This day of DIFF was quite tiring. Each movie was emotionally draining, watching them back-to-back multiplied the effects. Fortunately, the festival atmosphere does the work of an energy drink; this makes the going easy.

Heiran
Shalizeh Arefpour | Iran | 2009
88 mins

Regrettably, Heiran gives us nothing new or exciting. The initial scenes set up a love story that could have gone one of many predictable ways — Heiran chooses the route of “village girl alone in big city”. Apart from the female lead’s striking resemblance to the gorgeous Indian actress Manisha Koirala (looks and performance), there is not much that can be appreciated here; unless you are biased towards it.

Mother and Child
Rodrigo Garcia | U.S.A./Spain | 2009
125 mins

Garcia, after the dismal Passengers, comes back into his own with Mother and Child. The movie is an exploration of the different facets of motherhood. A woman who gave up her daughter for adoption due to teenage-pregnancy struggling with the pain of it in the latter years of her life; a pregnant-teenage girl ready to give her baby up for adoption; an infertile woman looking to adopt; a steadfast career-woman who finds herself pregnant. We see each of these characters mothers also and very little of the fathers. Garcia’s brooding examination of these women is layered thick with contemplation. There were some instances that invoked sighs or chuckles from a percentage of the audience, probably mothers themselves. Surely their identification with some scenes proves Garcia’s power over the emotions he captures, but for one not able to empathize, sympathy works almost equally well. Naomi Watts playing one of the women is a big advantage: her character goes through the steepest curve and she rides it high. (Note: The trio of Mexican masters — del Toro, Iñárritu & Cuarón — are involved as executive producers)

Brothers
Jim Sheridan | USA | 2009
110 mins

Brothers has an interesting idea somewhere in it. Unfortunately, Jim Sheridan does a hired-hand job on the movie, letting the script and actors make the movie. While Natalie Portman and especially Jake Gyllenhaal take on this responsibility well, Tobey Maguire falls way short. He is convincing neither as Jake’s model elder brother nor as a war-hero. He even looks like Natalie Portman’s kid brother! In fact, casting Gyllenhaal and Maguire for the other’s character would have served the movie better. We’re left rooting for the couple that isn’t instead: to Thomas Newman’s splendid soundtrack.

Nymph (Nang Mai)
Pen-ek Ratanaruang | Thailand | 2009
94 mins

In Nymph, a man leaves his wife for a woman who is married to a man who is in love with a tree-nymph. This peculiar Thai movie plays with your mind using the simple approach of immersing you in the location of the story. Nymph starts with a long-shot (it lasts several minutes) in a forest. As we pan and track through the foliage, the visuals seem to appear voyeuristic. In fact, most of the movie seems like a peek into the personal lives of Nop and May, a couple who take a vacation in the woods, expecting only photography and barbeque. The many shots of the forest invoke fear too — an unknown fear that, in reverse to classic horror, is used to establish the unknown rather than the fear. Disappointingly, the low production value hampers the movie. Interesting it is, but could have done with a better director, actors or characters. Any or all.

Of the movies I watch tomorrow, the penultimate day of Dubai International Film Festival 2009, Almodóvar’s Spanish Broken Embraces is highly anticipated. The other movies take me to Malaysia, France and Morocco. Quite a trip ahead!

The film has a sprawling narrative with multiple stories, all taking place within the cultural melting pot of one city — for Paul Haggis’ Crash it was Los Angeles, for Mostafa’s City of Life it is Dubai. The similarities between the two films are nakedly apparent in a pivotal scene concerning a massive car crash. Though City of Life does not break new ground in narrative terms, like Crash (which itself borrowed heavily from Robert Altman storytelling technique), it is sensitively performed by an ensemble cast.

