A decade after releasing his last feature, Sea Shadow, Emirati director Nawaf Al Janahi has returned with an intergenerational tale from Saudi Arabia that gives a moving regional spin on the road trip film.
Before We Forget tells the story of Mohammad, a doctor who finds himself in severe debt after a string of bad business decisions. Threatened with imprisonment, the doctor desperately tries to find a way to come up with the cash. He eventually learns of a large sum of money that his father, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, had buried years ago in the old family farm. Thus he embarks on a cross-country trip across Saudi Arabia – a journey that will force him to take a hard look at himself and his choices – with his father and son, who he is not on good terms with.
The Arabic film, showing with English subtitles, was released across Vox Cinemas in the Gulf last Thursday. Produced by DKL Studio, it marks the feature film debut of emerging Saudi talents including Mishal Almutairi, who plays the distressed and anxious Dr Mohammad, as well as Ghazi Hamad, who takes on the role of Mohammad’s lucid and ambitious son Omar. Veteran Saudi actor and Scales star Ibrahim Al-Hasawi plays the iron-willed father, Ismail.
Finding the right actors for the film, Al Janahi says, was a challenge, mostly owing to the constrictions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
I have a story in the pipeline that’s set in the US, another in Egypt and another in Bahrain.
Nawaf Al Janahi,
director
“It was the first time in my career that I auditioned actors online,” he tells The National. “It’s not how I work. I like to meet the actors face to face. But it was the only possible way to do it. We had to adapt.”
The pandemic forced the production team to adapt in more ways than one. Al Janahi says he initially intended to shoot the entirety of Before We Forget in Saudi Arabia, where the film’s story is set. However, production was moved to Abu Dhabi as Covid-19 restrictions and travel regulations became increasingly hard to predict.
“It was not practical to plan a film like that. All of us [cast and crew] were here [in the UAE]. We really wanted to film in Saudi Arabia. That was the initial pitch for the film. We tried pushing production for some time but it was just not practical.”
Al Janahi says he’s been planning the film since 2016, when he first came across an early version of the script by scriptwriter Ron Thompson. The narrative, that pits three generations of the same family against each other, appealed to Al Janahi, who then worked on developing the story for a Saudi setting, adding several nuances that will strike a chord with regional viewers.
The final script is “very similar” to Thompson’s original version, Al Janahi says. “But I changed a lot of things when I had to move the story to our culture and our region.
“I worked on it on my own for a while. I then tested the waters with a few producers but couldn’t find a path for the film. I then became busy with other projects until I spoke with Fadi [Ismail], founder of DKL Studio in 2019 and we decided to make the film.”
The director says working on a film that is set in Saudi Arabia is no different than if it was set here in the UAE. “A story is a story to me,” he says. “I have a story in the pipeline that’s set in the US, another in Egypt and another in Bahrain. A story is a story as long as you connect with it and it has a universal dimension to it.”
Before We Forget marks Al Janahi’s third feature-length work. His first, The Circle, was released in 2009 to critical acclaim and was described as a major turning point in Emirati and Gulf cinema. His second, Sea Shadow, was shown in more than 27 countries, making it one of the most widely distributed Emirati films.
Al Janahi says he is often used to his films embarking on a festival circuit before they are available to the wider public. Before We Forget marks the first time that one of his films debuts in cinemas.
“It’s a little bit different, of course, because we got used to having the first public screening in a festival environment. And even then, films took a while until they were shown in cinemas, like what happened with Sea Shadow. But this time, we premiered right away in cinemas. It’s an amazing feeling.”
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The%20specs
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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
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
WORLD CUP SQUAD
Dimuth Karunaratne (Captain), Angelo Mathews, Avishka Fernando, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Jeevan Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
Bridgerton%20season%20three%20-%20part%20one
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Andor
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Pros%20and%20cons%20of%20BNPL
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Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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Biog
Age: 50
Known as the UAE’s strongest man
Favourite dish: “Everything and sea food”
Hobbies: Drawing, basketball and poetry
Favourite car: Any classic car
Favourite superhero: The Hulk original
UAE rugby season
FIXTURES
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers v Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Division 1
Dubai Sharks v Dubai Hurricanes II
Al Ain Amblers v Dubai Knights Eagles II
Dubai Tigers II v Abu Dhabi Saracens
Jebel Ali Dragons II v Abu Dhabi Harlequins II
Sharjah Wanderers v Dubai Exiles II
LAST SEASON
West Asia Premiership
Winners – Bahrain
Runners-up – Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership
Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners-up – Jebel Ali Dragons
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners – Dubai Hurricanes
Runners-up – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Conference
Winners – Dubai Tigers
Runners-up – Al Ain Amblers
Score
New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs
New Zealand win by 47 runs
New Zealand lead three-match ODI series 1-0
Next match: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, Friday
Company%20profile
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The Bloomberg Billionaire Index in full
1 Jeff Bezos $140 billion
2 Bill Gates $98.3 billion
3 Bernard Arnault $83.1 billion
4 Warren Buffett $83 billion
5 Amancio Ortega $67.9 billion
6 Mark Zuckerberg $67.3 billion
7 Larry Page $56.8 billion
8 Larry Ellison $56.1 billion
9 Sergey Brin $55.2 billion
10 Carlos Slim $55.2 billion
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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