Dubai International Film Festival 2014

DIFF: the week in which I go to a film theater more than during the entire remainder of the year. And attending the biggest cinephiles' carnival in town is not just a way to see films that do not typically make it to theaters here -- it also means bumping into and catching up with many people I've not seen in a while.

I had to be particularly selective this DIFF, though, since my busy schedule that week meant I could take time off only during the weekend evenings. Looking back, I'd say I was generally pleased with my six choices, which encompassed documentary, comedy and drama in equal measure.

(clockwise from top left) Afia Nathaniel on the right, director of Dukhtar; Hind Shoufani on the left, director of Trip Along Exodus; Ali F. Mostafa on the far left, director of From A to B; Gautam Sonti on the left and Usha Rao on the right, directors of Our Metropolis.

Except Haemoo, all of my films had Q&As with filmmakers and/or cast afterwards. I was especially fascinated by the journeys of Ms Nathaniel in making Dukhtar (10 years, in her case), and of Sonti/Rao in making Our Metropolis.

Following are some of my thoughts on the films.

ABOOD KANDAISHAN

Whatever people may think of wasta, this Emirati comedy by Tent Pictures makes its titular character come out likable. The film is set in many locations viewers, Emirati or otherwise, would likely recognize, like Zayed Sports City, and the ADNOC on Sheikh Khalifa Highway, and otherwise avoids glitzy spots in favor of run-down freej alleyways, homely homes, and tranquil terraces. This, in addition to such sequences as the lingering shot of the preparation of the familiar-to-old-timers Oman Chips sandwich, establish Abood as "one of us". The soundtrack was very nice too, and I liked the guerrilla style (well, mostly).

Perhaps this film is about how people don't need wasta, and will be freed from insincere friends/crushes if they are kind and generous. In terms of plot, though, that results in subplot similarity to many "redemption of the good guy" type films, and therefore a good deal of predictability that's not helped much by the obvious Chekhov's treasure chest in the beginning. The deus ex moment that brings the film to a resolution is also jarring in how it does not clearly follow from the plot of film to that point.

I thought the lead actor, Abdulrahman Al Nakhi, was a good fit for the dorkwardly comedic Abood Kandaishan. The supporting cast, however, was mixed among those who did excellent work of it (such as the Indian housekeeper and the Emirati rooftop sage), and some others who seemed to be, well, just going through the motions. The grating perception of the latter was exacerbated by some of the dialogue that might look better on paper than it would in a spoken conversation.

Abood Kandaishan is still trailblazing in Emirati cinema in its genre, and I think this path of portraying the real lives of people who live here through comedy should definitely be explored further.

HAEMOO

South Korea is home to one of my go-to film industries, so I had high expectations. This one had a nicely gritty and realistic style, with good action scenes and dialogue, and good acting talent. The exposition scenes in the beginning were concise, and the tilt was implemented well. Much of the film was shot in nighttime outdoors or low-light indoors, and the scenography for this was done superbly.

Character development was a bit predictable, though, as the established archetypes' traits were simply amplified in response to the escalating horror. A couple of them were outright cartoon characters, and the film was overall very heavy on tropes. Despite these, Haemoo, which was based on a true story, did a good job portraying the perils of human trafficking and the high seas through drama.

DUKHTAR

Excellent actors and world-class cinematography made this film about a dramatized escape from child marriage one of the best I've seen this year. The writing was most commendable; although there were a few cliche bits written to very obviously drive the plot (telling a child to stay put is a good guarantee that they will scoot in a few moments), the filmmakers subverted a few tropes and played a couple of naughty tricks with timelines to spring tactical-level surprises on the viewers. The character development and plot complexity was outstanding too. The natural beauty of the tribal regions of Pakistan is also showcased in all its magnificence, rounding off a very satisfying film.

TRIP ALONG EXODUS

This sorta-documentary presents a rarely-seen face of Palestinian nationalism: erudite, uncompromising, and secular. Its lead filmmaker and interviewer is the daughter of the focal character, the (recently) late Dr Elias Shoufani, and there is as much family album in here as there is political/historical content. This is just something one gets used to as the documentary progresses.

The interviews take place in unassuming, everyday, home surroundings in an apparently very candid, ex tempore manner, filmed unprocessed and crisp, usually with only ambient background sound. There is a lot of editing, as bits from countless reels of archival footage is played in background exposition montages set to electronic ambient music. An additional artistic element is present in overlays of sometimes cute animated drawings that illustrate moments in the interviews.

Other people in his then-present or past lifetime are also interviewed -- interestingly, with no title cards, bringing the focus to the content rather than to the relationships. Dr Shoufani's interviews themselves span several topics, including sometimes scathing analyses of regional political situations and figures. Much editing is therefore also used to splice together soundbites from different interviews into single-topic sequences. These reveal very interesting composite perspectives (some of them even coming across humorous) and together paint a comprehensive picture of a simple yet multi-faceted man -- one who made many hard choices, and of whose life the world should really know more, especially in these times.