City of Life depicts the lives of a young, privileged Emirati (Faisal played by Saoud Al Kaabi) in the process of discovering his cultural identity, an embittered Indian taxi driver (Basu played by Sonu Sood) that dreams of being an actor and a quietly suffering ex-ballet dancer now a stewardess (Natalia played by Alexandra Maria Lara, last seen in Coppola’s Youth Without Youth). Their lives will “collide” and catharsis will be reached for the audience. Despite the more-or-less conventional nature of the plot, director Mostafa gets good performances from his actors – Iraqi MC turned actor The Narcicyst is particularly memorable as the zippy Khalfan whose character provides a sly commentary on urban Emirati life. Actually, City of Life is most effective when it is honest: without being condescending, Mostafa sneaks in everyday truths of living as both a citizen and expatriate in the United Arab Emirates; and he is savvy to not out to grandstand or preach to the choir. Yet this does not mean the film is free of stereotypes — one character, Guy Berger (played by Jason Flemyng) who is the European “hi-roller” undergoes a dramatic transformation that borders on caricature (brace yourself for a memorable line from him: “I will f*cking break you!”). Then there are those arbitrary montages and time lapses that lend a commercial/ music video feel to the otherwise filmic visual aesthetic of both cinéma vérité and moving camera on steadicam or cranes. Director of Photography Michael Brierley paints the nighttime of Dubai with stunning colors using cool and warm lights, especially during the night scenes; Brierley’s beautiful camerawork is one of the strongest elements of the film.

City of Life is not an art film and does not break new ground in story, but that may not be Ali F. Mostafa’s agenda: he seems to have set out to create a mainstream film that engages viewers emotionally, without undermining their intelligence. The film is the product of a young and talented filmmaker that pays homage to Emirati culture and values, but does not forget to include the rich cultural diversity that exists in his country. Above all, it is fun to watch, which is something not every film in a film festival can lay claim to. A must-see especially for the residents of the UAE.

City of Life had its World Premiere on Dec 11 at the 2009 Dubai International Festival. It was also the opening night film for the 2010 Gulf Film Festival.

WearetheMovies.com is a non-profit website inspiring film discussion and independent filmmaking in Dubai, UAE and across the Middle East. (And we love email.)

WearetheMovies Forum is Dubai’s finest film discussion community.

Amreeka
by writer/director Cherien Dabis

It’s no wonder that Americans can relate to the universal immigrant themes in Amreeka. America is a country of immigrants after all, some who arrived centuries ago, others who are arriving as you read this. But despite where they came from and when they arrived, they all seem to understand what it means to struggle. And perhaps it’s precisely because they have their own coming-to-America stories that they’re inspired to ask me how autobiographical Amreeka is. The question usually goes something like this: “The story feels so personal. What inspired it? Is it autobiographical at all?” It’s a double question really, two questions that go hand-in-hand. And in order to best answer it, I’ll tell you my story.

The year is 1975. My Palestinian father who just finished medical school in Cairo and my Jordanian mother brave the trip from Amman, Jordan, to—of all places— Omaha, Nebraska, where my father has landed a pediatrics residency. My mother—tremendously homesick—cries everyday and learns about American culture by watching “Days of Our Lives.” My studious father assimilates out of necessity, takes a liking to college football (Go Cornhuskers!) and softens the back-of-the-throat guttural syllable of our last name so that it sounds remarkably similar to Davis. My older sister (three-years-old at the time) is either so bored or so lonely that she literally takes up conversation with a nail in the wall, and they fast become friends. Then I come along, the first in my family born in the U.S.

Four years later, a small town in Ohio is in need of a pediatrician, and my father is recruited. The place has a zero crime rate and when my parents visit, they think it’s charming and quaint; the perfect place to raise children. Thus, we move to the middle of nowhere, where it’s obvious from my parents’ accents and our three-month-long summer trips to Jordan that we don’t belong. My mother, refusing to raise Americans, proves to be a particular challenge, making us eat green slimy foods that our blonde-haired, blue-eyed counterparts can’t pronounce and bribing us to speak Arabic at home. My sister and I rebel, simply wanting to fit in. Meanwhile, my father builds a relatively successful practice and is known by some as the town hero for saving so-and-so’s life.

