Lights, Camera, Empower: Here’s How Cinema Akil Honoured Female Emirati Creatives on Emirati Women’s Day
The exclusive screening of five powerful short films by female Emirati filmmakers brought everyone together in a celebration of womanhood
August 28 is a significant day for women in the UAE. It is the day the country celebrates them; the mothers, daughters, sisters and wives, and their womanhood. Food delivery giant Deliveroo chose to do so in a very special way.
The company partnered with Al Serkal Avenue’s very own vintage cinema, Cinema Akil, to host a screening of films made by female Emirati filmmakers on Sunday evening, with the aim to highlight the creative prowess of Emirati women making waves in the field of local filmmaking.
“It’s Emirati Women’s Day and we wanted to shed light, somehow, on incredible Emirati achievements. So we thought, what better way to do it than films because they provoke the most emotion,” said Tasnim Algergawi, a communications and public affairs manager at Deliveroo.
“What Cinema Akil wanted to do was showcase five diverse Emirati women and the stories that they told, and we wanted it to be important topics that aren’t discussed enough,” added Tasnim, mentioning that the list of films was carefully curated by the cinema.
As such, the line-up of five short films that narrated powerful, heartfelt and sometimes gut-wrenching stories about women, told by women, called attention to not just the closeted-away issues that are prevalent in the region, but also the minds behind the art, the talented directors who brought these tales to life.
Mum – Mariam Al Awadhi
The first film on the list, Mum, is produced and directed by Mariam Al Awadhi. It takes a look at her relationship with her mother, a woman of significance in her life, not just for the simple reasoning that is their familial bond, but also because of the negative effects her nationality had on Mariam’s childhood.
Having an Indian mother turned Mariam and her siblings into somewhat of outcasts in the family. Her narration tells us about her journey from being an innocent child who, unable to understand the cruel ways of the world, harboured resentment and shame, to building a beautiful relationship with the woman who gave and continues to give her life.
Osha’s Gift – Hind Abdullah
This short documentary, directed by Hind Abdullah, is about the transformative impact of art therapy and tells the audience about an artist who, while in the midst of processing grief, meets a special girl, Osha, and understands the true power of art.
The film highlights how although art can often be a product of pain and sorrow, a medium of expression that expels negative energy, it can also stem from a place of hope and aspirations for a better life, as seen in Osha’s artwork.
Omnia – Amina Al Nowais
Omnia is the painful retelling of a harrowing incident that altered the life of the protagonist, Omnia, a young Egyptian girl, in irreversible ways. The film, directed by Amina Al Nowais and inspired by her personal experience, stands up and boldly addresses several female issues.
Thoub – Raihana Alhashmi
Shamsa, a young girl with a talent for stitching, lives her life with her head down. She sells her creations to the local tailor to make a small amount of money, and quietly hides it away for a rainy day. She is not exactly welcome in her aunt and uncle’s house, where she lives, and contemplates running away.
The newest garment she sells, a thoub, brings unexpected consequences and sparks a series of actions that will change her life.
Why Is My Grandfather’s Bed In My Living Room? – Sarah Alhashimi
Director Sarah Alhashimi sits down with her close family and her cousins to talk about why their grandfather’s bed is in their living room. A piece of the past they recall so fondly, the bed is not just furniture but a symbol of the threads that connect them all to their now-demolished family home, which in turn unites them as one.
The demolition might have erased the physical markers of where the ancestral home once stood but the bed in the living room is a constant reminder of memories that the family will cherish forever.
Each film spoke a truth of it’s own but perhaps the best thing about this event is the fact that when the lights went down in that cinema hall, there not just women, but also men, present as allies to the cause of the day.
The goal of the initiative is, ultimately, just that: amplifying the voices and visuals of women, giving them a bigger, better-lit platform and helping their art reach a wider audience.
Lead Image/Supplied