DUBAI // Filmmakers were urged to keep fighting the "political and commercial war" at a Dubai International Film Festival (Diff) panel discussion.
The discussion focused on documentaries and politics, the relationship between the two subjects, whether or not documentaries are required to reflect political situations, and if so, what room there is for manoeuvre.
The Palestinian director Michel Khleifi said that as a result of sensitive issues some documentaries explored, it was important for filmmakers to maintain their creativity and not lose faith.
"The camera is an extraordinary tool of communication," Khleifi said. "For me, this art form was born out of a political situation in Palestine, and as you try to express yourself you cannot evade the subject of politics."
The Diff's Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Souleymane Cisse (the director of Waati), said politics was at the forefront of every country; after which came finance.
"For me, a film is a dream, and when I dream I write without censorship. The new generation faces difficult problems with this cinematography machine which requires structure, moral and financial support," Cisse said.
The Malian filmmaker has enjoyed a career spanning 35 years. His film from 1974, Den Muso (The Girl), was banned by the Malian ministry of culture and led to his arrest, reportedly for having accepted French funding.
Yet he shows no sign of stopping. His latest project, Tell Me Who You Are, is about a married woman who struggles between her personal desires, guilt and solitude. "Some say my work resembles documentaries rather than fiction, and I don't mind. You have to give your audience the chance to identify themselves through what they see."
In the UK, producers like Lina Gopaul, a producer with Smoking Dogs Films, face problems of censorship, too. "Television is conservative and has its boundaries in terms of cultural and political filmmaking. Documentaries amount to five per cent of broadcasting annually, out of which probably only one per cent are political," she said.
Rasmus Abrahamsen, a Danish producer, said documentaries were important because they represented how societies worked.
elshoush@thenational.ae
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Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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RESULT
Bayern Munich 3 Chelsea 2
Bayern: Rafinha (6'), Muller (12', 27')
Chelsea: Alonso (45' 3), Batshuayi (85')
TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
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When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
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Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
MO
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
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Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Zayed Sustainability Prize
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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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.
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