This year’s Venice Film Festival has been announced, with a star-driven line-up of world premieres for several anticipated productions. Shows that will be screened at the event include Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, Jane Campion’s Netflix drama The Power of the Dog and Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi adaptation Dune, which was partly shot in Jordan and Abu Dhabi. But look further into the official selection and you'll find some impressive examples of Arab cinema, too.
In 2020, the festival premiered The Man Who Sold His Skin, which went on to become Tunisia’s first Oscar nominee, and Venice 2021 – the 78th event – could well be another launch pad for Mena filmmakers. Here are three Arab films to keep an eye on that are playing at the festival this year.
'Amira' by Mohamed Diab
Playing in the Horizons section is Mohamed Diab’s coming-of-age drama Amira. The film, which was shot in Jordan but is set in Palestine, wrapped in December 2019. It’s been held over during the pandemic, but this tale will undoubtedly stir up controversy when it's unveiled.
Co-written by the director with his siblings Khaled and Sherine Diab, the film deals with a real-life phenomenon about Palestinian children conceived via IVF using the smuggled sperm of Palestinian political prisoners languishing in Israeli jails. This true notion becomes the jumping-off point for a story about a girl named Amira (played by Jordan-born newcomer Tara Abboud) who believes she was conceived in exactly this way.
The film becomes a search for identity as Amira, 17, discovers that the man she believes is her father is in fact infertile. She then goes on a quest to discover her biological father and face up to who she is. The film stars Palestinian actors Ali Suliman (whose film 200 Metres played in last year’s Venice selection), and Ziad Bakri (The Translator), as well as US-Palestinian star Waleed Zuaiter (The Spy, Altered Carbon).
Egyptian director Diab is already highly celebrated for his earlier work and its stringent examination of political and social conditions. His 2010 debut, Cairo 678 (Les Femmes du bus 678), released a month before the Egyptian revolution, dealt with the plight of three women in Egypt facing sexual harassment. His 2013-set follow-up, Clash (2016), which played in the Un Certain Regard category at the Cannes Film Festival, all took place in the confines of a police truck as post-revolution tensions erupt.
'Costa Brava, Lebanon' by Mounia Akl
Bowing in the festival’s Horizons Extra strand is Costa Brava, Lebanon the directorial debut of Lebanese filmmaker Mounia Akl. This co-production (Lebanon, France, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Qatar) excitingly pairs Palestinian actor Saleh Bakri (The Present) with Nadine Labaki. The Lebanese actress and director, whose 2018 film Capernaum was nominated for an Oscar, hasn’t appeared on screen in two years, since featuring in Oualid Mouaness’s film 1982.
Costa Brava, Lebanon is co-written by Akl and Spanish filmmaker Clara Roquet (El Adios) and has Bakri and Labaki playing a couple who leave Beirut in the hope of living a pollution-free life in the mountains. This utopian existence is destroyed, however, when the government decrees that a landfill be built right next to their new home, bringing the city’s rubbish right to their doorstep. Suddenly, the Badri family face being torn apart as tensions rise in their household.
As far back as December 2018, Costa Brava, Lebanon won a €50,000 ($59,000) grant when it participated in the TorinoFilmLab’s Feature Lab, which previously supported the work of Julia Ducournau (whose film Titane won the Palme d’Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival). Since then, anticipation has been growing for Akl’s first feature film to reach screens, after her impressive body of work in television.
On-screen, Akl, who divides her time between Lebanon and New York, is already famed for starring in the TV series Beirut, I Love You, which she co-created and co-directed. She has also helmed a number of shorts, including the 2016 effort Submarine, also set around Lebanon’s waste crisis. Co-written with Roquet, it was selected for the Cinefondation competition at the 69th Cannes Film Festival.
'Republic of Silence' by Diana El Jeiroudi
Receiving its premiere in the non-fiction segment of the out-of-competition strand is the documentary Republic of Silence, a co-production between Germany, France, Syria and Qatar. The director is Syrian filmmaker Diana El Jeiroudi, whose film promises to be a highly personal account of her childhood in Syria and, 40 years on, her exile in Berlin.
Expect a highly charged first-person account that is likely to pull no punches. As the synopsis so potently puts it, El Jeiroudi “grew up in the lands of dictators and surveillance, where images are censored, photos are burnt, thoughts are discreet, and mouths are kept shut”.
The film examines how the director “bore witness and became involved, how she revolted and claimed herself – and how cinema has saved her life”.
An English literature graduate, who worked in marketing and advertising before switching to documentary filmmaking, the Damascus-born El Jeiroudi founded the Dox Box International Documentary Film Festival in Syria. She’s already directed several shorts and documentaries, and she executive produced last year’s Venice entry Notturno, from Italian director Gianfranco Rosi, who previously won the festival’s Golden Lion for Sacro Gra.
Now it’s her turn to shine at this year’s Venice festival.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How England have scored their set-piece goals in Russia
Three Penalties
v Panama, Group Stage (Harry Kane)
v Panama, Group Stage (Kane)
v Colombia, Last 16 (Kane)
Four Corners
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via John Stones header, from Ashley Young corner)
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via Harry Maguire header, from Kieran Trippier corner)
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, header, from Trippier corner)
v Sweden, Quarter-Final (Maguire, header, from Young corner)
One Free-Kick
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, via Jordan Henderson, Kane header, and Raheem Sterling, from Tripper free-kick)
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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South Korea
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KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Race 3
Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars
THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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.
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
RESULTS
Men
1 Marius Kipserem (KEN) 2:04:04
2 Abraham Kiptum (KEN) 2:04:16
3 Dejene Debela Gonfra (ETH) 2:07:06
4 Thomas Rono (KEN) 2:07:12
5 Stanley Biwott (KEN) 2:09:18
Women
1 Ababel Yeshaneh (ETH) 2:20:16
2 Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:20:54
3 Gelete Burka (ETH) 2:24:07
4 Chaltu Tafa (ETH) 2:25:09
5 Caroline Kilel (KEN) 2:29:14
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Company%20Profile
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GROUPS
Group Gustavo Kuerten
Novak Djokovic (x1)
Alexander Zverev (x3)
Marin Cilic (x5)
John Isner (x8)
Group Lleyton Hewitt
Roger Federer (x2)
Kevin Anderson (x4)
Dominic Thiem (x6)
Kei Nishikori (x7)
EXPATS
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
