Grain of Sand, a documentary exploring the forgotten traditions and folk music of Emirati pearl divers that is filming in the UAE this month, is launching a crowdfunding appeal.
The film’s presenter and producer Jason Carter, a Briton living in China who is a professional Spanish guitarist by trade, may not seem the most likely candidate to bring this portrayal of ancient Emirati folk culture to the screen, but he’s been passionate about Emirati culture for years.
“I moved to the UAE for the first time 21 years ago, staying for three-and-a-half years on that occasion and it’s been my second home ever since,” he says. “It’s changed so much since then, but I still have a real passion for that traditional culture. I love it, and that’s really the reason for the film.”
But in the modern UAE is there really much of the pearl-diving heritage left to find?
“I’ve been researching the film for more than a year and it really does depend who you ask,” says Carter. “Ask anyone under the age of about 50 and they’ll say ‘it’s all gone, all lost, they’re all dead now’.
“But then I asked some much older Emiratis in Al Ain and they said: ‘Sure, we’ll take you to them anytime’. I’ve learnt that in the Northern Emirates there are still communities of traditional pearl divers. They may not be diving so much anymore but they still gather and tell their stories and sing their songs.”
Carter made a conscious decision not to take his research too much farther in advance, choosing instead to allow the film to chart his own journey of discovery.
“We know they’re out there and we thought if we arranged everything in advance, it would ruin the surprise element, so the film now will basically be us going and finding these people and talking to them,” he says. “We’re confident we have enough contacts to take us to the pearl divers and make a very special film.”
He also hopes to arrange some live musical performances featuring himself playing alongside traditional Emirati musicians.
“It’s very rare for a western musician to play Khaleeji music, and I’m very passionate about how music can connect people,” he says. “I’d love to organise some live performances. I don’t think anything like this has ever been done before and it would be wonderful to shine a light on this traditional culture.
“Sheikh Zayed said: ‘The younger generation should know how our grandparents suffered and what they did for us despite their lack of resources’, and this is a small way of reminding younger Emiratis where they came from.”
If all goes to plan, the film’s first screening and an accompanying live performance will take place at the Volvo Ocean Race in the capital on December 27.
• Grain of Sand’s crowdfunding appeal will launch on Aflamnah on September 17. Keep up to date at www.grainofsand.tv, @GrainOfSandFilm on Twitter, or at the grainofsandfilm Facebook page
cnewbould@thenational.ae
