When Warner Bros conducted a worldwide search a few years back to find the next Superman, it was a wonder that they didn't come across Cary Fukunaga. A dashingly handsome American-Japanese-Swedish director with slicked black hair and preppy looks, he brings to mind a 21st-century version of the comic-book hero as personified by the late Christopher Reeve.
But then again, if Fukunaga, and not Brandon Routh, had been chosen to star in Superman Returns, the world might not have discovered the true talents of this 32-year-old rising star.
Fukunaga's feature debut, Sin Nombre, won the Best Director and Best Cinematography awards at the Sundance Film Festival this year, when the thriller-drama played in the US dramatic competition.
After the festival, Fukunaga was hailed as a "big new talent" by Variety's chief film critic, Todd McCarthy, and he was snapped up by Universal and its specialty division Focus Features to write and direct films.
Sin Nombre tells the harrowing story of Mexican gangs controlling the illegal traffic of Central American immigrants entering the US on the roofs of freight trains.
Fukunaga spent several years researching the film, which evolved out of his award-winning short Victoria Para Chino, which he made in 2003 while a graduate film student at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
It was inspired by an article in The New York Times about 90 Mexican and Central American immigrants trapped and abandoned in frozen trailers as they were smuggled into the US. The film played at Sundance in 2005 and won prizes at 20 film festivals as well as a Student Academy Award.
While making Victoria, Fukunaga learnt much about the plight of these people and submitted a hastily written script for Sin Nombre to the Sundance Labs filmmaker programme, which he was selected for in 2006.
Filming involved multiple trips south of the border, a dangerous train ride with gang members, and several visits to Latin American prisons. By the end of it all, Fukunaga felt like one of the gang.
"I had this irrational sensation to want to stay with them. There was so much comradeship and solidarity," he says, adding that his own experience growing up in California was worlds apart from this reality. (Although, thanks to his Latino step-father, he spent time as a child in Mexico.)
After meeting with the gang members several times, Fukunaga narrowed down his selection to a group with whom he thought he could create enough trust to make a film. "There have been a lot of sensationalist stories in the press about these gangs," he said. "It took a couple of years for them to open up to me."
The film focuses on two Central American immigrants, Sayra (Paulina Gaitan) and Casper (Edgar Flores), who travel from Honduras, through Mexico, and into America in a dangerous journey taken by an estimated 70,000 immigrants each year. Casper is a henchman in one of the gangs that work the trains for money from immigrants who sometimes lose their lives in the process of making this trip. (Indeed, when Fukunaga made the journey, his train was stopped by bandits and a man was killed.) At the heart of the film is a love story between Sayra and Casper, making the political personal.
"Part of me developing as a filmmaker was being able to move from a journalistic perspective to a personal perspective," said Fukunaga. "This is not an anthropological or historical study of gangs and illegal immigration."
The title Sin Nombre, or Without Name, refers to gang members who become nameless once in prison and also to those who lose their identity by crossing the border without papers." If they die, there are no names on the graves. Often times, people would fall off a train or disappear," said Fukunaga, adding that the most scary moment while directing the film was the prospect of such an incident happening on his watch. "At one point, we had 2,000 extras on top of the trains, which were moving, and any one of them could have fallen off and broken a leg," he said.
Fukunaga met many desperate characters during his research, including a young boy trying to cross the border for the third time to be reunited with his mother, who had left three years earlier. "The US has made these people immigrants," said Fukunaga, adding that: "My family are all immigrants. The government has used words like 'enemies' to enforce tougher laws. Most countries rely on immigrants for the work force."
Fukunaga's mother is Swedish American and his father is third generation Japanese American. Fukunaga was born in Oakland, California, and graduated with a degree in history from the University of Santa Cruz, before receiving a master's in fine arts from NYU.
A big part of the film's appeal lies in its bold visual style. The vibrant greens of the landscape and the tanned bodies baking in the sun look at times like a Medieval tapestry come to life. "I wanted to go back to the look of films in the 1970s," said Fukunaga, before getting technical and talking about high contrast, longer takes, and zoom techniques typical of the 1970s. "The look is specific to that era."
In fact, it was largely Fukunaga's keen visual sense which lead him to become a filmmaker in the first place. "When I was growing up I wanted to be one of three things: a fighter pilot, an architect or a filmmaker. My eyes went bad so I couldn't be a fighter pilot. Ultimately, the visual world influenced me more."
This talent hasn't gone unnoticed. On the back of his Sundance success, he wrote an adaptation of Beasts of No Nation, a novel about a child soldier in an unnamed African civil war, for Focus Features, which could be his next film. He currently has two untitled projects in development and has been studying musicals.
Sin Nombre was financed by Focus Features, which released the film in the US in March, where it made $2.5 million (Dh9m). It was produced by Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna, among others. It is set to be released internationally over the summer.
In another mark of his potential, Fukunaga received several major grants, including Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship in 2008, the John H Johnson Film Award and a 2005 Princess Grace Foundation Fellowship. He also received a Katrin Cartlidge Foundation Bursary in 2007, which helped with the film. "I wanted to make a film about something that was real and important and happening now," he said.
And he's not alone. Sin Nombre is one of a number of recent features to explore immigration. This includes the Harrison Ford starrer Crossing Over, a tragic-comic pastiche of stories about people immigrating to the US. The film includes one particularly shocking storyline about a young girl whose family is ripped apart after she gives a presentation in her local high-school about the impact of the September 11 attacks and is subsequently deported.
Other examples include the comical Eden Is West from Costa Gavras, which tells the tale of a young man trying to make it from an unnamed country to Paris during which he finds himself stranded at a high-end hotel and part of a search party looking for himself. Another of this year's Sundance titles, Amreeka, follows an immigrant single mother from Palestine and her son living in the Midwest.
Although there have been several other films from South America focusing on the immigration theme such as Maria Full of Grace, Sin Nombre was noted by McCarthy for departing from earlier films because it examines the lives of the subjects before they leave for the US, which may have something to do with the amount of time Fukunaga spent with his subjects in their home countries. "I'm used to putting a camera in someone's face. It was so different to put the camera down and see with your own eyes," he said.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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
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.”
UAE Tour 2020
Stage 1: The Pointe Palm Jumeirah - Dubai Silicon Oasis, 148km
Stage 2: Hatta - Hatta Dam, 168km
Stage 3: Al Qudra Cycle Track - Jebel Hafeet, 184km
Stage 4: Zabeel Park - Dubai City Walk, 173km
Stage 5: Al Ain - Jebel Hafeet, 162km
Stage 6: Al Ruwais - Al Mirfa, 158km
Stage 7: Al Maryah Island - Abu Dhabi Breakwater, 127km
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
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
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
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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"
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.
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
