Microphone.
For the full schedule, go to diff.ae.
— The Young Journalist Award (YJA) at Diff is a training programme for high school and university students who are aspiring writers and reporters. Seven students are competing at the festival this year. One winner will secure a monthlong internship with Gulf News.
