"The thing is I knew nothing about Middle East culture," says the Montreal-based director Denis Villeneuve. That's a big admission from the Canadian whose new film Incendies is largely set in Lebanon and deals with a story that spans generations, taking in the attack by Christian militia on Muslims in the 1980s as well as the present day tale of the Canadian twins, Jeanne and Simon, venturing to the Middle East to find out about their heritage after their mother dies.
Lack of familiarity notwithstanding, he has done such a good job of depicting this world that, fresh from winning prizes at the Toronto Film Festival, the film will be Canada's entry for the Oscars in the foreign language category. It is also showing at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, which begins this week. The Canadian chanced upon the story when he went to see a Wajdi Mouawad play in 2004 in a small theatre in Montreal. "I was astonished by the beauty of Wajdi's play. He is someone who has a very strong voice here in Canada, someone whom I respect a lot and when I did see his play I was totally astonished. I immediately decided to make a film out of it."
The 43-year-old was an acquaintance rather than a friend of the playwright before the start of his latest film project. Montreal is a small enough city for the artistic community to know of each other and see each other at events. Villenevue had also seen several of the playwright's earlier works and wasn't looking for a movie project when he sat down at the theatre. The first thing that the director, born in Gentilly, Quebec, had to do was to learn more about the Middle East. "I had been there for travelling and also for making small documentaries in Jordan, but I had never been to Lebanon. I know about it from the news, like everybody, and read some books, but that was it. When I decided to adapt the play we did a lot of research and also looked at the work of photojournalists whose pictures influenced the aesthetic of the film, and we did a lot of travelling in the area, making interviews and meeting people."
Villeneuve met Lebanese, Iraqi refugees, Jordanians and Palestinians and the stories he was told by them helped him to adapt the script for the big screen. One of the challenges faced by anyone adapting theatre is the question of how to give the story movement, but Villeneuve says that in this he was helped by the source material: "Already in the play there was a lot of evocation of travelling and so it was like a road movie in the play. It was static but they were talking about travelling a lot so I was not worried that it would look static, but of course, when you translate theatre to cinema there is always a lot of work on space and time."
The story was perfectly suited to the eyes of a newcomer to the region as it's partly about the landscape being discovered by Jeanne and Simon. The director uses the protagonists as conduits. "In order to make such a film, my door to enter into the story is the twins, because I can have the same glance, the same look on this world as them." As with Villeneuve's previous films, August 32nd on Earth, Maelström and Polytechnique, Incendies is a story dominated by women. Although the twins are a girl and a boy, it's Jeanne that makes all the discoveries and decides to venture into the family history. It's the mother whose story is told in flashback and her grandmother plays a big part in domestic life. Nearly everyone Jeanne meets in her mother's village to talk about the past is a woman.
When I broach the subject of his fascination with women, Villeneuve amusingly says: "That is a question that I decided not to think about. It was just that after my first two features I was a little surprised to find myself doing that, but it was my intuition and inspiration and after a few years when I made another film, Polytechnique, I found myself doing the same thing again. I think the truth is that I was raised in a matriarchal family, with a really strong grandmother who was a positive influence. But I don't think it's very interesting for other people to know why."
Whenever he refers to the Middle East, the director speaks about his fascination with the culture and the strong and positive traditions that he found here. Yet it's also a culture that he samples in his current hometown. "There are a lot of Lebanese people living here in Montreal and the script was read by several Lebanese journalists, writers or even people who were from Lebanon who gave me a lot of notes."
He obviously spoke to the right people, as he walks several tightropes with balance. As well as making sure that there was an authenticity on-screen about Arab life, he also had to deal with the subject of murder committed in the name of religion. "I think it was a dangerous topic, to talk about religion in this part of the world," explains the director. "I did try to keep a balance and I did try to keep it neutral, because the movie is about anger but it doesn't want to promote anger. It is so complex and the thing is that the goal of the film was at one point we want the audience to feel the complexity, but that they won't get lost in the script. There is a point of view and there are several truths and that is why there is a war, because there is too much truth clashing at the same time."
One thing for sure is that living in the region and making Incendies has only served to whet his appetite for Arabic stories. "I think I made a small step in this beautiful culture, I lived for five months thinking about Arabic culture every morning and it was such a beautiful trip and now I'm in grief. I have another project that will talk about the Middle East, but maybe this time it will be the Middle East in Canada."
Incendies is showing at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival on Friday at 5.30pm at the Emirates Palace and on Saturday at 9.45pm at Cinestar in Marina Mall. For more details see www.abudhabifilmfestival.ae.
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
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Company%20Profile
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
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
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Brief scores:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
Match info
Uefa Nations League Group B:
England v Spain, Saturday, 11.45pm (UAE)
The specs: 2018 Audi R8 V10 RWS
Price: base / as tested: From Dh632,225
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 540hp @ 8,250rpm
Torque: 540Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L / 100km
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Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
RESULTS
Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Azizbek Satibaldiev (KYG). Round 1 KO
Featherweight: Izzeddin Farhan (JOR) beat Ozodbek Azimov (UZB). Round 1 rear naked choke
Middleweight: Zaakir Badat (RSA) beat Ercin Sirin (TUR). Round 1 triangle choke
Featherweight: Ali Alqaisi (JOR) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (UZB). Round 1 TKO
Featherweight: Abu Muslim Alikhanov (RUS) beat Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG). Unanimous decision
Catchweight 74kg: Mirafzal Akhtamov (UZB) beat Marcos Costa (BRA). Split decision
Welterweight: Andre Fialho (POR) beat Sang Hoon-yu (KOR). Round 1 TKO
Lightweight: John Mitchell (IRE) beat Arbi Emiev (RUS). Round 2 RSC (deep cuts)
Middleweight: Gianni Melillo (ITA) beat Mohammed Karaki (LEB)
Welterweight: Handesson Ferreira (BRA) beat Amiran Gogoladze (GEO). Unanimous decision
Flyweight (Female): Carolina Jimenez (VEN) beat Lucrezia Ria (ITA), Round 1 rear naked choke
Welterweight: Daniel Skibinski (POL) beat Acoidan Duque (ESP). Round 3 TKO
Lightweight: Martun Mezhlumyan (ARM) beat Attila Korkmaz (TUR). Unanimous decision
Bantamweight: Ray Borg (USA) beat Jesse Arnett (CAN). Unanimous decision
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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J%20Street%20Polling%20Results
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MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
SPECS
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
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