Those in search of arthouse cinema in Abu Dhabi are celebrating the opening of a new movie series in that begins at the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation tomorrow. The programme will focus on the cinema of Latin America and is curated by the Abu Dhabi resident Christoph Mohni, a Swiss development consultant for NGOs and a devoted cinephile. The programme starts with Luis Buñuel's Los Olvidados (The Forgotten) and will continue until the end of November.
I came here for my wife, who is the director of the Goethe Institute. Through her, I had contact with these culturally interested people in Abu Dhabi. I have been interested for a long time in all aspects of development and culture: movies, theatre, literature ? and I have a quite a good understanding of Latin American movies and culture. When I came here, I started to do some open-air cinema from the rooftop of my building at the beginning. Then the idea came up that I could maybe curate some retrospectives or a movie cycle or something like this.
Basically, it's modern Latin-American movies from the 1990s and 2000s. So, from the last 20 years, with the exception of two films that are a little bit older. For me, what is important in filmmaking is that the movies have to tell a good story.
I also think that usually the best stories are the ones written by life itself, like true stories. It doesn't have to be like this, but it has to be a story about life. So the focus of this whole programme was on these kinds of stories about life in Latin America and all its different aspects. Life in Latin America has an interesting history and a lot of social problems. There is a lot of poverty, a lot of conflict. So all these movies reflect this history.
We will start with the more historic movies. The first one is Los Olvidados from Luis Buñuel, who is not Latin American but Spanish. He was a surrealist working with Salvador Dali. He left after the Spanish Civil War and went to the United States and then to Mexico, where he lived for 20 years.
He made a lot of movies during this Mexican period, some of them very good. I chose Los Olvidados because it blends in Italian neorealism, which had quite an influence on modern Latin-American cinema. But it's not neorealism, because it's much more cynical, and it also mixes in surrealism with some dream sequences in the movie.
It is also interesting because the movie was rejected by the public and by critics in Mexico because it was too realistic. It showed their social problems, including young street children. But then it won the Palme D'Or at Cannes and when it went back the public received it better.
Yes, we have already started to talk about the possibilities of a new series which will be totally different. It could be African, Mediterranean or Caribbean movies. Maybe also Asian - South Korean movies, which are very interesting. But we also have to see how this series is received by the public.
I was reading something about Spike Lee when he was here and he was telling filmmakers in the Emirates: "Why do you wait for Hollywood to tell your stories?" Because there is all this discussion about Arabs being misrepresented in movies, which is true. It's very limited and stereotyped. But he said: "Why do you wait for Hollywood? You have to tell your own stories." These Latin Americans are telling their stories and I think that's interesting.
Los Olvidados, Friday, October 24, 8pm, free entry. Films will run over the course of nine weeks and begin at 8pm. For full film listings see @email:www.adach.ae
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
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
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
List of alleged parties
May 12, 2020: PM and his wife Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at least 17 staff
May 20, 2020: They attend 'bring your own booze party'
Nov 27, 2020: PM gives speech at leaving party for his staff
Dec 10, 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
Dec 13, 2020: PM and his wife throw a party
Dec 14, 2020: London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff event at Conservative Party headquarters
Dec 15, 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18, 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
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Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
