Films about war and strife set for DIFF

Thirteen films have been short-listed for the Muhr Arab documentary Awards, all portraying tales of life in the Arab world, with filmmakers from as far afield as Denmark and France exploring themes of relevance to the region.

Among the 13 films are eight world premieres, two international premieres, two Middle East premieres, and one GCC premiere; and films from the UAE, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Netherlands, Denmark, and France.

Erfan Rashid, DIFF’s Director of Arab Programming, said: “The documentaries offer a perfect kaleidoscope into the day-to-day life in the Arab world, as well as tales that highlight individual plights, struggles and triumphs. All the selected works are of outstanding quality and will offer intense competition.”

Masoud Amralla Al Ali, Artistic Director, Dubai International Film Festival, said: “The Muhr Arab Documentary segment captures the modern-day social, cultural, and political dynamics of the region. These movies, by filmmakers in the region as well as those based abroad, highlight the power of documentaries in capturing the socio-cultural dynamics.”

World premieres

Emirati filmmaker Nujoom Alghanem brings us the story of “Hamama”; a 90-year old female healer and living legend in the Emirates whose skills are incredibly valuable to hundreds who continue to visit her each day. Yet, Hamama struggles with the responsibility of providing the care that is so greatly needed, while she tries to confront her own personal hardships. The world premiere of “Hamama” will be screened at Cinestar, Mall of the Emirates, on December 15 followed by a second screening on December 17. The film is also participating in the Muhr Emirati competition.

In “Les Malaki – Les Habits Des Anges” (Malaki – Scent of an Angel), award-winning Lebanese filmmaker Khalil Zaaraour, best known for his short film The Window, provides a compelling narrative following the relatives of people reported missing as a result of Lebanon’s long and bloody civil war. The film makes its world premiere on December 16, followed by a second screening on December 19 at Mall of the Emirates.

With “Al Tareeq Ila Bait Lahem” (The Road to Bethlehem), Palestinian filmmaker and founder/CEO of Open Bethlehem, Leila Sansour returns to her hometown of Bethlehem to make a film about the wall. The intense but whimsical documentary will make its world premiere in Dubai on December 16, followed by a second screening on December 18. In the film, Sansour documents her battle with local bureaucracy and the effect of the Israeli-imposed barrier upon the local population. The moving and insightful documentary emerges as a lovingly-crafted paean to Sansour’s hometown and all that it represents.

Algerian filmmaker Rahma Benhamou El Madani’s “Tagnawittude” delves into the Gwana music ritual of the Maghreb. The documentary analyses the life of Amazigh Kateb and his band Gwana Diffusion, the talent behind a unique style of music since 1992. The film reveals interviews with musicians and participants of the Gwana music ritual, unlocking a fascinating glimpse of its intricacies. Marking its international premiere at DIFF, “Tagnawittude” will be screened at Mall of the Emirates on December 15 and 18.

The world premiere of Lebanese director Zeina Sfeir’s “Beirut Al Mouss” (All About My Father) gives audiences a unique history of Lebanon, as heard directly from those who shaped it. Having coiffed the heads of politicians, princes, and presidents, Elius Sfeir's testimonies provide audiences with colorful anecdotes and endlessly surprising recollections. The documentary will be screened at Cinestar, Mall of the Emirates, on December 14 and 16.

Supported by DIFF's Dubai Film Connection, Egyptian filmmaker Iman Kamel's “Beit Sha'ar” (Nomad's Home) is a portrait of two Arab women born in different social and cultural circumstances within contemporary Egypt. The two women have much more in common than is immediately apparent. The world premiere of the film will be on December 16, followed by another screening on December 18, at Mall of the Emirates.

The tradition of storytelling in Syria and fables passed from grandparents to grandchildren, blended in colourful imagery, has been lost with time. Soudade Kaadan's “Saqf Dmiashq Wa Hykayat Al Jannah” (Damascus Roof and Tales of Paradise) defines the danger that these stories will vanish amidst the rubble and disruption of a city undergoing modernisation. The world premiere of the film will be held on December 16.

Syrian filmmaker Soudade Kaadan’s film “Two Cities and A Prison” will mark its world premiere at Cinestar, Mall of the Emirates, on December 16 and 18. Samir Abdullah and Kheridine Mabrouk’s “Kasidat Gaza, Palestine” (Gaza-Strophe, Palestine) documents the fall-out of the 2008/9 Operation Cast Lead following a bombardment upon the civilians of Gaza. The world premiere of the harrowing documentary is on December 16, followed by a second screening on December 18, at Cinestar, Mall of the Emirates.

Supported by the Dubai Film Connection and winner of the top DIFF prize, Mahmoud Al Massad’s “Hathihi Swrati Wa Ana Mayet” (This is My Picture When I Was Dead) makes its international premiere at DIFF this year. Screening at the Mall of the Emirates on December 14 and 17, the film follows the story of Bashir, a four-year old killed during the assassination of his father, a top PLO lieutenant. However, death was not the end of Bashir’s journey. As he digs through his past to find out what kind of life he would have lived 29 years later, this experimental, highly original and occasionally surreal film redefines what a documentary can be.

Palestinian filmmaker Abdallah Al Ghoul’s “Tathkara Min Azrael” (Ticket from Azrael) charts the desperate efforts of a Palestinian man digging an escape tunnel from Rafah, in the Gaza Strop, through to Egypt. This powerful and sobering account of realities of life in occupied Palestine marks its world premiere on December 15 and will be screened again on December 17 at Mall of the Emirates.

The Middle East premiere of Kaouther Ben Hania’s “Les Imams Vont A L’Ecole” (Imams Go to School) follows the secular training of a group of apprentices at Paris’s Great Mosque, so that they may comply with new social regulations. The new film from the accomplished director will be screened at Mall of the Emirates on December 13 and 16.

Marianne Khoury and Mustapha Hasnaoui’s “Zelal”, a quiet masterpiece of hard-hitting reportage, has drawn global praise for its sobering insight into the lives of those afflicted by mental illness in Egypt today. Filmed in two large asylums, the film reveals the horrific conditions in which patients are expected to live – squalor and neglect is endemic, and therapy and treatment seems non-existent. The Middle East premiere of “Zelal” will be held at Mall of the Emirates on December 14, followed by a second screening on December 16.

Following a forced evacuation from Palestine in 1948, Munir Shargawi traveled the world before settling down in Denmark. Omar Shargawi’s “Fra Haifa Til Noerrebro” (My Father from Haifa) is touching documentary of a personal history and highlights a new relationship emerging between a father and a son, both of whom in their own ways are grappling with their identities as a result of their past. The film will mark its GCC premiere on December 15 and will be screened again on December 17.

The seventh edition of Dubai International Film Festival 2010 will be held from December 12 to 19. The festival box office is now open. 
 

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