Casa Árabe holds a new film series dedicated to the production of Emirates

During the months of February and March, Casa Árabe is screening in Madrid and Córdoba three features and four shorts from the United Arab Emirates, where the industry has grown exponentially in recent years.

Casa Árabe presents this new film season dedicated to the production of United Arab Emirates, after the one already scheduled for 2018 with films by the acclaimed Nujoom Alghanem or Ali F. Mustafa. In recent years, the film industry in the United Arab Emirates has only grown exponentially, something that is becoming increasingly noticeable due to the considerable number of film productions that have seen the light of day in the country or have been directed by Emirati directors.  

This is a cinema that reflects the great variety and the linguistic and cultural diversity of a cosmopolitan society in which more than 200 different nationalities have lived together for decades and in which only 10 per cent of its members are natives of the country. This variety of people and cultures is the result of the economic development that the country has experienced since the early 1970s due to oil exploitation. This development has enabled Dubai and Abu Dhabi to become the most important centres of creation, production and co-production in the whole of the Middle East.  

The last decade has also seen the emergence of a new generation of Emirati directors, trained in the country and abroad, who are changing the audiovisual map of the UAE. As a result, UAE cinema is increasingly becoming a key centre for film production and an important player in the international film market, and it is a clear example of the changes, advances and transformations that the region is undergoing. 

Zinzana, Rashid & Rajab and Going to Heaven are a diverse and excellent example of the result of continuous efforts to develop talent and create local content aimed at both regional and global consumption. The three films, although very different in terms of genre and aesthetics, share the fact that they are the product of a strong Arab film scene precisely because of the efforts made in the UAE. It is hoped that these productions will be but a sign of future, internationally acclaimed productions. 

The cycle is complemented by the programming of four short films, Escape, Temporarily Disconnected, Beshkara and Maryam, presented at the last edition of the Sharjah Film Festival. 

This special programming has been possible thanks to the collaboration of Casa Árabe with the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Madrid and the Embassy of Spain in Abu Dhabi. You can find more information about the festival at this link.