Cut to: 1991—As American troops enter Baghdad, fear and paranoia enter the heartland. And we’re rendered the enemy virtually overnight. My father’s patients barge into his office, ask for their medical records and leave. We receive death threats on a daily basis: We’ll get Saddam, and we’ll get you too. And: We know what to do with you Saddam-lovers. The local newspaper publishes letters to the editor about how “those Arabs should leave town.” Then the secret service shows up at my high school on rumors that my now 17-year-old sister has allegedly threatened to kill the President. My sister, terrified that she’s in serious trouble with the government for something she never threatened to do, comes down with a 104 fever. My parents sit at the kitchen table, whispering about what to do and browsing brochures of Cleveland. My father, whose name Nazih (pronounced Nuh-ZEE) lands him the unfortunate label “the Palestinian Nazi,” buys two baseball bats just in case. And that’s it. Somewhere between Saddam-lovers, the Secret Service and a so-called friend approaching me at my freshman locker, telling me that her brother could die because of me, I wake up. The world as I know has been turned upside down. So I go with it. I start to speak Arabic at home. I pay close attention to the news. I realize that there are no depictions of Arabs anywhere other than when we’re referred to as terrorists. I see that we’re referred to as terrorists often, not just on the news but also in Hollywood movies like True Lies and The Siege. So at the age of 14, I decide to make it my mission in life to change that, to make some effort toward integrating Arab Americans into the fabric of American popular culture.

As fate would have it, a decade later, I move to New York City to start film school at Columbia University. It just so happens to be days before 9/11. It’s like déjà vu, especially because shortly thereafter, another President Bush is invading Iraq again. That’s when I know it’s time to start writing my story, a story born out of my own family’s struggle but inspired by the love and strength that kept us going, the friends who stuck by us, the pride that only a mother can instill and the hope that one story can—in some small way—change the world.

Of course the short answer is that the movie is semi-autobiographical. And the best part of sharing it with you is that many of you have been inspired to share your own coming-to-America stories. So please. Do tell. It’s your turn.

WearetheMovies.com is a non-profit website inspiring film discussion and independent filmmaking in Dubai, UAE and across the Middle East. (And we love email.)

Celebrities at DIFF 2009

Hollywood:
Gerard Butler (receiving Variety’s International Star of the Year Award; but the most pertinent question is, will he DINE IN HELL?!?)
Matt Dillon (remember him?)
Mandy Moore (party prime rib)
Christopher Lambert (who? okay, we jest; we love this duke of B-cinema!)
…more ‘celebrities’ you’ll need to google to remember!

Indian Cinema:
Amitabh Bachchan (receiving Lifetime Achievement Award)
Other Bachchans (Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan; yup, it’s a family affair)
Ranbir Kapoor (described by DIFF as “teenybopper sensation,” which is *not* a compliment)
Manisha Koirala (she’s judging the Muhr Arab and AsiaAfrica awards)
M.F. Hussain (he too is judging the Muhr Arab and AsiaAfrica awards)
Mammootty (the stalwart of cinema from Kerala)
…more of them will be seen around the city (shopping for clothes and gold, we’re sure)

Arab World:
Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan
Omar Sharif (receiving Lifetime Achievement Award)
Hala Sarhan
Somayya Al Kashab
Mostafa Fahmy
…and more, lost count, there are so many!

Panels & Workshops
Vive Le Cinema: co-producing fiction features with France
Against the Odds: a case study of filmmaking in Palestine
Variety-DIFF Spotlight: for filmmakers and producers in the Arab world
Screenwriting Workshop: in association with TorinoFilmLab
DIFF Young Journalist Award: in association with MBC and Funding in the Middle East

A staggering 168 movies from 55 countries will be playing over the week-long film festival (but then again, this is Dubai, so you only get more of more).  Only 2 days remain until the opening night of the 2009 Dubai International Film Festival. Excited?

