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'Barbie' is just a movie for some, but for these UAE residents, it's a dream come true
These women are among those who made sure they would see the blockbuster movie right on the first day of screening in the country
Supplied photos
British expat Harriet's entire childhood revolved around Barbie dolls. “I used to have a big set that I used to play with all the time,” she said. “So, when I heard about the Barbie movie, I knew that I wanted to watch it. I am still a big fan of the doll, and everything related.”
The Dubai resident had waited patiently for the movie to be released in the UAE. “When it released globally, I purposely kept away from reading anything because I wanted to be surprised,” she said. “It came at the perfect time too because I am travelling next week. I am so happy that I can watch the movie here before I travel.”
Harriet was at the Mall of the Emirates theatre with her friend Lorraine. “I am not a big Barbie fan, but all this hype has me intrigued,” said Lorraine. The two women posed for photos before heading inside to watch the film.
Barbie was released in the UAE on Thursday to record-breaking sales and unmatched enthusiasm. Many theatres were adding extra shows to meet the demand.
“We’ve seen an unprecedented surge in advance ticket purchases, prompting us to add extra showtimes to accommodate the high demand, leading to sold-out screenings,” said Murray Rea, director of operations at Roxy Cinemas.
Dream come true
For Tanisha, who is starting university in September, watching Barbie is a dream come true. “As a child, I was obsessed with Barbie,” she said. “I used to spend a lot of time and money on Barbie, so I had to watch the movie.”
She came to the theatre with her mother and aunt, and they were all dressed for the part. “I made them all dress up,” she said. “I wanted to make sure they all got into the groove of it.”
She said she had heard only good things about the movie. “I am a feminist and I have heard from my friends that I will love it,” she said. “A lot of them told me to go prepared to cry so I have my tissues ready as well.”
Filmmaker’s view
For filmmaker Neha and her friends Nadiya and Aamna, watching Barbie was a no-brainer.
“We all grew up together here in the UAE and we have loved Barbie right from our childhood,” said Neha. “Also, as a filmmaker, I am a huge Greta Gerwig fan. I think she is an absolute rockstar and I am keenly waiting to watch the film and study its nuances. I think it is also going to be a great learning experience for me.”
“As soon as I saw that the movie was releasing here, I sent it to these two and asked them when to book the tickets,” said Nadiya. “We decided that we wanted to watch it on the very first day so we pre-booked the tickets immediately. It was a happy coincidence that all of us had a day off today. So, everything just fell into place.”
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