ImageNation, the film production arm of the Abu Dhabi Media Company, is still a young organisation but it has already made its presence felt in the movie world. Fair Game, a retelling of the Valerie Plame affair starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn, was a contender for the Palme d'Or at Cannes two weeks ago. It's only the latest Abu Dhabi production to see theatres.
Other notable achievements include the Bollywood blockbuster My Name is Khan and Shorts, Robert Rodiguez's action adventure for children. The company is also fostering film in the Emirates with a slate of six new films.
Nawaf al Janahi will direct the first of ImageNation's Emirati features.
The filmmaker, who previously directed the highly regarded philosophical thriller The Circle, has signed up to make Sea Shadow, a coming-of-age story set in the Emirates. It will be the first of ImageNation's homegrown titles to go into production, followed by films provisionally titled Million's Poet, Djinn, Alaska, Monsoon and Alis and Aishas.
"We were working on the film in 2009, as a feature film project, and the original plan was to produce it independently," says al Janahi. "Then ImageNation approached us. They were very interested in the concept and idea that we were working on. And with them having these beautiful strategies to develop these Emirati feature films, we started talking and things went on from that point."
Sea Shadow tells the story of two 16-year-old boys, Mansour and Kaltham, who go on a journey of self-discovery after their home life is disrupted. "We were mainly concerned about this character who was growing up," says al Janahi, "and trying to discover his emotions and first loves among other elements like family relationships and the culture surrounding the family."
I suggest that the film sounds lighter in tone than his previous feature, but al Janahi disagrees. "It has its own dark side," he says. "I don't want to spoil it for the audience."
The screenwriter on the project is the novelist and TV writer Mohammed Hassan Ahmed. He and al Janahi started developing the film as a short two years ago, but came to feel the idea had enough mileage in it for a feature. That's when ImageNation got involved. "We started working on the scenario in a more professional way, and over the next couple of months we'll start shooting the movie," says Ahmed. "The main objective of this movie is to have our presence at international festivals."
If Sea Shadow has the makings of a festival hit or prestige picture, a couple of the other films on the slate suggest more obvious commercial potential. Djinn, for example, is a horror written by the American screenwriter David Tully, whose previous credits include the Anglo-German horror co-production Hepzibah.
"The basic pitch is that a young couple moves into a luxury new high-rise in Al Hamra," he says. "It's an abandoned fishing village above Dubai that is filled with tonnes of legends about djinns - and they actually are building these two luxury high-rises up there, which is what gave me the idea for it." The couple, who are Emiratis, find their new neighbourhood almost deserted. The few neighbours they have don't inspire confidence, either. Then the wife disappears. "From there," says Tully, "things get more complicated and bizarre." The film is "at its root, a haunted house story", says the writer, who has lived in Dubai for the past year.
No director is attached to the project so far, but as Tully says, "I know that they want to do as much Emirati talent as possible."
He adds: "I have experience of writing in the genre of horror that is very western, but we have this whole new culture right here, and those two things are going to make something entirely new," he says. "That's what I think is so fascinating - the djinn as a cultural tradition. That's something you don't see in the West." The screenwriter Ahmed Arshi seems to have found another novel movie formula by combining elements from East and West. His film, currently titled Alaska, is set to be the first Emirati frat comedy.
The plot concerns two Emirati students studying in the US who have to undertake a hazing (initiation) ritual in order to join a college fraternity. "They have to go and make a picture under the billboard of Welcome to Alaska so they can join the club," says Arshi.
"So they go on an adventure, crossing up Canada all the way to Alaska."
The writer promises "some comedy" and "clashes of cultures" with both Americans and Canadians. I ask if the story has any autobiographical dimension. "Yes," he says very seriously. "It has to. In order to make it super-funny."
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH INFO
What: India v Afghanistan, first Test
When: Starts Thursday
Where: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengalaru
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Date: Sunday, November 25
The%20Specs%20
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
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
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The bio
Favourite book: Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
Favourite quote: “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist
Favourite Authors: Arab poet Abu At-Tayyib Al-Mutanabbi
Favourite Emirati food: Luqaimat, a deep-fried dough soaked in date syrup
Hobbies: Reading and drawing
Scores
New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs
New Zealand win by 47 runs
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Pakistan v New Zealand Test series
Pakistan: Sarfraz (c), Hafeez, Imam, Azhar, Sohail, Shafiq, Azam, Saad, Yasir, Asif, Abbas, Hassan, Afridi, Ashraf, Hamza
New Zealand: Williamson (c), Blundell, Boult, De Grandhomme, Henry, Latham, Nicholls, Ajaz, Raval, Sodhi, Somerville, Southee, Taylor, Wagner
Umpires: Bruce Oxerford (AUS) and Ian Gould (ENG); TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS); Match referee: David Boon (AUS)
Tickets and schedule: Entry is free for all spectators. Gates open at 9am. Play commences at 10am
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Can NRIs vote in the election?
Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad
Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency
There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas
Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas
A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians
Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.
This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India
A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians
However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed
The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas
Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online
The Election Commission of India then clarified that NRIs could not vote online
The Election Commission lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to clamp down on the people spreading misinformation
SRI LANKA SQUAD
Upul Tharanga (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella
Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana
Chamara Kapugedara, Thisara Perera, Seekuge Prasanna
Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera
Vishwa Fernando, Akila Dananjaya, Jeffrey Vandersay
World Cup warm up matches
May 24 Pakistan v Afghanistan, Bristol; Sri Lanka v South Africa, Cardiff
May 25 England v Australia, Southampton; India v New Zealand, The Oval
May 26 South Africa v West Indies, Bristol; Pakistan v Bangladesh, Cardiff
May 27 Australia v Sri Lanka, Southampton; England v Afghanistan, The Oval
May 28 West Indies v New Zealand, Bristol; Bangladesh v India, Cardiff
At a glance
- 20,000 new jobs for Emiratis over three years
- Dh300 million set aside to train 18,000 jobseekers in new skills
- Managerial jobs in government restricted to Emiratis
- Emiratis to get priority for 160 types of job in private sector
- Portion of VAT revenues will fund more graduate programmes
- 8,000 Emirati graduates to do 6-12 month replacements in public or private sector on a Dh10,000 monthly wage - 40 per cent of which will be paid by government