Think 3D films and the mental images conjured up will be from blockbusters such as Avatar and Beowulf. Hollywood was quick to latch on to the latest technical revolution when it became clear that audiences were willing to pay a premium to watch films through dark glasses.
Because of both the cost and the suitability of the technology for spectacular effect, most people assumed that 3D films would only be coming out of the Los Angeles studios. But the latest round of releases is not only proving them wrong but showing that the true home of 3D may be art-house cinema and in documentaries.
These films include Cave of Forgotten Dreams by Werner Herzog, TT3D: Closer to the Edge, which is about the annual motorcycle race on the Isle of Man, Pina, a dance film by Wim Wenders, and Carmen 3D, a filmed version of a stage production of Bizet's opera.
What is fascinating about the art-house bout of 3D films is that these directors seem to be using 3D, not because of its perceived power to add numbers to the box-office, but because they believe that they are using it to enrich the viewing experience for the audience in ways that go beyond the mere wow factor.
For Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Herzog travelled to the Chauvet Caves in southern France to film the world's oldest known cave paintings. In what might at first seem a counter-intuitive decision – making a 3D film of a 2D subject – the director took great pains to shoot in 3D, even commissioning a company to make him a special 3D camera that he could carry through the narrow openings in sections and reassemble inside the cave.
That activity forms part of the film’s opening, and the German director said he went to those lengths because it was the only way to capture the cave paintings in their full glory. “I’ve never done a 3D film and my next films are not in 3D,” he says. “But it was imperative. When you think about cave painting you think about a flat wall, but the painters 32,000 years ago understood the drama of niches and bulges and there is an incredible dynamic in the cave. The artists would use the bulging protrusions to place the neck of the bison and the effect is that the animal seems to come out and look at you. Since it’s likely that we will be the only filmmakers ever allowed to film in the caves, it was imperative to show the cave to the audience in the way that the artist wanted to show it.”
Wenders talks about how he was in Cannes when he realised that he'd hit upon a way to make his dream project about the great German choreographer Pina Bausch. Wenders and Bausch had been discussing a possible film about her work for years, but Wenders never felt that he had the tools to do it, not until he was sitting in a cinema in Cannes watching U23D. Even before the film had finished he called Bausch to say that he had finally found the way.
“With 3D, our project would be possible,” he recalls. “Only in this way, by incorporating the dimension of space, I could dare to bring Pina’s Tanztheatre in an adequate form to the screen.”
However, when Wenders started experimenting with the technology he was still not fully satisfied, complaining that the way that the technology captured movement, especially in the background, meant that he still had to wait. He watched Avatar countless times and says: "What's interesting is that James Cameron was having the same problems we have. When it's animated the 3D is fantastic, but when you look closely there are some problems with movement in the background."
Eventually a solution was found, but not until after the death of Bausch in 2009. Wenders says of the challenge: “Many other directors are still hesitating to work in 3D, because there are no successful models. We wanted to be pioneers in the expansion of the cinematic language to 3D.”
Carmen 3D is a co-production between Real 3D and London's Royal Opera House. Carmen is a story that has been put on cinema screens several times, most notably in 1954 when Otto Preminger made Carmen Jones, itself an early pioneer in another technical revolution, the wide-screen CinemaScope technique, with Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte in leading roles. Indeed, just when it could be asked whether the classic Bizet opera needs another screen adaptation, 3D has come along and proved the answer to be yes.
The film has been directed for the screen by Julian Napier, who has made several short 3D films as well as the three 3D race sequences for the American touring show of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express.
As with Pina, what Carmen does excellently is utilise the space dimension of the 3D experience to give a sense of how the performers are moving while showcasing their work to fullest effect.
Sport is another area where 3D is starting to get explored. Television channels have started to get in on the act with football and several cinemas around the globe showed last year’s World Cup final between Spain and Holland in 3D.
The TT motorcycle races on the Isle of Man are among the world's best-known – and most dangerous. TT3D: Closer to the Edge is narrated by Jared Leto and follows the doings of the racer Guy Martin, who is becoming something of a celebrity in the UK with his TV show The Boat that Guy Built.
Again, the filmmakers have tried to incorporate 3D in a way that is more than a gimmick. Gone are the protruding objects coming at you out of the screen, and instead the filmmakers have tried to use the technology to convey a sense of speed. Because it’s a documentary and the action occurs against real backdrops, the 3D has the effect of involving the viewer more with the speed than when watching the film in 2D.
The ability to control the environment completely means animation is an area where 3D has always been strong. Filmmakers can make the best use of the technology and where this was once the preserve of Pixar and DreamWorks, the field has opened up. This year at the Berlin Film Festival, the French animator Michel Ocelot presented his new work Tales of the Night. His 3D uses silhouettes and layers rather than attempting the full-on illusion of depth in the others. He explains: "It's stereoscopic 3D, meaning flat 3D, like a paper theatre. I want my tales to remain fairy tales and not become heavy, realistic 3D, aping live action. Besides, it's a way of keeping things less expensive."
And there’s the rub. Now that 3D has become less expensive to make, it’s the directors used to working with smaller budgets who are being the most innovative and using it in ways where the form matches the subject.
Follow us on Twitter and keep up to date with the latest in arts and lifestyle news at twitter.com/LifeNationalUAE
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
T20 World Cup Qualifier fixtures
Tuesday, October 29
Qualifier one, 2.10pm – Netherlands v UAE
Qualifier two, 7.30pm – Namibia v Oman
Wednesday, October 30
Qualifier three, 2.10pm – Scotland v loser of qualifier one
Qualifier four, 7.30pm – Hong Kong v loser of qualifier two
Thursday, October 31
Fifth-place playoff, 2.10pm – winner of qualifier three v winner of qualifier four
Friday, November 1
Semi-final one, 2.10pm – Ireland v winner of qualifier one
Semi-final two, 7.30pm – PNG v winner of qualifier two
Saturday, November 2
Third-place playoff, 2.10pm
Final, 7.30pm
Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier
ICC Academy, November 22-28
UAE fixtures
Nov 22, v Malaysia
Nov 23, v Hong Kong
Nov 25, v Bhutan
Nov 26, v Kuwait
Nov 28, v Nepal
ICC T20I rankings
14. Nepal
17. UAE
25. Hong Kong
34. Kuwait
35. Malaysia
44. Bhutan
UAE squad
Chaya Mughal (captain), Natasha Cherriath, Samaira Dharnidharka, Kavisha Egodage, Mahika Gaur, Priyanjali Jain, Suraksha Kotte, Vaishnave Mahesh, Judit Peter, Esha Rohit, Theertha Satish, Chamani Seneviratne, Khushi Sharma, Subha Venkataraman
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
- Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs
- Thursday 20 January: v England
- Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad:
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith
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
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make
When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.
“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.
This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).
|
Age
|
$250 a month
|
$500 a month
|
$1,000 a month
|
|
25
|
$640,829
|
$1,281,657
|
$2,563,315
|
|
35
|
$303,219
|
$606,439
|
$1,212,877
|
|
45
|
$131,596
|
$263,191
|
$526,382
|
|
55
|
$44,351
|
$88,702
|
$177,403
|
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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