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Dubai International Film Festival 2009

WearetheMovies.com has been diligently covering the festival since last year (our writers are pretty comprehensive and brutal; see links on the right), and this year we will once again jump into the fray, all guns blazing. Dubai is a city we love and we love it even more during the film festival. (Wait, I think I hear Bloomberg and Financial Times nerds crying foul, screaming “standstill” and “meltdown” — screw ‘em, what do philistines know about art.) The DIFF website has just unveiled the entire roster of films, schedule and price details. The information is a bit dense there, so here is a snapshot summary:

Films
The festival films have been split up into 16 programmes. You can navigate the selections by these categories, or become a film militant and scroll through each page, film by film (if you do this,  you will earn our greatest respect). I hand counted 168 films films in there, which is kinda insane and awesome. Ready? Now click these:
A Celebration of Indian Cinema (3 films)
Arab-French Rendez-Vous (5 films)
Arabian Nights (14 films)
Cinema for Children (7 films)
Cinema of Asia-Africa (11 films)
Cinema of the World (26 films)
Gulf Voices (10 films)
In Focus: France (6 films)
Lebanese Night (4 films)
Lifetime Achievement (4 films)
Muhr Arabic Documentary (14 films)
Muhr Arabic Feature (10 films)
Muhr Arabic Short (15 films)
Muhr AsiaAfrica Documentary (12 films)
Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature (15 films)
Muhr AsiaAfrica Short (12 films)

Ticket Prices
Regular tickets are AED 25 ($6.80), but if you’re a Student then it is only AED 10 ($2.70) which is nice of them. Tickets for the Red Carpet Gala Screenings, if you’re into that sort of thing, are AED 80 — only requirement is that they ask you wear “formal or national dress — no jeans.” Else they might kick you out, or worst… actually let you in where snobs in black ties and gowns will really make you feel at home. If you buy tickets in bulk (which we always recommend), then there are special discounted packages. Do the math yourself: let your brain and wallet pick the right deal here.

Box Office
They have counters at the Madinat Jumeriah, Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Media City. Check out this page for the operation hours and contact numbers. Hopefully, the young turks working the phones have a clue.

And you’re done.

(P.S. Need recommendations on what to see or avoid? We have something in the works. Meanwhile, read the early rants and raves from our feisty members on the WM Forum.)

Ashraf Ghori is known to many residents here as the creator of Xero Error, the first CG animated short film to be produced in the United Arab Emirates. Some may even nostalgically recall Ashraf Ghori as the guy that did those amazing illustrations for Khaleej Times (if you grew up in the UAE and had a subscription to the children’s magazine Young Times, you know it, friendo!). Born in India, Ashraf was very little when his family moved to the city of Dubai, which he considers “his hometown.”  Ashraf completed his college at the University of Houston in 1994, founded Tempest Comics, and won several accolades in the United States including being the featured artist at the 1994 Dallas Comic Con. Ashraf returned to the UAE in 1994 and has since been working on independent 3D animation and design projects. In 2007, he began the animation studio Xpanse CGI, and the very next year started work on his labor of love, Xero Error.

WearetheMovies.com loves and supports independent filmmakers in the Middle East. We asked the very talented Ashraf Ghori about Xero Error, Dubai’s potential for independent film production, and…three people he’d like to have dinner with (apparently, Megan Fox made the list!)

WearetheMovies.com: Who or what first inspired you to become a CG artist and storyteller?
Ashraf Ghori: It all started off with comic books. The mix of fantastical storytelling and mind blowing graphics had its toll on a young impressionable mind. Naturally, I did the next best thing and started doing my own comics. Now with the advancements in CGI, it is possible to bring those ideas to life.

WearetheMovies.com: Name three of your favorite movies of all-time.
Ashraf Ghori: There are just so many good movies; it is really hard to choose. But, to narrow it down: Fight Club, Lord of the Rings trilogy and Star Wars.

