Once upon a time, in a poor Sydney beach suburb called Maroubra, there lived a gang of little thugs who grew up to be surfers. So goes the tale of Bra Boys: Blood Is Thicker than Water, a one-sided documentary about this notorious Sydney group. (The bra bit comes from Maroubra. See what they did there?)
The stars of the show are Jai, Sunny and Koby Abberton, the trio that started the gang - several members of which have been implicated in various criminal undertakings. That Sunny was co-director, writer and producer of the documentary tells you something of the balance shown in it. So what if the gang members act like the hooligan stars of Jackass, setting fire to themselves, jumping off rocks into a dangerous sea swell and including a dwarf in their capers? At heart, this 90-minute film is desperate to prove that they're just loveable rogues who chase waves. Koby, the chief meathead, sums up their surf philosophy at one point: "One of us could die from it one day but I'm ready." Is that not an inspiring, modern-day message for malleable young minds everywhere? On the upside, it is at least an insight into their scene. And there is a fairly watchable, occasionally moving sequence covering their involvement in the Cronulla riots of 2005 (they helped calm it all down, you see) and some impressive surfing shots. Oh, and you might recognise the beefy voice of the narrator. It's Russell Crowe. One presumes he was ordered to lend his voice while a knife was held to his neck. But then again, we mustn't forget the Bra Boys are just larking about, after all.
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The finalists
Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho
Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson
Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)
Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid
Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
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SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
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Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
