Abu Dhabi’s cool creative hub Warehouse421 has teamed up indie independent Dubai cinema Cinema Akil for a brand-new online film programme.
Movie buffs can expect a three-part series of contemporary Arab documentary films and the programme kicks off today (Wednesday October 28) with The Borrowed Dress by Syrian filmmaker Leen Alfaisal.
Honey, Rain & Dust by Emirati poet, artist and film director Nujoom Al Ghanem will be showing on Wednesday November 18, Talking About Trees by Sudanese film director Suhaib Gasmelbari will be showing on Wednesday December 9 and all three screenings will be at 7.30pm.
The digital film screenings will be accompanied by live discussions and a virtual Q&A with the directors which will be moderated by media figures from the region including Ibrahim Ustadi, May Ali and Hussam Hilali.
“We are delighted to launch the fifth iteration of our film program in partnership with Cinema Akil. Despite the current circumstances, this documentary film program in its virtual iteration reflects our commitment to maintain an active relationship with the community. We aspire to not just be a screening platform, we aim to showcase inspiring human stories that act as a catalyst to deep conversations, new initiatives, and creative projects,” said Faisal Al Hassan, Head of Warehouse421.
“We are excited to push forward with our program as usual, except we’ll be meeting you all digitally this time around. These films speak of the overarching resilience across the Arab world that resonates with us and what we are working to achieve through Cinema Akil and our relationship with Warehouse421,” added Butheina Kazim, Founder of Cinema Akil.
The 2020 programme also marks the fifth year of Warehouse421 and Cinema Akil’s close collaboration, which began in 2016 with a series of pop-ups in the capital.
The characters in the three chosen movies are from the UAE, Syria and Sudan and each movie is set to expose us to some of the most relevant ecological, cultural, and geopolitical realities of our region.
The Borrowed Dress, which won the Special Jury Mention Documentary Films Award at the Beirut International Women Film Festival, is narrated by Alfaisal herself and details her grandmother’s journey to live with her daughter in the UAE after being displaced by the Syrian war.
Nujoom Al Ghanem’s Honey, Rain & Dust follows Aisha and Fatima who travel through Ras Al Khaimah’s mountain ranges for wild honey. The film tells the story of both beekeepers and bees, touching on the ongoing ecological crisis and its impact on this ancient practice.
The series concludes with Talking About Trees by Suhaib Gasmelbari. The film follows four members of the Sudan Film Group as they attempt to bring film screenings back to their local community but through various ordeals, we are given an unprecedented look into the not-so-absent past and present of Sudanese film.
If you want to check out these award-winning Arab documentaries, just register on the Warehouse421 website.
For all things culture across Abu Dhabi click here and for Dubai, head here.
Free. Wed Oct 28, Nov 18 & Dec 9, 7.30pm, www.warehouse421.ae.
