Arab Idol winner Mohammed Assaf delights fans on the red carpet at DIFF 2015
Undoubtedly, the Arab world is the epicenter of most news, all the time these days. But unfortunately for my own agenda -- which for those who don't know me is to help us understand "the Other" through culture -- it's seldom happy stories. Wrapped up instead in the chaos of war, destruction and those four little, capital letters that spell disaster for everyone, the Middle East is hardly a go-to place for feel good narratives.
Until early December, that is, when every year for eight incredible days, Dubai hosts the best bridge-building, and most understanding-centric film festival on earth. Yup, I said it, as far as giving humanity hope, the Dubai International Film Festival tops my list, way above Cannes, Berlinale or even my beloved Venice. This high rating is also due to the organization of DIFF, as the festival is known affectionately, which boasts accommodations at five star hotels like Mina A'Salam, galas at Madinat Jumeirah and screenings at VOX cinemas at the nearby Mall of the Emirates, all the while enveloping attendees in perfect December Dubai weather, a mix of blue skies, bluer seas and temps in the high seventies. I told you, it really doesn't get any better than this.
Following are a few highlights from this year's festival.
Star light, star bright, Aussie star I see tonight, Ewen Leslie
I'm seldom impressed with celebrities, but I have to say that somehow their stars shine brighter in Dubai. In recent months I've rediscovered actors I used to follow and found new infatuations, cinematically speaking of course, and they've all been in Dubai. But none beat Australian thespian Ewen Leslie. Apart from his obvious good looks, Leslie is also a damn, damn good actor! His interpretation of a father who screws it all up in a moment in The Daughter, a modern day adaptation by filmmaker Simon Stone of Ibsen's The Wild Duck left me in tears, and without giving anything away, there is a scene towards the end of the film, where he wraps his leg around his movie-wife, in a hospital. That moment, that movement, nearly imperceptible, just turned up his performance from great acting to humanly perfect. It doesn't hurt that he smolders in person and is a damn nice guy too. I look forward to watching more and more from Leslie, and hope, for my own sake, that he'll be featured soon in some major Hollywood fare.
Talking with the festival's Chairman Abdulhamid Juma
When I sat down with the man I credit with being a bridge of understanding for cinema in the Gulf but also Arab cinema throughout the world, DIFF Chairman Abdulhamid Juma, we immediately jumped into a talk about the first animated feature made entirely in the UAE, Bilal produced by Dubai company Barajoun Entertainment Animation. I, alas, had not watched the film, but I listened intently to his opinion. "I liked the way they tackled it," Juma said, about the character of Bilal ibn Rabah, who is considered the first muezzin (the man who makes the call to prayer five times a day in the Islamic world) and a trusted companion of the Prophet Mohammed. The story chooses to deal with Bilal's early years and avoid all religious references, so I was curious about Juma's thoughts on that. "They took it beyond religion, you never hear Mohammed's name in the film, or the word Islam," Juma admitted, "a great film is one that makes people sit and discuss for an hour, after watching it." And that's what Bilal did and still does, because it never actually shows the power of Bilal ibn Rabah's voice or what the religious implications of his life were.
Perhaps most importantly, Bilal offers a great way to understand and accept, two verbs we should use more actively these days.
The Star Trek Beyond phenomenon, AKA scenes from the future-land
Earlier this year, the Dubai Film and TV Commission held a press conference announcing the shooting of some scenes in the upcoming Star Trek Beyond to be held in the Emirate. Everyone from the cast and crew were in Dubai, including Idris Elba, whose character is still a bit of a mystery apart from his sultry voice heard in the trailer, and Chris Pine, whose thoughtful answer indulging my typical obsession with bridge-building across cultures made me reexamine a star I'd often bypassed. Only because of the cinematic choices he'd made so far. But now, after watching a sizzle reel from the shooting in Dubai as well as their new trailer, I can't wait to watch the new Star Trek and Pine in action, plus evil-villain-maybe or righteous-hero-unlikely Elba at work.