OUR METROPOLIS

This documentary follows five years of conflict between human heritage and globalized visions of modernity, depicting the struggles of urban conservationists, entrenched residents, and laborers against metro construction, road widening plans, and stingy government bodies in Bangalore.

Our Metropolis started out uncomfortably kids'-show-like with the "time travel" intro, and is a bit dragged-out in some parts (mainly the protests), but it has overall good editing and shooting techniques, and tells some interesting stories. Especially commendable of the filmmakers was their emphasis on being in the thick of the action, and they mostly let the people and events do the talking live. It's a good documentary, and especially relevant to me, both as a resident of EXPO-bound Dubai and as a likely future frequent visitor to Bangalore.

FROM A TO B

You know it's a road trip film. Which means you have some idea of what's going to happen: misunderstandings, detours, improbable encounters, etc. Even so, Ali F Mostafa's second big feature is one of the best road trip films I've ever seen, as well as the one of the best films I've seen come out of this region, period.

Pay attention to the title sequence, as it includes some exposition details that are later referred to. The trip-bound trio -- a Saudi foil, a straight Syrian, and an Egyptian who straddles the two roles (Fahad Albutairi, Fadi Rifaai, and Shadi Alfons, respectively) -- are all fluently bilingual Arab expats in the UAE, written as novel youth characters in different interesting life stages and situations, and played by fresh but very impressive acting talent.

After the exposition and character establishment sequences are over, and the road trip actually gets underway, the comedic aspect goes through the roof, inducing genuine belly laugh after genuine belly laugh, using well-written and clever jokes that transcend culture and language. Many of bits took me by surprise, and it's not often that this happens. I applaud the writers, as well as the actors for their comedic delivery and timing.

The nice bilingual soundtrack spans a good range of music from classic hits to contemporary, and the cinematography is excellent. The road trip plot also affords opportunities for diverse scenic and interesting locations, of which full advantage was taken. While there were a few morality points, I'm guessing that because the leads were expats traveling through mainly other countries, the film included more bold topics, references, and traits, and was definitely less preachy than City of Life. An excellent supporting and cameo cast -- including some seemingly big names in Arabic celluloid -- ices the cake.

This brilliant comedy, with its themes of friendship and serendipity, is worthy of stocking for repeat watching, and I hope that we'll someday see as bold and as funny a film with a lead Emirati cast and local setting.

Quoz Art Festival and a spot of ISEA

The Quoz Arts Festival returned to the neighborhood this year, with a new branding, a wider audience, and a lot of food. Literally, one lane of Al Serkal Avenue, turned into a food street. A satellite attraction was the upcoming expansion of the Avenue, the construction for which was now looking much closer to completion in the plot next door.

Before taking a look around the galleries, though, I dropped in at the Fridge for the final performance of ISEA 2014: Maziar Ghaderi's Dissolving Self, featuring Vrinda Bhandula's dance performance visually augmented with a live projection behind her, controlled by her movements. It's not the first motion-controlled rendering in the world, but the simple bi-chromatic star field, coalescing, expanding and spining with her was beautiful in execution.

I only had the time to look at a few galleries. One I liked a lot was FN Designs and its exhibition of pop art, especially the long panorama of iconic aspects of Dubai life, pixelated and colored in a style reminiscent of retro computer games.

At Grey Noise, Michael John Welan's Lupus consisted of works in the metaphorical vein typical of the gallery, using different media and/or cultural symbols to wistfully allude to the demise of the Irish wild wolf.

Further afield, Mottahedan Projects' multi-artists exhibition, The Other Side of Visibility, featured a diverse and mostly interesting array of art, with my favorites including the works of Tala Madani (right), Maryam Hoseini (top left) and Habib Farajabadi (bottom left).

Science, history, and food at Dubai LitFest

With balmy weather outside and excited readers buzzing about the Intercontinental Hotel in Dubai Festival City, this year's Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, seems to have attracted far more people than in previous years; I had to park at the lower level on all three days, for one thing.

 

Identity panel; Arabizi debate

I went to more Arabic and bilingual events this year, one being "A Question of Identity", a discussion on identity among Arab emigrants and mixed-nationality parentage. The two half-Emirati panelists had especially interesting stories to tell, and one screened a nice documentary on mixed ancestry Emiratis.

Right after, I attended a rather heated debate on "Arabizi", the Arabic chat alphabet that uses Roman letters and numbers to represent Arabic phonology. It started well, but soon descended into a verbal brawl that went off into tangents about spoken Arabic, and sucked in even the moderator.

