ABU DHABI // Hollywood celebrities and stars of the Arab world attended the grand finale of the Middle East International Film Festival last night.
Eva Green, who starred as Vesper Lynd in the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale, was flown in to compère the Festival's closing night awards ceremony.
The French actress wore a floor-length bright green and gold embroidered Indian-style dress with red high heels and matching lipstick.
Joining her was British actor Joseph Fiennes, star of Shakespeare in Love, who has been in the Middle East to promote his latest film, Spring 41, directed by Uri Barbash, the Israeli film-maker. Fiennes plays a Jewish doctor who tries to escape the Nazis in 1940s Poland.
The two stars presented more than US$1 million (Dh3.6m) in prize money to 16 winners in the Black Pearl awards at the ceremony.
Ilham Shaheen, the Egyptian actress, was named best actress for her leading role in Magdi Ahmad Ali's Fawzia: A Special Blend. She was awarded US$75,000 in prize money. Luca Zingaretti, an Italian, also won US$75,000 when he was named best actor for his role in Marco Tullio Giordana's Wild Blood. The Palestinian movie Laila's Birthday by screenwriter Rashid Mashawari was awarded Best Artistic Contribution, also winning the writer US$75,000.
Arab stars at the event included Serine Abdel Noor, the Lebanese actress, Yousra, the Egyptian actress, and Ahmed el Jasmi and Samira Ahmed, the Emirati actors.
Feinnes said: "The film festival is testament to the great passion and belief in film [in Abu Dhabi].
"Abu Dhabi has come a long way in such a short time but I think this will eventually become one of the greatest film festivals in the world. Everyone in the room tonight at the awards should be hugely proud to be here."
The special jury prize, worth US$125,000, went to a documentary about Youssou N'Dour, the Senegalese singer, titled I Bring What I Love.
Disgrace, starring John Malkovich, won the best narrative film winning US$200,000.
The audience's choice award went to Saving Luna, by co-directors Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit, which focused on a young, estranged Orca whale.
The UAE's only feature film to appear in competition at the festival, Henna, did not win but received plaudits at its Middle East premiere. It told the story of a single mother's battle with epilepsy during the pre-oil era, as seen through her child's eyes.
The UAE's environment documentary, The Arabian Oryx: Freed Spirit of The Desert, missed out on an award but received great praise. It followed the story of an oryx breeding programme established by the founder of the nation, the late Sheikh Zayed.
The awards capped a remarkable 10 days with nearly 24,000 people from around the world passing through the doors of the Emirates Palace hotel and cinemas in Abu Dhabi for the festival's 186 screenings. The figure was 70 per cent up on the previous year. Films ranging from comedy to war movies, documentaries to love stories, pulled in audiences in the thousands.
Hollywood actors including Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, Jane Fonda and Susan Sarandon attended.
Meg Ryan flew in at the last minute to introduce the opening ceremony to a packed auditorium at Emirates Palace hotel.
From the Arab world, films including Laila's Birthday, Beirut: Open City, Seven Blind Film-makers and Hasiba all received critical acclaim.
Bollywood stars and film-makers also made their mark on the festival. Shweta Kumar was just one of India's leading actresses to join the premiere of Karzzzz, a remake of the Bollywood movie, Karz, which in turn was inspired by the 1975 Hollywood film, The Reincarnation of Peter Proud.
mswan@thenational.ae
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
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
Company%20Profile
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
The biog
Family: wife, four children, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren
Reads: Newspapers, historical, religious books and biographies
Education: High school in Thatta, a city now in Pakistan
Regrets: Not completing college in Karachi when universities were shut down following protests by freedom fighters for the British to quit India
Happiness: Work on creative ideas, you will also need ideals to make people happy
RESULT
RS Leipzig 3
Marcel Sabitzer 10', 21'
Emil Forsberg 87'
Tottenham 0
Maestro
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBradley%20Cooper%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBradley%20Cooper%2C%20Carey%20Mulligan%2C%20Maya%20Hawke%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E261hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E400Nm%20at%201%2C750-4%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.5L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C999%20(VX%20Luxury)%3B%20from%20Dh149%2C999%20(VX%20Black%20Gold)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
GROUPS
Group Gustavo Kuerten
Novak Djokovic (x1)
Alexander Zverev (x3)
Marin Cilic (x5)
John Isner (x8)
Group Lleyton Hewitt
Roger Federer (x2)
Kevin Anderson (x4)
Dominic Thiem (x6)
Kei Nishikori (x7)
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
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
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
