This year, Dubai International Film Festival is offering a handful of movies to catch for those music lovers in the audience — from Emirati shorts to feature length documentaries.
Dubai International Film Festival, which launched its first edition in 2004, attracting film stars who were active in the industry was difficult.
“They don’t have work. They just come here for a vacation. They just walk a red carpet. Some of them are really not cinema stars, they’re TV stars. Khaleejis, or Emiratis, because they’re wearing kandoura, they get the benefit of coming. We heard that, and we said fine,” Diff chairman Abdul Hamid Juma told
Here are musical films which grab attention at Dubai film festival this year.
Wudu
Wudu is a 22-minute Emirati short directed by Ahmad Hassan Ahmad. It tells the story of two siblings who are nothing alike. Baheet is a cook and oud musician by night; he wants to fill his life with noise and celebration.
La Melodie (Orchestra Class)
Directed by Algerian filmmaker Rachid Hami, La Melodie tells a familiar story. Disillusioned violinist Simon turns to teaching to make a living. With the help of an introverted, awkward and skilled student, Arnold, Simon rediscovers his love of music. Together, they prepare for the end-of-year concert at the prestigious Paris Philharmonic.
The Man Behind The Microphone
British-Tunisian director Claire Belhassine makes her feature-length debut with a deep dive into the life of musician Hedi Jouini, known as the Frank Sinatra of Tunisia. Born in 1909, Jouini became recognized as a godfather of Tunisian music. A live performance will accompany the film at The Beach on December 9.
Grain of Sand
This musical non-fiction film by British guitarist and composer Jason Carter explores the dichotomy of cultural identity in the Arabian Gulf. For just under an hour, Carter shows us the precarious life of pearl divers in the Gulf and the deep tradition of music that surrounds them. A live performance will accompany the film to The Beach.
My Generation
Though not explicitly a musical film, My Generation by David Batty dives into the 1960s pop culture movement in the UK, including interviews with familiar faces like Paul McCartney. The legendary Michael Cane takes us through a whirlwind, colorful era.
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