Dubai Film Fest III (Dec 10-17, 2006)

[animatedude]

DFF dirty laundry...

Dubai rolls out red carpet for "Bobby" at festival
Sunday December 10 4:06 PM ET


Hollywood, Bollywood and Arab stars descended on Dubai on Sunday for the start of a film festival that sees itself as a cultural bridge between the West and the Arab world.

Gracing the red carpet for Dubai's third international festival were the stars of opening film "Bobby," about the 1968 assassination of U.S. presidential hopeful Robert Kennedy.

Matrix star Laurence Fishburne showed for the second year. Also at the gala was "Bobby" co-star Joshua Jackson, rapper Mos Def, and a host of Arab stars topped by Egyptian actress Yusra.
Some critics questioned the choice of "Bobby" to open a festival that has set its sights on building East-West ties through cinema, particularly after last year's topical opener "Paradise Now," about why Palestinians become suicide bombers.

But some cast members saw in the film about Kennedy's murder at the time of the Vietnam War a reflection of today's political splits in the United States over the mounting violence in Iraq.

"People like Robert Kennedy ... represent the best of what's in our character as human beings," Fishburne told reporters. "Part of our intention in making this film is to remind people of that part of ourselves."

While it is opening with a U.S. film, the week-long festival will only be giving prizes for Arab cinema in a new contest to encourage film in a region often derided as a cultural desert.

The festival will award $325,000 in prizes for feature films, documentaries and short films made by Arabs about Arabs. There is also a contest for films from the United Arab Emirates.

In a testament to Dubai's effort to position itself as a cosmopolitan venue for film-makers to show uncut movies, many of the 115 films also hail from South Asia, Europe and Africa.

The festival has attracted attention since 2004 for showing controversial films that would otherwise have trouble getting screened in the region, but tough security took the shine off a star-studded night for would-be guests who got stranded outside.

A strict black tie policy saw some guests turned away for their colorful ties despite brandishing their invitations. Others left before the film complaining of poor organization.

"I am dressed smartly. To turn people away for the color of their tie is disgraceful," said Khosro, a middle-aged man who stood outside with his wife, herself in evening dress.

A Californian lady who left early said: "It's so disorganized inside. People have to take numbered tickets and hold them up to see who will get a seat so we left."

Despite the frustrations, crowds will probably return later in the week to see Richard Gere and director Oliver Stone, who will promote his new film "World Trade Center," about the September 11, 2001 attacks in U.S. cities carried out by 19 Arabs.

[X.]

They are so disorganised you won't believe it. It's utter madness inside. This comes straight from my source who works for DIFF and - despite having brought her evening dress with her - refused her gala invitation because of the all disorientation. More in The Temple when there's time...

[fizz]

Disorganized is an understatement...the media library (which has about half the titles available as screeners) changes every day! What...? Are the ushers stealing copies?

Add to that the fact that press screenings are cancelled on the go...on the go! After I've spent hours rescheduling my opening slots...I hope 'jabermouth' gets to read all this.

[madali]

Man, I missed the first day.

Sort of was not in the mood after a long day at work. By the time I finishe dmy work it was 7:30, and I really did not like the idea of driving from Airport Road, Garhoud, all the way to the Mall of the Fucking Emirates.

[shariqq]

I was wondering where you were, mad, yesterday & today!


Nothing I saw on Monday (3) rocked me off my senses. And continuing the trend of last year's days for me, the movies have been subsequently better the later in the evening I've seen it.

Monday was for The Bong Connection, Happy Feet & The Last King Of Scotland.

[shariqq]

Saw four movies on Tuesday:

Our Daily Bread
Really simple and sorta high-end documentary about how our daily food is processed. From Beef to Pork to Chicken to Fish to Tomatoes and Apples and Potatoes and even Salt! The movie is entirley comprised of 15-35 second shots that each show what farming processes  our final bite go through before.

I liked it mainly for its simplicity, and if you have the patience to watch a 92-minutes movie of no dialgoues and no soundtrack, then it is defintiely rewarding in the knowledge you walk away with. yeah, all this movie intends to accomplish is to show you how food-farms work, with aboslutely no comments and absolutely no bias.

