Jessica Chastain in Miss Sloane. Kerry Hayes / EuropaCorp
Jessica Chastain in Miss Sloane. Kerry Hayes / EuropaCorp

A showcase for global cinema: the international films playing at Diff



Giving local audiences the chance to see some of the best new films from around the world is, of course, Diff’s greatest strength.

This year's hottest tickets are likely to include The Founder, John Lee Hancock's biopic about the early days of burger chain McDonald's, starring the ever-reliable Michael Keaton, and Ben Wheatley's crime thriller Free Fire. Wheatley directed one of the best films of recent years, 2015's High Rise, and his latest is a high-octane shooter with a star-studded cast, including Oscar-winner Brie Lason, Armie Hammer and Cillian Murphy.

Regular UAE visitor Will Smith is back on screen in the brooding drama Collateral Beauty, alongside another all-star cast including Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley and Edward Norton. Natalie Portman is the star of the Oscar-tipped biopic Jackie, about the life of John F Kennedy's wife Jackie before and after her husband's assassination. Her co-stars include John Hurt, Peter Sarsgaard and Greta Gerwig.

Diff’s opening and closing films are always a source of great anticipation, and this year does not disappoint.

Jessica Chastain stars in festival opener Miss Sloane, a political thriller directed by indie darling John Madden (Shakespeare in Love).

The closing film, meanwhile, is about as high-profile as it gets – the regional premiere of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Diff organisers promise a Star Wars-themed party that fans of the franchise won't want to miss.

Arab cinema is also well represented in this year's programme. Magdy Ahmed Ali's Mawlana (The Preacher) will have its world premiere with a gala screening at Madinat Arena.

Sophie Boutros's comedy-drama Mahbas (Solitaire) will also gets the red carpet treatment. This is her debut feature following a successful career in music videos.

Bollywood fans will also find plenty to keep them entertained, with the biggest Hindi draw set to be the world premiere of Aditya Chopra's Befikre.

European cinema has not been overlooked. The British offerings include Ken Loach's I, Daniel Blake, a cutting social commentary about the damaging effects of austerity politics, which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes.

Also from the United Kingdom comes wartime romance, Their Finest, starring Bill Nighy and Gemma Arteton.

France is represented by a typically strong line-up, including a number of French/Arab co-productions, and the critically lauded Tramontane.

There is also an exclusive tribute to the influential Lumiere brothers, with the screening of remastered versions of some of the trailblazing early work by the filmmakers.

Movies from more unusual locations include Neruda Pablo Larrain's biography of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (Larrain also directed Jackie), and the visually stunning Kazakh documentary The Eagle Huntress (narrated in English by Star Wars: The Phantom Menace actress Daisy Ridley).

• For full listings and timings, visit www.dubaifilmfest.com or pick up a brochure at one of the box offices

cnewbould@thenational.ae

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The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 154bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option 

Price: From Dh79,600

On sale: Now

The specs

  Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now

BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES

SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

US PGA Championship in numbers

Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.

To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.

Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.

4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.

In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.

For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.

Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.

Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.

Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.

10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.

11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.

12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.

13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.

14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.

15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.

16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.

17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.

18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

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Total eligible population

About 57.5 million people
51.1 million received a jab
6.4 million have not

Where are the unvaccinated?

England 11%
Scotland 9%
Wales 10%
Northern Ireland 14% 

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The Perfect Couple

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor

Creator: Jenna Lamia

Rating: 3/5