dubai // Stronger cinematic ties between countries in the Arab world will help movies reach larger audiences and resolve distribution difficulties in the region, senior producers at the Dubai International Film Festival said at the weekend.
Hania Mroue, the director of the only arthouse cinema in Lebanon, Beirut's Metropolis Cinema, said more co-productions in the region were vital to the industry.
"It is inconceivable that we don't do more co-productions when we speak the same language, even if we have different dialects," Mroue said. "This is a growing market with 400 million Arabs in the region and joining together will help the industry."
Mohammed Hefzy, the Egyptian producer of the feature film Microphone, which competes with a dozen others in the Muhr Arab Awards, described the market as tough because of competition from big budget Hollywood productions.
"It's a tough situation and it's a hard industry," Hefzy said. "In Egypt, Lebanon and the Gulf, distribution is controlled by theatre owners. It is difficult for low-budget independent films and for independent distributors to succeed."
The stranglehold over distribution made it tough for independent filmmakers to reach across the region. Markets such as Egypt, which permits only eight prints of foreign movies across 400 theatres, add to the obstacles filmmakers faced.
Low budgets are key to successful collaborations, Hefzy said.
"If budgets are low enough, you can find a successful collaboration," he said. "You always must keep your budget in mind."
This view was backed Georges Schoucair, a Lebanese producer, who will work with Hefzy over the next year on an Arabic language movie titled Housekeeping, with Egyptian and Lebanese stars.
The movie is about a Beirut cleaning lady and her fight against eviction. It is one of 15 regional productions chosen by the Dubai festival for funding and production support from more than 130 submissions from countries including Morocco, Algeria, Syria and Iraq.
Schoucair believes a movie must have a local flavour and succeed in its country of origin before it is taken to the region.
"Ten years ago we didn't have this opportunity to work with other Arab companies," said Schoucair, who is showing a short entitled A Stray Bullet at the Dubai festival. "Unless a movie is strong in its own market, it will be difficult distributing it in the rest of the Arab world or even in Europe. Collaboration will also help develop strong scripts."
rtalwar@thenational.ae
SPECS
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Company%20Profile
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World Sevens Series standing after Dubai
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
13. Wales
14. Uganda
15. United States
16. Russia
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The specs: 2019 Infiniti QX50
Price, base: Dh138,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 268hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy: 6.7L / 100km (estimate)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
Bareilly Ki Barfi
Directed by: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring: Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao
Three and a half stars
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Sky Is Pink
Director: Shonali Bose
Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf
Three stars
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
