The activities of the first edition of "Al-Marmoum .. Film in the Desert", an initiative organized by Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) in the Al-Marmum area, continued with a group of discussion sessions and film screenings.
Nadine Labaki, the Lebanese director, arrived at the first session of the second day, to discuss the mechanisms of her work and her method of directing, and to review her story with the cinema from its beginnings to its last film. The second session discussed titles related to the Emirati film industry, and how it can make the film industry from Dubai a tourist destination.
As for the second day of the festival, which started last Wednesday evening and aims to support the emerging films sector in Dubai, we discussed issues related to the obstacles of the Emirati film, the sessions were hosted by director Hatem Ali, artist Habib Ghuloom, artist Mayssa Maghribi, and a number of specialists and artists.
Haunting issues
Nadine Labaki reviewed in a special session her experience and her way of directing, noting that when she started work she was trying to monitor the impact that art has on feelings and people, and used her tools to talk about issues that were troubling her.
She added that filmmaking is exhausting, especially in Lebanon. “Working on the film is like a battle.” She pointed out that her films are based on insomnia on a specific topic or situation in which she lives, and then the obsession with this case turns into reality, explaining that she does not like solo work, she is surrounded Many of the friends who support her in presenting ideas and discussions, as they do not work in a spontaneous way as described.
The process related to making a movie for Nadine Labaki is very long. There are many discussions preceding the writing stage, in addition to sharing ideas, confirming that the research was very important in her last film, "Capernaum", as she spent a long time in random places, prisons, and with people on the street , That is an organic process through which the movie is generated.
She stated that she faced wholesale challenges in her last film, “I worked with ordinary people who are not from the world of acting, and presented a true life story, and it took nearly 500 hours to film, in addition to the production that was not easy, my husband mortgaged the house until we found the funded and productive entity” For the movie.
Talent Development
For his part, Jamal Al Sharif, Chairman of the Dubai TV and Film Production Committee, hosted a session at the "Al Marmoum .. Film in the Desert" festival about movement in the film sector in the UAE.
Al-Sharif stressed that the "seventh art" boom continues in the UAE, and there are many films shown in cinemas and in other platforms, but they have not reached the global stage, pointing to work on developing talent in the UAE and the existence of a set of programs that support filmmakers, including "N5" The goal is to develop the skill of Arab producers in the UAE, both citizens and residents. He pointed out that a group of directors in Dubai started with small films, and the experiences have grown, considering that the real problem lies in the scarcity of texts. There are Emirati writers, but the proposal requires boldness. He believed that the choice between technical and material returns is important in determining the direction in production or access to globalization "and the good content is the one that delivers films to international film festivals and various exhibition platforms."
On his part, Saeed Al Janahi, Executive Director of Operations at Dubai TV Production Committee, said that the main problem lies in the lack of Emirati cinematic texts. He explained that he receives many texts annually, and is approved by the National Media Council that supports content makers and helps to support the text. As for the executive director of the Tourism and Marketing Department Issam Kazim, he indicated that there is a permanent work to attract films from around the world, and big actors And television programs, given its role in attracting tourists. He added to «Emirates Today» that the facilitation of photography in Dubai highlights the image of the city, new areas that many do not know, as well as tourist facilities, indicating that when any exit communicates with them in the department, they provide facilities that are appropriate to the idea that he wants to present.
Hatem Ali: A demonstration discussing an important issue
A session on the obstacles facing young people and emerging directors in the making of the film, presented by Syrian director, actor and writer Hatem Ali on the third day of “Marmoum .. Films in the Desert”.
Hatem Ali told «Emirates Today» that this same title is the one that revolves around most of the initiative’s sessions and workshops that cannot be called a festival due to the lack of many films, red carpet or jury committees, etc. There are some elements of film festivals.
He emphasized that the "Marmum" is closer to an Arab-style session, and carries the comforting of discussions with filmmakers and the public in a simple way to discuss mechanisms for supporting youth projects.
Hatem Ali pointed out that youth film-making challenges, financing and support mechanisms, and the existence of exhibition platforms are topics that are usually raised on the sidelines of film festivals, while today is the basis for discussion over the four days in the Al-Marmoum initiative.
He believed that the importance of this demonstration lies in the fact that it is discussing a very important issue. After 100 years of this industry, we are still taking the first steps, especially at the cinematic level. The region is witnessing many experiences in relation to television, which has become a "novel of the modern Arab", while cinema is declining its social activities Because of the lack of lounges and the shift in the ritual of going to the cinema, which is no longer rooted in the life of the Arab, and production is limited to countries that have a population density and the market able to support the industry, and this is why it is difficult to say that we have a movie industry but rather initiatives, and these sessions are important in order to be advised on later .
- A group of directors in Dubai that started with small films.
Jamal Al Sharif:
We are developing talent, and there is a software package that supports filmmakers.
Nadine Labaki:
Filmmaking is cumbersome, and my husband is mortgaging our house until we find a product for my last movie.
Saeed Al-Janahi:
The main problem is the lack of Emirati cinematic texts.