Living like a celebrity: Going behind the scenes of the VIP Lounge
Don't know a girl who doesn't like gifts. If I meet one who says she doesn't, I won't trust her, because I know she can't possibly be telling the truth. And in the spirit of DIFF their VIP gift lounge, designed to give celebrities the star treatment in every way, was splendid. I finally got the abaya (traditional Emirati national dress for women) I've always wanted, by Ayaso Boutique, as well as some great Make Up For Ever foundation and fake lashes, while also enjoying a special cocktail courtesy of their World Class bar, tended by Angus McGregor. Think of it as a candy store for grown ups and you get the idea. If you want to see more of the goodies, check out my Instagram account.
AMBI Pictures and the power to remake
I've been a fan of Lady Monika Bacardi and Andrea Iervolino since our first meeting in Cannes, two years ago. Give me a strong yet feminine and successful woman and I'll always find her essence intoxicating. Plus her pairing with business partner Iervolino, a fellow countryman of mine, is a match made in cinematic heaven. These days, AMBI Pictures, their company, is working on a remake of Christopher Nolan's Memento, as well as a biopic of Ferruccio Lamborghini, the legendary creator of the iconic car brand bearing his family name, and an animated 3D film titled Arctic Justice: Thunder Squad, voiced by Alec Baldwin, Omar Sy and James Franco, among many others. In Dubai, they were there to premiere All Roads Lead to Rome, a rom-com starring Sarah Jessica Parker. They've also purchased a catalogue of titles that include the rights to Memento, but also The Ides of March, End of Watch and Begin Again, which means in plain terms that if anyone even wants to breathe about those titles, they'll have to go through AMBI Distribution. Cue thunderous applause.
The Young Journalist Award, with Gulf News Tabloid!
When the folks at DIFF asked me to mentor eight young men and women in the Young Journalist Award contest they run with Gulf News' entertainment insert Tabloid! I said yes. Maybe? I mean, how much do I really know or have to teach anyone... I'm hardly a journalist, and feel quite happy calling myself a blogger these days instead. But the idea to work with four women and four men who could inspire me through their own vision of this wondrous film festival was irresistible. Accepting the assignment turned out to be the best decision I've made in years. I spent a few precious moments in the company of eight individuals who make me proud to call them journalists, and through their struggles, their strength, their enthusiasm and their victories, I found new inspiration.
For that, I'll always be thankful to this group and I hope they all realize that winning was definitely not the goal of this contest. Connecting, with the world at large and with each other, through cinema is. But then they do have one amazing professor, at the University most of them share in common, so I think they'll do alright!
Mohammed Almezel, Managing Editor of Gulf News, hands the Young Journalist Award to Sayema Wasi, while yours truly looks on
Netflix wants to change the narrative in the Arab world, but are they still in time?
Netflix is doing a lot of impressive things these days. They've revolutionized the way films are distributed with titles like Beasts of No Nation, a favorite of mine at the Venice Film Festival, by releasing the film simultaneously through their online video-on-demand platform and in theaters. This sent major theater chains in the US in a tizzy and when movie theaters like AMC and Regal call for a boycott, you know you're doing something right! If we can't see digital online screening of films and TV series as the way of the very-near future, we're definitely blind. By the spring of 2016, Netflix plans to tap into the nearly 370 million people who live across the region, some of whom are already familiar with the service and access it through a Virtual Private Network. The move may be a bit too late, since the idea already exists and was pioneered by ICFlix, most similar in style to Netflix and then followed by Starz Play Arabia and OSN Play. But Netflix biggest competition may come from itself, because so many in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are already connected to the US site through their VPNs. Only time will tell, but a few great, Netflix standard TV series set in the Arab world would definitely be welcomed. Lets see, things like a House of Cards with Khaled Abol Naga, or a Sense8 starring Ali Suliman and Saleh Bakri wouldn't hurt.