My last event at the festival was also bi-lingual, with three authors and one representative from the National Media Council discussing censorship in the UAE.

Amish; Sitwell

A couple of other events I really enjoyed had to do with one of my great passions: history. One was the chat with Amish, the author of The Shiva Trilogy, which is a semi-euhemeristic treatment of Indian mythology, set in the ancient Indus Valley civilization. I read the first book of the trilogy, Immortals of Meluha, way back in 2010; it was a pretty decent read, and still revolutionary in the subject it covers. I was anyway mesmerized by Amish's recounting of the role of the mythology in the culture in which he grew up, how he planned and then un-planned his writing process and the development of the story, and his struggles to get the book published. He also spoke at length about he upcoming film adaptation of his trilogy (much-anticipated), and his views on freedom of expression (particularly relevant, given the subject matter of his books).

Another had to do with both history and cooking (another passion of mine): William Sitwell's flip-through presentation of his book, A History of Food in 100 Recipes, in which he reproduces and explores historical recipes from their original sources.

Being a Sinophile of sorts, I also attended the China Panel. Unfortunately, it did not deliver as much as I had hoped it would; I thought the discussion was somewhat scattered, telling me a lot of what I already knew.

(clockwise from top left) Golden Age talk; Golden Age talk Q&A; With him at the book-signing; In the panel discussion

As a science researcher and science enthusiast, I naturally attended every single event featuring the modern giant of science and rationality: Jim Al-Khalili. These also segued nicely from SciFest Dubai the week before. Al-Khalili's talk about the Golden Age of Arabic Science (with a very good justification for calling it "Arabic" science, as opposed to "Islamic" or "Arab" science) was full of very interesting scientific and historical facts, including trivia like the origins of the word "jibberish" and the decimal point, as well as biographical details and anecdotes about some of the important figures from that era, including some of the lesser-known ones. He also did a great job representing science and science literature in a panel discussion about Big Ideas and in a closing ceremony address, respectively, with his characteristic charisma.

(clockwise from top left) Penguin Fringe word magic; A young performer beatboxing; LiTTLe MACHiNe; The play DNA from Short+Sweet Dubai

As usual, there were plenty of cultural shows at the Penguin Fringe and in the programme to fill in the time between events, including one of my favorite plays from Short+Sweet Dubai. I also loved the LiTTLe MACHiNe concert on Friday night; the very energetic trio using famous poems, from Sappho to Tennyson, as lyrics to their music was, for me, one of the surprise highlights of the festival.

A Short+Sweet showcase of Dubai theatrical talent

Heart in the Ground, one of those plays with excellent acting

Dubai's thespians answered the call of the second Short+Sweet Dubai short play festival with a response that required an extra week to accommodate this year. Some of the best of our city's growing theatre scene, as well as a fresh pool of talented actors, writers and directors, made it to the three-week festival, entertaining audiences with 10-minute-or-less plays that ranged from the cringe-worthy (overuse of sound and light effects, gaggy and/or shouty acting, loitering pace, preachy dialogue, predictable plot) to the glorious (the opposite of the aforementioned).

The Romeo and Juliet spoof

I had to miss the Top 30 Week 2 plays because of an improv show of my own, but I was able to see almost everything else. Many fellow improv actors were involved onstage or backstage, though, and the popular vote eventually went to a Romeo and Juliet spoof put together by some of them. Among the theatre groups that presented their plays during the festival, I felt that Third Half Theatre pushed through the most consistently impressive performance with their stagings of Badke Bhaiya, The Man Who Was Music, and It's All Been Done Before, followed closely by American School of Dubai's A Charming Affair and Controlling Interest. Backstage's Last Drinks and Theatrics' Noreen were also among the better plays over the three weeks.

Alice and the Tightrope Walker, by Loom Ensemble

Experimental theatre got a significantly higher representation this year, with three entries by Loom Ensemble and one by Resuscitation Theatre. Another technique that reached new heights this year was the monologue, George Mitton's Farewell, Francis standing out among them. And a special note for good writing by a locally-based author should be added for Frank Dullaghan's clever penning of DNA.

Rhythms and a blue note at the Dubai Jazz Festival

The hardest thing about inviting people to come to the Dubai Jazz Festival is convincing them that there is any jazz to be seen. And it's quite understandable when the promotion for the event makes it look like it's all about pop and rock. In fact, I thought so too, until I researched further and found out the Jazz Garden, with its lineup of actual jazz musicians.

