Gulf Voices Puts Spotlight on Arab Talent at DIFF 2009
(Staff Reporter)DUBAI - The finest Arab film-making talent showcasing stories covering tradition and modernity will be screened as part of Gulf Voices at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) 2009.
The films, produced by professionals, have already earned critical acclaim in Cannes and media students with a passion for meaningful cinema have also have entered the scene this year.
The “Gulf Voices’ is rich in youthfulness and the movies eclectic. They range from an investigation into suspicious voices from an abandoned home to insightful journeys into the heart of deep-rooted Arab family ties.
It also features a rich repertoire of movies by Emirati filmmakers highlighting the contribution of DIFF in creating a film culture for the nation. DIFF Artistic Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali said the sheer diversity of content, narrative styles and technological values demonstrates the strong evolution of Arab filmmaking over the past few years.
“Talented youngsters as well as experienced professionals are screening their films at Gulf Voices,” said Al Ali. “The common thread in all these movies is the creativity of the filmmakers to push beyond the obvious subject matter, and create compelling narratives even from ordinary situations.”
Among the UAE films confirmed for screening is the delightful take on the new generation caught between modernity and tradition, ‘Finding Mr & Mrs Right: Dubai Style’.
The documentary by Elhaam Sharaf and Hind Al Hammadi, third-year Applied Communications students at Dubai Women’s College, shares the modern youth’s thoughts on newfound freedom, family expectations and the qualities they expect of their ideal partner. The film won the third prize at the 2009 Gulf Film Festival for student documentary.
‘Nesf Galb’ (The Half Heart) by Bilal Abdullah, also an accomplished theatre director, is a powerful story on Arab familial ties through the eyes of an unmarried pregnant girl, while ‘Amal’s Cloud’ by Rawia Abdullah, a mass communications student, is about patience and hope — again through an individual’s eyes.
Emirati actor and director Nawaf Al Janahi, in his first feature film brings out the bonding between a terminally ill man and a thief with ‘The Circle’ starring Saudi Arabian heartthrob Abdulmohsin Al Nimr and ‘Once’ by Nayla Al Khaja revolves around a 17-year old Arab girl transforming herself into a beautiful young woman and questioning her relationship.
‘Al Qant’ by Omani filmmaker Al Motasim Al Shaqsi is about a group of children investigating suspicious voices coming from an abandoned house. Bahraini production ‘Al Bashara’ (The Good Omen) by Mohammed Rashed Bu Ali is a heart-warming story based on the old tradition of displaying Al Nashal (a woman’s dress) on the rooftop of the house to welcome family members returning from a long travel or absence and Ali Ali’s ‘Mraimy’ depicts the trials of a belly dancer, who is rejected by society and explores her life from the perspective of a fisherman starring Fatima Abdulraheem and Jumaan Al Rowaee.
‘Mujarad Ensan’ (Naked Human), an animation by Kuwaiti national Omar Al-Masab traces human knowledge from evolution to now, and has been acknowledged for its “superior production values and beautiful use of wide-scope technology.” ‘Mouz’ (Banana) by Kuwaiti director Meqdad Al Kout is a strong visual portrayal of a man in the centre of a temporary marriage.
Dubai Duty Free, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah are the principal sponsors of the Dubai International Film Festival.