14 films from Saudi, Qatar to be presented at Gulf Film Festival

Filmmakers from the most populous nation in the Arabian peninsula and one of its smallest nations are presenting a surprising menu at this month’s Gulf Film Festival (GFF) in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with works focused on themes ranging from women’s rights and the environment to the Arab world’s revolutions and adventures involving hamour and zombies.

Saudi Arabia is demonstrating the strong strides it is making in filmmaking with 11 films to be screened at the fifth edition of the Gulf Film Festival to be held from April 10 to 16, 2012, at the Dubai Festival City Grand Cinemas and at the Abu Dhabi Theatre from April 12 to 14. All 11 films are making their world premiere at GFF, highlighting the festival’s premier position as the first choice and definitive platform for Gulf-based filmmakers.

The stories showcased by Saudi Arabian filmmakers make an interesting mix ranging from the dilemma of a young Saudi housewife who must run errands but cannot make use of a perfectly working car in her home to the true-life story of a lone green crusader, and an unusual film about a cat who mourns the loss of its long-dead owner.

Three films from Qatar are also being screened at GFF 2012, two world premieres, and the third, the award-winning docudrama of the Egyptian revolution as seen through the eyes of a falconer, making its international premiere.

Held under the patronage of Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Festival offers all screenings free to the public, providing UAE residents and visitors a unique opportunity to watch films that are not ordinarily accessible and gain rare insights into the region.

Tackling a hot-button topic in Saudi Arabia today, Mohammed Sendi’s Fatin Drives Me Crazy begins with a young newlywed couple. With no driver around, the young wife is stuck at home with several errands to run and a car in perfect working order. The film is competing in the Festival’s Gulf Shorts segment.

In the same segment is One Man’s Tricycle, directed by award-winning filmmaker Fahmi Farouk Farahat and Abdullaziz Alnjuim. The short documentary presents an interesting perspective, more so because it comes from a country rich in oil resources and where energy is cheap. It is the story of Dr. Hosam Almulhim, who sets out to make a difference with his mission to conserve energy by trading his car for a human powered vehicle as his daily mode of transportation.

Passion of the Eggs, a short comedy by Musab A. Al Marri, portrays the mindset of three people connected by their passion for eggs. Fahad feels like a coward and wants to understand what it feels to be like his brave brother Sa’ad, who unfortunately has a personality disorder. The film presents these two diametrically opposite characters in hilarious situations.

Mishwar by Abdulaziz Al-Shlahei is a dramatic look on the life of a man who meets some people for the first time. He must derive confidence from them but sadly they aren’t human beings – they are scarecrows – or are they? Abdulrahman Ayeel’s Nobody similarly explores the story of a young man destined to lead a marginalised existence. While his life might appear lackluster to others, there are dramatic flourishes that will captivate viewers.

Leila’s Window by Shahad Ameen, a fantasy about a seven-year-old girl who is detached from her family, will screen in the Festival’s Lights segment. Although her mother probes her, she wants to keep her life a secret – after all, she has a mystery – she sees what others can’t from her window.

Unravelling the Kingdom through fresh perspectives is KSA In Their Eyes by Khalil Nabelsi,which documents the experiences and aspirations of five foreigners from different nations and cultures who live in Saudi Arabia.

Muhammed Albasha’s The Dead Man’s Sandal is the story of a family that must live with the memories of their dead grandfather. While some of the family members want to purge themselves of the old man’s memories, his cat is more loyal, thus setting the stage for some eerie moments. Carrom by Hamzah Tarzan, who won the Best Director award at the Saudi Film Competition for his earlier two works, is about an old man who waits for his daughter to play the game of carrom with him. He sits patiently, having set up the coins and the board - but the player who turns up is a young man.

The Bicycle, also a Saudi Arabian entry, will make its world premiere in the festival’s Lights segment. Directed by Mohammed Salman, the film is about the relationship between a boy and his uncle, who teaches him to cycle and also takes him out to the sea. When the uncle meets with an accident, the boy cannot visit him.

In the Official Gulf Shorts, Snapshot: A Trekking Man by Tareq Aldakheelallah makes its world premiere. It portrays one day in the adventurous journey of the 25-year-old Emirati trekker Jalal Bin Thaneya who covered challenging desert terrains on a 2,000-km journey by foot from Ruwais to Makkah over 51 days. Tareq joins Bin Thaneya for a day, walking beside him to learn more about what motivated the young man to undertake the arduous journey and to understand what keeps him going.

From Qatar, Hamour by Suzannah Mirghani also makes its world premiere in the Festival’s Gulf Students competition. A modern day fable about the interconnectedness of seemingly disparate lives in Doha during the spring equinox, the film traces the adventures of a family of Indian boat repairmen, who venture out into the sea without permission from their bad-tempered boss. The men catch an extraordinary hamour and are now in a dilemma - whether to feast on it or sell it for money.

Another entry from Qatar, the science fiction feature Lockdown: Red Moon Escape by Mohammed Al Ibrahim and Ahmed Al Baker, makes its world premiere in the Festival’s Gulf Feature Competition. The film is about Mishal and Rashid’s road trip, which goes awry when they encounter a group of zombies. One becomes a casualty and the other must prove his innocence – but will anyone believe his tale of zombies?

A Falcon, A Revolution by students Jassim Al Romaihi and Md Rezwan Al Islam, previously won the ‘Best Film Made in Qatar’ at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival 2011, and the third place for Promising Filmmakers at the Al Jazeera International Documentary Film Festival 2011. The docudrama narrates the experience of the Egyptian revolution through the eyes of a Bedouin who speaks of how falcons and governments are similar, his philosophy being that ‘if you keep them in check, they will do what they are supposed to do, if you let them misbehave, they will.’

GFF 2012 will be held at the InterContinental Hotel, Crowne Plaza and Grand Festival Cinemas at Dubai Festival City; and from April 12 to 14 at the Abu Dhabi Theatre.

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