Emirati cinema may be about to have its first indie hit – and when we say indie, we mean totally independent. So independent, in fact, that details about the film and its makers are few and far between.
Dhay Fe Abu Dhabi, which is in cinemas across the country starting today, is a comedy starring Hassan Hosni, Eid Al Thahiri, Ahmed Saleh, Mawary Abdallah and Saeed Salem.
It is directed by a filmmaker called Rakan, who in his Instagram account describes himself as a film director and singer.
The movie tells the story of a young Emirati who moves from Fujairah after graduating from college to the bright lights of Abu Dhabi, in the hopes of finding a job and getting married. Family strife and road-trip hilarity ensue.
The low-key, unheralded release of Dhay Fe Abu Dhabi means that it might struggle to scale the heights of other recent Emirati films, most notably Emirati director Ali F Mostafa's From A to B, which covers similar ground – though that film did not feature characters playing traditional Arabic instruments with CGI heads added for comic effect.
However, it is still rare for us to see an Emirati film on general release in cinemas, so for that reason alone, this is a noteworthy event. Be aware, however, that to the best of our knowledge the film, which is in Arabic, is not subtitled in English.
cnewbould@thenational.ae
