The Nahda Foundation, U-jazdowski Kino and Kino Pod Baranami are inviting viewers to the fifth Emirati Cinema Review – a unique project that allows Polish audiences to get acquainted with the cinematic output of the United Arab Emirates.

The United Arab Emirates is an important centre of Arab culture and the young, emerging cinema of the region, whose origins date back to the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. Its promotion and propagation are helped by, among others, the Dubai International Film Festival, which has been organised since 2004, and the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, initiated three years later.

The programme of the 5th Emirati Cinema Review includes three diverse films. Their screenings in Krakow will take place on 21-23 October and in Warsaw on 22-24 October.

Before We Forget by Nawaf Al Janahi is an intimate family story focusing on the fates of three men who are representatives of different generations. Focused for years on their differences, during a long journey they get to know each other better and discover what they really have in common. The director, Nawaf Al Janahi, was a guest at the first review in 2016, and now he returns with his latest film and will take part in a conversation with the audience.

Scales is an Emirati-Saudi co-production awarded at the Venice Film Festival. Directed by Shahad Ameen, it tells the difficult story of a rebellious girl revolting against an age-old tradition. The black-and-white, poetic work is inspired by the legend of Atargatis, the Assyrian goddess, also known as the first mermaid.

Finally, Al Kameen film is an international production, involving nearly 400 people representing 48 nationalities. The team was headed by French director Pierre Morel – creator of such action cinema hits as Abducted or 13th District. His Al Kameen is a spectacular war film based on the true story of a squad that was ambushed by heavily armed militants during a mission in Yemen.

Adrian Andrzejewski