Looking at the Arab film market ahead, with Samr Al Marzooqi
I cherish and relish my conversations with Dubai Film Market Manager Samr Al Marzooqi, because we can talk together about everything. Much of what we talk about I would never disclose to anyone else and he provides a humanity barometer for me, of what is happening in the region. This time around we talked about his one-year stint in the UAE army, where Al Marzooqi was among the first group of Emirati citizens to be drafted for mandatory service, after the law requiring such service of all male nationals between the ages of 18 and 30 was passed in June of 2014. But on the record, we also talked about the Netflix move to the Arab world, and the impact of the Dubai Film Market, which Al Marzooqi confirmed is, "the only leading film market in the region." With naysayers who were trying to predict an end of the market last year, I was personally glad to see DFM even better and stronger than before. Stalls full, people making deals, great networking sessions, the return of the Dubai Film Connection and some wonderful panels, which included one via satellite with Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. Al Marzooqi addressed his disciplined, down to earth approach to DFM when he told me, "this whole ecosystem took us a long time to reach and from that perspective, I feel comfortable, but every year we look at improvement points, how we can do things much better the following year." He also echoed my doubts about the Netflix move to the region, if only because of the timing. "I'm glad Netflix finally woke up and decided to come to the Middle East, we have such a healthy audience here," Al Marzooqi said, "but I feel sorry that they did come late, as ICFlix has most of the market shares here, and Shahid doing a great job with MBC. I really wish Netflix the best."
#SupportArabCinema, Zinzana and the power of film over evil
When I sat in the audience of the theater where the Middle East premiere of Majid Al Ansari's Zinzana (an Arabic word for "prison") took place, I knew the cinematic game in the Arab world would never be the same again. Al Ansari, along with the support of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, has changed it all, from the quality to the stories, to the way cinema is watched in the Middle East. And along with his groundbreaking film, starring two great, beloved superstars in the region Ali Suliman and Saleh Bakri -- yes the stars I just mentioned above -- this young talent I proudly named the Arab Tarantino has revolutionized the cinematic world at large. As DIFF Chairman Abdulhamid Juma said about the young filmmaker, "this guy is going somewhere!" Indeed. Blending a script written by an American couple with visuals straight out of a Hollywood horror film, Arab regional accents mingling with each other courageously "Somewhere in Arabia", Zinzana also represents a commentary on the great creative powers available for the picking in a part of the world that is clearly born to make movies. And when watching cinema from the Middle East from now on, why not post about it on Istagram or Twitter and tag it with the hashtag "#SupportArabCinema" a campaign created by the great powers at Image Nation to promote cinema in the region.
Are you Worthy or will you get left behind?
Ali F. Mostafa and Rami Yasin at the press conference for Worthy
Just as I knew while watching Zinzana that cinema in the UAE would never be the same again, when I watched the teaser for Ali F. Mostafa's upcoming post-apocalyptic thriller Worthy I felt a sense of triumph. I've long been an admirer of Mostafa's work, but also his pioneering vision for cinema in his country. Filmmakers such as Al Ansari today quote Mostafa's City of Life as their inspiration, their go-to film that made everything possible. I agree. It must have been incredibly difficult to create a film industry from scratch in Dubai, but if there is a single person I can look to as the spark, it's Mostafa. Pairing up with wonder company Image Nation Abu Dhabi was also the perfect way to ensure his vision for the first film of its kind Worthy to come out looking and playing like a real blockbuster. As Rami Yasin, one of the producers on Worthy pointed out at the press conference, Image Nation "give us the resources to be able to implement them for high production value, which Image Nation was expecting and is known for." In the words of Mostafa himself, the film is, "about survival and what a human being is capable of doing or even thinking when it comes to survive, the true essence," and pointing to the headlines coming out of the Arab world now, he concluded, "it's like we're going back to the dark ages. It looked for a period that we were really advancing and then now we are going backwards. How would the world be if it did go wrong?" Therein lies the premise of a film that will blow our socks off, when it comes out in the spring of 2016 and not a moment too soon.
Making arthouse cool in Cairo, and much much more
Zawya Cinema is a one-of-a-kind art-house theater in downtown Cairo. Easier said than done one would think, in a country known for its popular yet hardly ever original Arabic films. Yet Zawya continues to thrives, and after eight years of its "Panorama of European Film" showcase each fall, they are also moving on to a distribution branch of the brand, aimed to create a platform for independent Egyptian filmmakers, so that independent films can be viewed in cinemas but also on TV, at film festivals and on VOD. I met with Youssef Shazli, Executive Director of the Panorama of the European Film during DIFF and enjoyed our chat, looking forward of more things to come from them.
Because if we've learned anything from things so far, it's that it is not just about how we view the Arab world, but how the Arab world views us too, through our films, our video games and our culture outreach. And we only get one chance at it, so lets make it something positive, instead of violence and bad behavior.
All images courtesy of the Dubai International Film Festival, used with permission.