WearetheMovies.com: You learned your craft in Houston, Texas. Your current project Xero Error is billed as the first CG animated short film to be produced in Dubai, UAE. Why the city of Dubai?
Ashraf Ghori: I’ve been drawing as far back as I can remember. Houston was an eye-opener to the real world, other artists and new concepts. Dubai is my hometown, so I moved back after my studies. I’ve always wanted to create something cool and unique which could gain wide acceptance — Xero Error is the result. It also happens to be the first time that this kind of project is being done in Dubai.

I’ve been drawing as far back as I can remember. Houston was an eye-opener to the real world, other artists and new concepts. Dubai is my hometown, so I moved back after my studies. I’ve always wanted to create something cool and unique which could gain wide acceptance — Xero Error is the result. It also happens to be the first time that this kind of project is being done in Dubai.

WearetheMovies.com: What is the current status of Xero Error? Can we expect to see it at the upcoming 2009 Dubai International Film Festival?
Ashraf Ghori: Xero Error is currently in the early production stage. We’re not as far ahead as we thought we’d be; allow me to explain:  Last year (2008) I started doing the preliminary concept and character design, co-wrote the script, got the voiceover recorded…we thought we’d merrily sign up a sponsor and be on our way to fame and fortune! 2009 was supposed to be nothing but production, and we had planned to premiere Xero Error at the 2009 Dubai International Film Festival. This would have been the ideal scenario!  What actually happened was something very different: we could not find any backing for our production. The economic recession certainly did not help either.

Sponsors who showed interest offered only to promote/publicize the film. This slowed us down. Without funding I would not have the dream team I wanted. So, self-funding my animation studio Xpanse CGI, we instead began looking for volunteers to help us. We continue to persevere and are happy to launch the first teaser of Xero Error this week (Editor’s note: watch it here.) We’re also networking in the US to get some backing for our film, and are aiming for a 2010 release.

WearetheMovies.com: As one of the pioneers of CGI in the region, where do you see Dubai as a resource for independent film/TV production and post, in five years from now?
Ashraf Ghori: Independent films will definitely pick up if there is local support for such projects. Unlike the US, the majority of the expat population here is committed to a daily job — that does not leave much scope for independent projects. I do sincerely hope that this art form gets more appreciation from the government and private organizations. Five years from now, I imagine Dubai could have a much more established film industry.

WearetheMovies.com: Do you think Dubai can compete with mature markets such as, say, Los Angeles, given the fact there are certain limitations under which filmmakers and artists must operate?
Ashraf Ghori: Even with limitations in producing content that may be deemed ‘controversial,’ Dubai is nevertheless gearing up to offer better filmmaking facilities such as the Dubai Studio City, and big name studios are establishing their presence here.  Still a long way to go before Dubai becomes the next Hollywood.

WearetheMovies.com: If you could have dinner with three people (alive or deceased) who would they be?
Ashraf Ghori: I know I’m supposed to say something clever and profound here, but I’m going with the first three people who come to mind: Simon Bisley, Megan Fox…and what’s a party without Malcolm X!

WearetheMovies.com: Besides the Dubai International Film Festival, name two other film festivals you deem most important for Arab and locally based filmmakers?
Ashraf Ghori: Being relatively new to filmmaking, I don’t follow Arab film festivals as keenly I should. But I intend to follow the festivals more closely now.

WearetheMovies.com: What is the best professional advice you have ever received?
Ashraf Ghori: Perseverance (Kenneth Smith); and learn art from real life (Barron Storey).

WearetheMovies.com: What’s next for Ashraf Ghori?
Ashraf Ghori: I am extremely fortunate to get this far with my goals. I hope I find the necessary means to complete Xero Error successfully. I am sure this will open many doors for future successes at film festivals and comic cons; new cutting edge CG films for Xpanse CGI; and also provide opportunities and inspiration for other aspiring filmmakers from the region.  Wish me luck!

WearetheMovies.com is a non-profit website instigating film discussion and independent filmmaking in Dubai, UAE and across the Middle East. (And we love email.)