The record 14-time winners snatched a 2-2 draw in the first leg of the semifinal clash in Munich with Vinicius Junior scoring a brace
football1 hour ago
DUBAI - Nine powerful documentaries from the Arab world that draw on contemporary and historical social and political realities are among the 15 contending for the top honours at the eighth Dubai International Film Festival to be held from December 7 to 14.
The documentaries, by Arab filmmakers from Egypt, Algeria, Syria, Iraq, Germany, France, Lebanon, Tunisia, Sudan and Jordan, shed light on several defining moments in modern Arab history — from the Arab Spring to the birth of a new nation — as well as flashbacks on seminal moments in history that left a lasting, often painful, impression. The lineup so far comprises six world premieres, one international premiere, one Middle East premiere, and one GCC Premiere. The six additional films in the Muhr Arab Documentary competition will be announced next week.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the festival will showcase features, documentaries and shorts by Arab filmmakers for the Muhr Arab Awards, which are judged by an international jury comprising eminent filmmakers and professionals. Members of the public can also vote for their favourite film in the DIFF People’s Choice Award.
The Muhr Arab Documentary shortlist includes Yasmina Adi’s Here We Drown Algerians – October 17, 1961, which sheds light on the events of the day when thousands of Algerians from Paris and suburbs marched, in response to the call of the National Liberation Front, against the curfew imposed upon them. The film will make its international premiere at DIFF.
Algerian director Abdenour Zahzah’s Andalucia unfolds the birth of the Andalusian music which has been passed on from generation to generation after the fall of Grenada in 1942.
Egyptian filmmaker Heba Yossry’s Grandma Zad: My First Passion (Settou Zad: My First Passion) unveils the life of prolific singer Shahrazad, as seen through the eyes of her granddaughter. Both films will make their world premiere at DIFF.
Lebanese filmmaker Hady Zaccak’s Marcedes, also will make its world premiere at DIFF. It is a feature biopic chronicling the history and transformation of a country, from the perspective of a car and the family that owns it. The iconic Mercedes Ponton 180 arrives in Lebanon in 1960, and survives to witness the country’s evolution.
Jordan’s Aseel Mansour’s Uncle Nashaat (Amu Nashaat) unravels the search of a nephew, who embarks on a quest to reveal the facts behind the murder of his uncle, including the broken relationship he shared with his father. The film will make its world premiere at DIFF.
Tunisian director Mourad Ben Cheikh’s No More Fear (La Khaoufa Baada Al ‘Yaoum, Plus Jamais Peur) charts the Tunisian revolution as witnessed by Lina Ben Mhenni, a blogger, who challenged the establishment through hard-hitting blogs. The film will be screened in the Middle East for the first time. Syrian director Ammar Al Beik’s Aspirin and a Bullet (Aspirin wa Rassassa), making its world premiere, is a concise autobiography of his father’s life, charting the 40-year-long therapy session of a man who tried to commit suicide twice: once using Aspirin, and the other with a bullet.
Akram Hidou’s Halabja – The Lost Children, an Iraqi and German co-production, which will be screened in the GCC for the first time, depicts the story of Ali, who returns to Kurdistan 21 years after Saddam Hussein’s poison gas attack in 1988, to find his family.
From Sudan, Taghreed Elsanhouri’s Our Beloved Sudan documents the political destiny of the country, from its independence in 1956 to the partition in 2011, juxtaposing a personal narrative, which seeks to understand how the people of Sudan made their peace with the inevitable partition. The film will make its world premiere at DIFF.
Erfan Rashid, Director of Arab Programming, Dubai International Film Festival, said: “Documentaries are regarded as films with a conscience – depicting hard truths and harsh realities that are seldom captured by any other medium.
The documentaries short-listed for the Muhr Arab Awards will serve as a great window into how the lives of people are affected by the changes around them.” All DIFF films will be screened at VOX Cinemas, Mall of the Emirates, or at the Madinat Jumeirah. The DIFF Box Office opens November 22.
The record 14-time winners snatched a 2-2 draw in the first leg of the semifinal clash in Munich with Vinicius Junior scoring a brace
football1 hour ago
Residents noted that the fire was of such magnitude that it took several hours to extinguish
uae1 hour ago
Digital bank by Emirates NBD to incubate digital asset innovations
business1 hour ago
The teenager from Surrey became the first youngest player to make the cut on the tour at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson
golf1 hour ago
The record-breaking rains disrupted flight operations and caused the cancellation of over 2,000 flights
uae1 hour ago
Despite geopolitical tensions, the Emirates will continue to attract foreign investment by offering a stable economy and investor-friendly rules
business1 hour ago
The Challenge Tour returns to Europe and Seville, following the recent two-week mini-swing in the UAE
sports2 hours ago
A strong UAE and Middle East participation is expected at the event which celebrates and rewards excellence in golf
sports2 hours ago