My Rating ---> 3.5 of 5


12:08 East of Bucharest
A small movie (89mins), shot in a small town with a small cast. The movie has no point and  is not even relevant to someone like me who has absolutely no connection with a revolution from 16 years ago in a small town in Romania. But the movie moves at a steady pace without faltering once in its narrative, sprinkled well with doses of wry humour. Nothing to rave about, but a good filler between movies.

My Rating ---> 2.5 of 5

Bobby
My comment in the Red Room

Outsourced
The best yet of the seven movies I have seen. Nothing artsy about this one, it's just a regular low-budget Indie american movie. Without doing anything extraordinary, and without any power-house performances, this movie tells its tale in a soft comedy way. Think Junebug without Amy Adams, but more color.

At a Film Festival, I want to finish these days catching a movie of the calibre of Cahe or Peacock as the best I saw. But in the absence of "F*cking-Awesome" alternative cinema, Outsourced stands a bit tall. I might have liked it more than it deserves for its Indian connection. Yet, those very Indian scenes really work! I am tired of the subcontinent type-cast with Snake-Charmers and orphan beggers in Western Cinema. Although Outsourced really dangled close to falling into the same abyss, it jumps over and comfortably cruises into realistic territories a little after the main character arrives in India. There is exagerrated simplicifactions for the conveniece of the story, but they serve the movie well in the mould it is created.

I think I'm beginning to rant. Good night, guys.

My Rating ---> 4 of 5

[kaytee]

Nice Report Shariq.

I just watched two movies yesterday.

Bobby - Will post -ve comments in the Red Room

Hana Yori Mo Naho (Hana)

This movie would have been the highlight of the festival if it was 60-75 mins long. Unfortunately that didnt happen, the director went on an art trip and made the movie drag for 128 mins. The comedy in the movie worked very well which went side by side with the revenge track which was all good but the director went crazy at that point. He brought in a widow and made the incompetent samurai fall in love with her and then add another love story between the samurai's neighbours.
Bottom Line - If the movie would have kept it simple and short with a samurai looking for revenge and falling in love with a widow in less than 75 mins then this movie is a keeper. But with it being 128 mins long this movie is a NANA.

[shariqq]

Oh darn, I had really hoped Hana would be good. I'm gonna watch it anyway as I got the ticket (it's the first movie I watch today!). I guess now Still Life is the only eastern hope left.

[fizz]

Shariqq, Still life offers no hope. Write back when you've seen it.

[fizz]

Daily updates about DIFF are being made (apart from reviews), whenever possible. They can be read at the here.

[shariqq]

Saw four movies on Wednesday:

Hana
El Custodio
Paris Je T'Aime
The Lives of Others

[shariqq]

Four movies on Thursday too:

The Extras
I only saw thos coz I had nothing else to watch and didn't wanna waste a morning og DIFF. Mistake - shudda stayed in bed and caught up with some precious sleep. This is just a little Syrian movie with nothing to offer. Small in every sense: running time, story, characters, direction, everything. They're calling it GREAT. The man who introduced this movie said the Director (Nabil Maleh) is as choosy as Tarkovskiy was, so he was clearly talking out of his wrong end. It reminded me of last year's Long Night, and how it's director did/said something equally absurd.

Not Rated.

Seeds Of Doubt
The Wind that Shakes the Barley
It's Winter

[fizz]

More daily updates:

http://movies.theemiratesnetwork.com/diff/2006/

[fizz]

DIFF has ended, final updates are done. Some more reviews will come up gradually. I need to catch up with work and sleep.

For 8 days I ate, drank, and slept movies. The screening rooms of the majestic Madinat Jumeirah and the swanky Mall of the Emirates became my home, the young staff at the boxoffice were my family, the ushers my friends. And so it is with great regret, longing and affection (but also a tinge of relief)...

Read the complete thing here.

[kaytee]

Going the High Fidelity way - My Top 5 of the Dubai International Film Festival in the order of preference.