If you plan to watch the acclaimed film Ghodwa at the weekend in Dubai, scan the lobby on your way out. There, you may find the film’s star and director Dhafer L'Abidine, 49, emerging from the shadows to gauge your opinion.
This has become the Tunisian's favourite habit when travelling across the Arab world, from Egypt to the UAE, to promote his directorial debut.
“I am not shy of going up and asking people what they think,” he tells The National. “I do privately attend the film screenings just to watch how people engage with the film.
“We worked so hard on it and to see people really investing in the story has made the journey worthwhile.”
From last year’s premiere at Cairo International Film Festival, where it scooped the International Federation of Film Critics prize, and a screening at the inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah in December, to packed cinema houses in his native Tunisia, Ghodwa is all the things L'Abidine wanted it to be.
One of which is to tell a simple and engaging story amid the complex backdrop of the 2011 Arab uprisings.
Set in a modern-day Tunis still reeling from the aftershocks of the Jasmine Revolution, Ghodwa (loosely translated to mean “tomorrow” or “hope”, follows the reunion and subsequent relationship between Habib (L'Abidine) and his son Ahmed, 15, played by Ahmed Berrhouma.
With Habib suffering from a deteriorating health condition and his political past coming back to haunt him, Ahmed becomes his protector as they both attempt to eke out a low-key existence amid a struggling society.
While he did not want to create a film directly dealing with the revolution and the wider Arab uprisings, L'Abidine says it would be dishonest for Ghodwa not to acknowledge what happened.
"It is a story about a father and son and that relationship begins at home and from there you have the social, economic and political environments that affect them," he says.
"The film tries to show how this little relationship is related to so many bigger things that are happening and maybe it can tell you something about what is going on in the Arab world."
Through the pensive relationship between Habib and Ahmed, Ghodwa also speaks of some universal truths.
“It looks at how values are passed from one generation to the other," L'Abidine says. "When you are a father, you are thinking about your son and when you are a son, you are always reacting to your father. The question is, then, how do we all go forward and build a better tomorrow?
“Everybody goes through that no matter where you are from.”
A change of scene
With further international screenings planned, Ghodwa has become an international and regional breakthrough for L'Abidine.
Born in Tunis, he turned to acting after a promising football career was marred by injury.
After graduating from the Birmingham School of Acting (now Royal Birmingham Conservatoire) in the UK, L'Abidine went on to pick up small and notable roles in British television dramas Spooks and The Bill as well blink-and-you-miss-it appearances in US films The Da Vinci Code in 2006 and 2010’s Sex and the City 2.
While L'Abidine relishes the prospect of western audiences seeing him as the lead in Ghodwa, it is the reaction from Arab audiences that could prove equally exciting.
Ever since his well-received role in the 2013 Egyptian Ramadan drama Niran Sadiqa, L'Abidine turned his attention to the region and quickly rose to become one of the Arab world’s most popular actors.
Tall, broad-shouldered and with an almost permanently weary facial expression, L'Abidine built a career as an enigmatic and complicated leading man. That approach is best crystallised in his role as Fares, the scion of an influential Lebanese family in the ongoing third season of the MBC drama Arous Beirut (Bride of Beirut).
L'Abidine admits the decision to write and shoot Ghodwa in an atmospheric and elegiac style was partly a reaction to the fast-paced approach of Arous Beirut.
"When you are doing a film, you do have more space in the way you can tell the story and the visuals become just as important as the dialogue," he says. "With soap operas, it is very heavily dialogue-based and it relies a lot on people hearing the tension in the room, as opposed to only seeing it. This is why (variations) of the same scene can be repeated five or six times in episodes.”
While the repetition may sound non-stimulating, L'Abidine says he was fully engaged in what is his first ever Lebanese character.
“I have been used to playing Egyptians throughout my career, so I had to get out of my comfort zone,” he says. “Not only did I have to learn the Lebanese dialect but also the little mannerisms and quirks that are uniquely Lebanese, such as the way they roll their eyes, for example. It was all about paying attention.”
Pan-Arab productions are the future
The long-running success of Arous Beirut, based on the Turkish series Istanbullu Gelin (Bride of Istanbul) not only proved there is an appetite for new television content outside the traditional Ramadan season, but the Lebanese drama has the potential of becoming just as popular as its Egyptian counterpart, with Middle East and North African viewers.
"There are great stories to tell from Lebanon because it has a very open culture and society, yet at the same time there is that conservative element that is part of society," he says.
"From the nature and spirit of the people to the visual elements like the cities and mountains, there is much that can be done, provided there is the right cast and production values."
This formula is not limited to Lebanese shows, L'Abidine says, but for all Arabic content to resonate within the region and beyond.
“The future is more pan-Arab productions and I feel that Arous Beirut is an example of that. Although it is shot and based in Lebanon, it has Syrian actors and myself, a Tunisian, also involved,” he says. “In the West, you have Australians and British people going to the US and vice versa and they create productions together that become global.
“We are also fortunate enough to speak the same language and we should work together and share the same success”
'Ghodwa' is out now in the UAE. 'Arous Beirut' can be streamed on Shahid and is also shown on MBC.
MATCH INFO
Alaves 1 (Perez 65' pen)
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 52', Carvajal 69')
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
More coverage from the Future Forum
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 290hp
Torque: 340Nm
Price: Dh155,800
On sale: now
Fixtures
Wednesday
4.15pm: Japan v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: UAE v Italy (Group A)
6.45pm: Russia v Mexico (Group B)
8pm: Iran v Egypt (Group B)
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Tank warfare
Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.
“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.
“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
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How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
Results for Stage 2
Stage 2 Yas Island to Abu Dhabi, 184 km, Road race
Overall leader: Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)
Stage winners: 1. Fernando Gaviria COL (UAE Team Emirates) 2. Elia Viviani ITA (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) 3. Caleb Ewan AUS (Lotto - Soudal)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
MATCH INFO
Kolkata Knight Riders 245/6 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 214/8 (20 ovs)
Kolkata won by 31 runs
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The years Ramadan fell in May
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Napoleon
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The five pillars of Islam
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKinetic%207%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rick%20Parish%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clean%20cooking%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mobile phone packages comparison
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
The biog
Name: Sarah Al Senaani
Age: 35
Martial status: Married with three children - aged 8, 6 and 2
Education: Masters of arts in cultural communication and tourism
Favourite movie: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
Favourite hobbies: Art and horseback ridding
Occupation: Communication specialist at a government agency and the owner of Atelier
Favourite cuisine: Definitely Emirati - harees is my favourite dish
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
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The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
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
New schools in Dubai
UAE%20Warriors%2045%20Results
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Honeymoonish
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The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
