We had a great talk with two young and rising UAE stars in the cultural industries of film and theatre!
http://archive.gulfnews.com/tabloid/Cinema/10195033.html
What People said about the film contest Moath was in.
By Shireena Al Nowais, Staff Reporter |
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At the closing ceremony of the Emirates Film Festival, at the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage on Tuesday, jury members finally spoke up by saying that most of the films did not deserve a prize and were not up to standard. Infuriated Jury members were infuriated by the quality of films that were submitted and many categories were simply omitted because the submissions were plainly below par. These comments were made immediately after an almost two-hour Oscar-nominated documentary by Charles Ferguson on the chaos in Iraq. No End in Sight looks at the role of the Bush Administration in the destruction of Iraq. According to Ferguson's documentary, ill-advised decisions led to the deaths of thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians. As if the movie wasn't depressing enough, it was followed by comments from jury member Nujoom Al Ghanem that many prizes would not be given out because the quality of films were below standard. Speaking to tabloid!, Abdulla Al Bastaki, Director of Emirates Film Competition, spoke of his disappointment at the quality of submissions. "In 10 years we have not had a single movie that reached international festivals,” he said. He said for years jury members have reluctantly given away prizes to boost the morale of filmmakers. But this year's jury, made up of professional experienced filmmakers, would hear nothing of it. ‘Frenzy' "It's all a media and festival frenzy. The media sees the films and pump so much into these amateur filmmakers, making them believe that they are the greatest, when they are not,” he added. The problem with the films of most UAE and Gulf film makers, he said, was that they were too much like television. While some might find the comments made during the closing ceremony harsh, Al Bastaki says this is exactly what filmmakers need to improve and upgrade themselves. ‘Honest Opinions' "These are honest opinions for the people by the people,” he said. This lack of appreciation of UAE and Gulf films was evident in the low turn out of people during the competition. Jury member Nujoom said that educational institutions should find programmes, curriculums and trainers to enhance the artistic capabilities of their students. She also asked that all educational institutions support the cinematic industry Cancelled awards More than Dh1 million in cash prizes were due to be given out to the winners of the Emirates Film Competition. But because of poor submissions, only Dh265,000 worth of cash prizes were awarded. Also, 10 out of 24 prize categories were removed despite a rise in the number of entrants. Another new category or award that the organisers had been enthusiastic about were the Grant Awards of Dh250,000, Dh150,000 and Dh100,000 for best film idea, completed screenplay or project currently in pre-production for a feature length film. This was also removed due to the lack of any original ideas. Awards went to: Best Gulf Poster Design (student): Mohammad Al Shaibani |
Emirati theatre 'must depict modern lives'
posted on 02/09/2007
About 50 years have passed since the first play was staged in the UAE. A researcher in the history of Emirati theatre, Abdul Elah Abdul Qader, puts 1958 as the actual start of formal theatre acts. Two plays were staged that year by youths at Al Shaab Club in Sharjah and the other one in Dubai. But it was hard times for the theatre movement till 1963, the year Watheq Al Samaraei, an Iraqi artist, came to the UAE to supervise some plays and hold workshops.A federation for theatre was finally established in 1971 and the first play showed the way to several productions that were staged in clubs and schools.
Some plays were improvised and some had actors who played women's roles as it was socially unacceptable for women to appear in public. Between 1972 and 1977, many theatrical troupes were formed. The Minister of Culture and Information invited Zaki Tolimat and Sa'ad Ardash, both Egyptian artists, to the UAE to supervise Emirati artists passionate with theatre.
In 1980, the ministry started offering scholarships for further studies in theatre in Kuwait, Egypt, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Emirati troupes also took part in Arab theatre festivals held in Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad and Carthage.
Some artists also bagged awards in the festivals.
Since the first play, three generations have been raised on the lines of the traditional Emirati theatrical productions, but what is the situation like now?
Dr Habib Gulam, actor, director and the first Emirati with a PhD in theatre, said: "I think we are stagnating for a long time." The Emirati theatre has witnessed experimental phases in search of different forms, and heritage and local issues were always the main subjects. "[We] are not creating new forms, ideas and techniques," Gulam said.
Most of the plays refer to folklores and lives and practices of the past especially the life of pearl divers and traders. As such, he said, new social issues are often overlooked.
He said: "Youths have to produce what they [are] living and experiencing in their lives [and] not their grandfathers' lives which they did not live. Youths are copying from the older generations who are captured by the past." Audiences, too, would like to see and experience artistic translations of vignettes from their day-to-day lives.
Gulam said: "I'm not producing new plays or acting on stage because I don't have [anything] new to give. I'm respecting my experience and I want to respect what I have been doing." He, however, is busy shooting for TV. "I [have] always warned actors not to get captivated by TV ... they can attract their audience to their plays. They just have to keep appearing on stage." The censorship on theatre is not very strict, said Gulam.
He called on thespians to read and research more to develop the form of their plays, especially since the Minister of Culture is interested in strengthening the theatre scene in the UAE. (Gulf News)
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