(L to R) Rob DeBoer and Shilts; Sax Gordon and Alex Schultz; Raphael Wressnig

To be fair, it's nice of the organizers to have four free-to-attend weekday events of jazz music here. I attended two of them, the first act of the first night being the Canadian acid/groove jazz duo Four80East. Nu jazz is not something I typically listen to, but the band had a great beat from percussionist Tony Grace, with crisp keyboard/electronic and sax sounds from Rob DeBoer and guest feature Paul "Shilts" Weimar, respectively. I bought a dropcard after their set, and found some more nice, bouncy tracks by them online.

Guitarist Alex Schultz and organist Raphael Wressnig in their band Soul Gift were next, featuring guest appearances by some other nights' vocals artists for some of their numbers. The set was made by Wressnig's energy at the Hammond and Schultz's demonstrations of amazing guitar technique. Sax Gordon jammed with them, and was, well, simply phenomenal. I forget the name of their second tune (I only remember it was a cover of a famous song), but it was irresistibly catchy.

(L to R) Lebron and Jonathan Fritzen; Tad Robinson; Tad Robinson and Soul Gift with Sax Gordon

On the second weekday night, popstar-ish pianist and cheery crowd-pleaser Jonathan Fritzén had the stage, featuring saxophonist Lebron for a boppable smooth/contemporary performance.

Tad Robinson followed with great blues and swing vocals (and some nice harmonica too) in a most enjoyable set, supported by Soul Gift and Sax Gordon.

Nestor Torres and band (top row); Billy Childs and quartet (bottom row)

The first act on the ticketed night I attended was Nestor Torres, a renowned Latin jazz flautist. His was not quite my kind of sound, but it was good music within the genre, and he is definitely very skilled with his instrument (as was his band's keyboard player with his own).

Being a fan of jazz piano, I was eagerly anticipating the appearance by Billy Childs and his quartet in the second half. And I was not disappointed by what was on stage; Childs was as brilliant at the piano as I expected he would be, the band had a great harmony, and their saxophone player was outstanding. Unfortunately, the set was ended half an hour earlier than stated on the program, and (maybe this had something to do with it), due to the proximity and orientation of the so-called "Main Gig" stage, we had to endure a good deal of sound from Santana's performance and roaring fans very audibly intruding into our Jazz Garden listening zone --- especially annoying during Childs' more mellow pieces. It was really unfair to Childs and his quartet, as well as to us paying audience members, to have to deal with that, and it soured the end of, and what would have otherwise been the high point of my DJF experience.

STREETCON urban art fest and the new Al Ghurair Centre

Al Ghurair Centre seems determined to not disappear amid the deluge of new malls that has flooded Dubai in the last couple of decades. While geographic factors ensure that it will not be able to compete with Dubai Mall and the planned Mall of Arabia, its latest expansion is extremely bold, and is also timed to coincide with a re-branding that includes a new positioning, new marketing, a new logo, and community activities like the STREETCON urban art festival. If the momentum is sustained, it could result in a new lease of life for Dubai's first mall, and a revitalization of what used to be Dubai's high street.

Most of STREETCON is not actually on the street, except for a couple of murals painted along the road that runs through the mall's premises. One of them is a collaborative mural, to be completed by numerous artists over the ten days of the festival.

A small multi-artist gallery and studio called "The Mash-Up" was packed into a vacant space at the Spinneys block, in which customization toys were being worked on by artists, and urban/alternative art works, ranging from tin art to glass art to graffiti, were displayed.

The AGC expansion itself is actually quite revolutionary. It's a three-level complex with two large atria and many more shops and cafes, connected to the old mall, but with a brighter, swankier look. An expanded food court and entertainment centre have been added. AGC has also launched a magazine that, despite being an obvious promotion for the mall, actually has some low-spiel, interesting content.

Chinese New Year homemade nian gao, dinner and art

With a long-awaited special Mid Autumn Festival feast done, I decided to celebrate CNY 4712 with another tradition: nian gao (年糕), or Year Cake.

It's really simple to make. All you need is water, glutinous rice flour and brown sugar in a ratio of 4ml:4g:3g. After dissolving the sugar in the water (first half boiling, second half lukewarm), I whisked in the flour until I got a smooth brown batter.

I poured the batter into a medium oiled tin, and stuck it in a steamer on high heat for about an hour, halfway through which I lay chopped ripe dates (jujubes would have been better) on the top and sprinkled on some roasted sesame seeds (some honey would have be nice at this point, to hold the sesame seeds more firmly to the surface).

After cooling and refrigeration for a few hours, I carried it to work for all to enjoy.

Later in the evening in Abu Dhabi, I managed to convince the parents to go out for authentic Chinese food at Red Castle, one of Abu Dhabi's few options for that cuisine. It was alright, but not as good as some of the places I've been in Dubai in terms of preparation style, availability and attention to detail.

Swiss Art Gate also happened to be doing an exhibition called Year of the Horse at Yas Viceroy Hotel. It was not a Chinese art exhibition per se, but at least it was about horses.