With over 140 films screening at the Dubai International Film Festival (Diff), which runs from December 6-13, Gulf News tabloid! sifts through the list to bring you the best of the fest.
The Square
Winner of the coveted Palm d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival this year, The Square is director Ruben Ostlund’s satirical take on the contemporary world of art, which is set in a museum in Stockholm. A new art installation titled The Square has been unveiled. Is it truly a masterpiece or one simply passed off as one by so-called pretentious art connoisseurs? The film stars Claes Bang and Elisabeth Moss.
Last Men in Aleppo (Akher Alregal Fe Halab)
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, this Feras Fayyad-directed documentary takes viewers deep into the heart of Aleppo where the remaining Syrian residents are struggling to survive. Help comes from the White Helmets, the civilian corps helps people caught up in the attacks. Surrounded by death and destruction, these brave souls draw on their courage to keep the streets safe.
Mary Shelley
Directed by Saudi Arabia’s Haifaa Al Mansour, this English-language film takes us into the life of the rebellious Mary, whose tempestuous romance with poet Percy Bysshe Shelley led up to the birth of the literary masterpiece, Frankenstein. This Gothic romance stars Elle Fanning and Douglas Booth.
The Death of Stalin
Based on the graphic novel of the same name, The Death of Stalin is a hilarious take — bordering on dark humour — on the power struggle that erupts in USSR following the death of its leader, Joseph Stalin. A number of bumbling hopefuls, played by Steve Buscemi, Michael Palin, Jeffery Tambor and Paul Whitehouse, kick off the power games in a hilarious drama directed by Armando Iannucci.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
This Martin McDonagh-directed film done the rounds of the festival circuit, including win the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival this year. The drama tells the story of a grieving mother who rents out three billboards to highlight police incompetence in the investigation of her young daughter who was brutally raped and murdered. The film stars Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell and Abby Cornish.
Wajib
Director Annemarie Jacir returns to Diff with a heartwarming family drama, which also happens to be Palestine’s official entry to the Oscars this year. Wajib narrates the story an estranged father and son who are forced to reconcile when a member of the family announces her wedding.
The Shape of Water
Winning a Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival is no easy feat, with The Shape of Water being called another masterpiece by director Guillermo Del Toro after Pan’s Labyrinth. Sally Hawkins stars as Eliza, a cleaning lady working in a Baltimore government research laboratory in 1962, who is drawn to a strange marine creature that is being experimented on.
The Disaster Artist
Directed by and starring James Franco, the all-star comedy also features Seth Rogen, Jacki Weaver, Alison Brie and Josh Hutcherson in pivotal roles of this tribute to a movie that was once tagged as the worst film to be made in Hollywood. Aspiring filmmaker Tommy Wiseau and best friend Greg Sestero, decided to make their Hollywood dreams come true by producing a film that is self-financed, -directed and -written, called The Room.
Sharp Tools
A touching tribute by Emirati director Nujoom Al Ghanem who paints a loving portrait of the life and struggles of controversial Gulf artist, the late Hassan Sharif. Al Ghanem first met the artist in the early 1980s, when he was busy baffling residents with his ideas on conceptualism and performance. Sharp Tools offers us an insight into his life through his body of work and achievements.
Beyond The Clouds
The regional premiere of renowned Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi’s latest acclaimed feature, Beyond the Clouds that dwells on the adoration of love, life and human relationships starring theatre actress Malavika Mohanan and debutant, Ishaan Khatter. The film opened to rave reviews at the International Film Festival of India.
