All over Doha giant photographs of film stars adorned walls and billboards to announce the arrival of the second Doha Tribeca Film Festival. The shots of mostly Arab stars were taken by the photographer Brigitte Lacombe for her I Am Film exhibition, which was on at the just-opened Katara village, the new home of the film festival.
On the few billboards that were not promoting the film festival appeared the 2022 World Cup bid slogan, "Expect amazing". It's a statement that could be applied to a film festival that has a youthful, fun atmosphere and a corresponding buzz.
The first night saw the opening of the Katara village, home to the opera house and a fabulous temporary open-air cinema on the banks of the Gulf. I elected to watch Rachid Bouchareb's Outside the Law under the stars.
The atmosphere was electric and there was already a feeling in the air that the festival had overcome the teething problems of its inaugural year. The sense of newness and fun continued at the party on Pearl Island, a new artificial island that has become a popular residential spot.
This year the festival moved its dates to bring it closer to the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, a smart move, given the number of stars who decided to stay on after ADFF and make the short flight west. The downside for visitors to both festivals is that there is some overlap in the programmes.
Most impressive in Doha, perhaps, was the subsidiary programme: the talks, workshops and showcasing of films being made by the Doha Film Institute, an umbrella body created last year to oversee all of Qatar's various film initiatives and whose production arm has made a series of one-minute and 10-minute films that hint at a future where the directing and acting stars will be home-grown.
The programme reflects this with an emphasis on the Arab narrative competition. There were a few world premieres in this section, one of which, Hawi, won the top prize at the festival for Best Arab Narrative Film. The low-budget production by the Egyptian director Ibrahim el Batout is a portrait of modern-day Alexandria shot with nods to Jean-Luc Godard. It's avant-garde cinema with an Arabic flavour and it was this desire to experiment that no doubt caught the eye of the jury.
The Lebanese-born Josef Fares won the prize for best Arabic filmmaker for Balls, his tale of Middle East emigrants living in Sweden. The jury members said that his light-hearted screenplay particularly took them in.
Indeed, comedy was being pushed as a genre by the festival organisers. I chaired a discussion on whether comedy could help in breaking down barriers; the panel included the Egyptian stand-up comedian Ahmed Ahmed, whose documentary Just Like Us, on his experiences performing in the Arab world, had its Middle East premiere, as well as Sameh Zoabi, the director of Man Without a Cell Phone, set in a Palestinian village in Israel, Ian Powers, the Irish director of The Runway, and the excellent New Zealand comedian and actor Taika Waititi. There was a serious discussion on the political aspects of filmmaking that saw the panel agree that comedy might be the best way to cut through conventions and subvert taboos.
Of course, with the festival placing an emphasis on fun, the panel came after a night of stand-up comedy at a hotel club, which looked as though it had been designed by the set-directors of Miami Vice.
The Doha Talks were a huge success and the Tribeca film festival founders Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal weighed in by discussing the evolution of the Meet the Parents franchise, with the forthcoming sequel about to hit our screens. Mira Nair, whose film Amelia opened the inaugural festival last year, returned to discuss Maisha, her screen lab project in Uganda. Lacombe discussed her photographs and the Franco-Algerian filmmaker Rachid Bouchareb (Outside the Law) gave a masterclass.
The event of the festival was the TEDxDoha, a night of talks made by luminaries which was part of the TED foundation's programme to enable organisations around the world to hold independently organised TED events. There was an eclectic mix of speakers, including the fashion designer Reem Acra, Matt Aiken - whose company Weta Digital is behind many of the special effects in Peter Jackson's films - the musician Nitin Sawhney, who the night before had stunned the crowd in the open air-cinema with his brilliant sound accompaniment to A Throw of the Dice, and turning up again were the funny men Ahmed Ahmed and Taika Waititi. It was like attending a one-night film school.
Just like the ADFF, the DTFF has truly raised its game this year. It's interesting to note that both festivals have improved greatly in a year where they avoided having acting superstars appear as mere adornments; the big-name guests all had films at the festivals, were on the jury or were conducting discussion panels.
One of the big buzz titles was the documentary Grandma, A Thousand Times, which won the Audience Award for Best Documentary as well as the Special Jury Mention. The 31-year-old director Mahmoud Kabour's documentary on his Beiruti grandmother is innovative and experimental and is likely to have a healthy festival life after its world premiere here. The short film winner, Sirwar Zirkly's Missing, looked as if it had been made in the 1970s, but had a very modern central tale revolving around a television show aimed at finding missing people.
Another interesting facet of the festival was the introduction of a rating system for films. This positive step to bring the region into line with the rest of the world afforded the festival the opportunity to play more adult fare. One of the events of the festival was the screening of the Bosnian Muslim director Jasmila Zbanic's On the Path. The enthralling tale, about a couple whose relationship deteriorates when the man finds solace and a more traditional lifestyle in a Wahhabi retreat, is a fascinating portrait of the various forces pulling at Muslims in the modern world, especially in the battle between tradition and modernity.
I have never seen a director look more nervous arriving on stage for a post-film question-and-answer session, but Zbanic's apprehension soon gave way to relief as she realised that the film had received a warm reception from a crowd fascinated by the subject matter and story-telling. The discussion produced further fascinating insights into the dilemmas facing Muslims the world over, and amply justified the introduction of a rating system. Without its 18 rating, On the Path would not have been shown.
The closing night's film, The First Grader, by Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl) won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Film. It is the intriguing true story of an 84-year-old Kenyan whose decision to take advantage of the announcement of free primary school education culminated in a visit to the UN.
Doha has sent out a signal that it wants to be the funkiest film festival of the region, and with Sundance Film Labs taking place in Jordan next week and the Abu Dhabi Film Festival having had its best edition yet this year, it seems there has never been a better time to be a filmmaker in the Middle East.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Squad
Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas)
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
FULL%20FIGHT%20CARD
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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.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Studying addiction
This month, Dubai Medical College launched the Middle East’s first master's programme in addiction science.
Together with the Erada Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation, the college offers a two-year master’s course as well as a one-year diploma in the same subject.
The move was announced earlier this year and is part of a new drive to combat drug abuse and increase the region’s capacity for treating drug addiction.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The biog
Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.
57%20Seconds
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HAJJAN
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Abu%20Bakr%20Shawky%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3EStarring%3A%20Omar%20Alatawi%2C%20Tulin%20Essam%2C%20Ibrahim%20Al-Hasawi%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Fixtures
Friday Leganes v Alaves, 10.15pm; Valencia v Las Palmas, 12.15am
Saturday Celta Vigo v Real Sociedad, 8.15pm; Girona v Atletico Madrid, 10.15pm; Sevilla v Espanyol, 12.15am
Sunday Athletic Bilbao v Getafe, 8.15am; Barcelona v Real Betis, 10.15pm; Deportivo v Real Madrid, 12.15am
Monday Levante v Villarreal, 10.15pm; Malaga v Eibar, midnight
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
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
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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.
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.”
