Image Nation Abu Dhabi and independent film platform Cinema Akil have launched a film programme in the capital called On Arab Geographies, dedicated to showcasing a selection of films from across the Arab world centres around the notion of geography. Screenings and talks will be held in Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi, from May 4 to 6 and will be free to attend.
The weekend-long programme will screen a total of eight films that include feature length and short narratives, documentaries from UAE, Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Tunisia and Lebanon among others. It’s curated by Rabih Al Khoury, who is currently the programme manager of Talents Beirut, a programmer at ALFILM the Arab Film Festival in Berlin and a member of the administrative board of the Metropolis Association. On Arab Geographies
The line-up will showcase titles including Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s documentary feature Zainab Hates the Snow and Amna Al Nowais’s short film, Omnia.
In addition to the film screenings, the programme will also include panel discussions and Q&A sessions with the filmmakers and film experts that shed light on the opportunities and challenges of filmmaking in the region, in addition to discussions on the different geographies of the Arab world.
“This programme aims to be a travelogue throughout the Arab World and beyond. A journey that is not only shaped by mobility and movement within a set of geographical entities, but also one that is led by internal wanderings, and individual efforts to find hope,” said Al Khoury.
“Our vision at Image Nation is to create opportunities for Arab talent to tell their stories, and provide them with the right platform to showcase, network and share their ideas with the audience. It is also an opportunity for local audiences to discover the breadth and depth of Arab films and support their local filmmakers. We are very pleased with this collaboration with Cinema Akil and the great selection of films and narratives curated by the brilliant Rabih Al Khoury,” said Gehad Darwish of Image Nation Abu Dhabi.
The programme opens on May 4 at 7pm with the award-winning Egyptian feature film In The Last Days of the City (2016) directed by Tamer Al Said.
