Dubai: It was the year of the woman at Dubai International Film Festival's Muhr Awards on Tuesday night, held at the Burj Al Arab.
I Am Nujoom, Age 10 and Divorced by director Khadija Al Salami won the Dh200,000 grand prize for Best Muhr Feature (Fiction). The winning title is loosely based on the real life of Nujood Ali, a famed Yemeni girl who was married off at age 9 to a man in his thirties and granted a divorce shortly thereafter.
Producer-director Lee Daniels, jury president of the Muhr Feature category, gave the film high praise on stage before making the announcement. "I love it so much," he said, repeatedly.
Al Salami was in disbelief over her win, speaking to tabloid! minutes after. "I couldn't believe it when I heard the name. When Lee Daniels was saying 'my favourite film', I said, 'It's not mine, that's for sure'," she said.
"My goal for making this film is to bring awareness, and also, to push the government to adopt a law that prohibits early marriage. That's my goal in making film. That's all I want to do."
Emirati filmmaker Nujoom Al Ghanem won the Dh100,000 prize for Best Muhr Feature (Non-Fiction) with her documentary, "Nearby Sky". "Nearby Sky" follows Fatima Ali Al Hameli, an Emirati camel owner who tries to make a name for herself in the masculine world of camel pageants and auctions. Nujoom was not present at the ceremony, however, her husband accepted the award on her behalf.
Another win for Emirati women came in the form of Aisha Al Zaabi's debut feature, "The Other Dimension", which snagged the Dh50,000 prize for Best Muhr Emirati Film. The story follows a 20-year-old man who, after a car accident, is transported to another dimension where he can reflect on all his past mistakes.
"With how much hard work went into this film, I would be lying if I said I didn't expect a win. Thank God, I was expecting a win for it, and thank God, we worked hard and we reaped the rewards," she said. She added that, in the year of 2014 in the UAE, women are encouraged to reach the highest positions in their fields.
"Thank God for the support of the country, and the support of those who worked with me who treated me as a director, not a woman who they think can't work. A woman can reach very far," she said.
In the Muhr Short category, Hinde Boujemaa took home the Dh50,000 prize for Best Film with "...And Romeo Married Juliette", an 18 minute short from Tunisia.
"It was really a surprise for me. I feel happy -- maybe you can play this song 'Happy' [by Pharrell Williams] now. I think it's a really good time for me to listen to this beautiful song," said a cheerful Boujemma, who added that her producer will be the first person she calls about the big win.
