An Emirati feature film that shows spaceships hovering over Emirates Towers and past Burj Khalifa, causing people to be stuck in their homes, has landed on Netflix.
The film itself is from 2016, but, four years after being released in UAE cinemas, it is arguably only now having its most high-profile moment, with Netflix picking it up.
The feature was directed by S A Zaidi, and the film's producer is Ghanem Ghubash: the pair make up the production house Fat Brothers Films, and they completely self-funded Aerials, which took them three years to make.
While the movie is undoubtedly a sci-fi, with Dubai taken over by extraterrestrials and contact cut off from the rest of the world, Aerials is also really a relationship drama. It delves into the cultural differences that become pronounced between the Emirati protagonist Omar (played by Arab-Canadian former rapper Saga Alyasery), and his western wife (Ana Druzhynina) as they are confined to their home by the impending alien apocalypse.
We're sure many people will relate to this storyline now more than ever as the world faces its own, all-too-real pandemic.
When The National spoke to director Zaidi in 2016, he explained that they had help from others in the industry to get the film made, including the Dubai Film and TV Commission "giving them" Sheikh Zayed Road for filming.
“They were really helpful in terms of permissions and the like,” Zaidi said at the time. “They were great with fast-tracking. For example, when we couldn’t shoot right under the Burj Khalifa, they were like, ‘You know what? We’ll give you Sheikh Zayed Road and you can shoot it from there. Shoot it tomorrow, just get it done,’ and that’s something you don’t get easily.”
Emirati cinema has conceptually spread its wings in recent years. There has been horror (Djinn, 2013), a psychological thriller (Zinzana, 2015), a dystopian work (The Worthy, 2016) and a sporting drama (Fan of Amoory, 2018).
Another Emirati production on Netflix is Justice / Qalb Al Adala. After first being broadcast on Abu Dhabi TV, Netflix picked up the 23-part legal procedural drama, produced by Image Nation Abu Dhabi, last year. Filmed in the capital, the plot focuses on a father and daughter who compete as lawyers and offers insight into the UAE justice system.
The storylines are based on real cases from the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, which partnered on the production to ensure authenticity.
Other Arabic films worth watching on Netflix include Wadjda by Saudi Arabia's first female director, Haifaa Al Mansour, Omar by two-time Academy Award nominee Hany Abu-Assad, Where Do We Go Now? by Academy Award nominee Nadine Labaki, Very Big Shot by Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya, and Exterior/Night by Ahmad Abdalla.
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Read more:
Where to watch independent Arab films online: 7 options, from Netflix to Cinemoz
The 12 best Korean films and series on Netflix: from 'The Host' to 'Kingdom'
'Sharjah Paramount': the story of the UAE's first cinema, a meeting place for British servicemen and locals
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Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
RESULTS
Bantamweight:
Zia Mashwani (PAK) bt Chris Corton (PHI)
Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) bt Mohammad Al Khatib (JOR)
Super lightweight:
Dwight Brooks (USA) bt Alex Nacfur (BRA)
Bantamweight:
Tariq Ismail (CAN) bt Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)
Featherweight:
Abdullatip Magomedov (RUS) bt Sulaiman Al Modhyan (KUW)
Middleweight:
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) bt Christofer Silva (BRA)
Middleweight:
Rustam Chsiev (RUS) bt Tarek Suleiman (SYR)
Welterweight:
Khamzat Chimaev (SWE) bt Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA)
Lightweight:
Alex Martinez (CAN) bt Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Welterweight:
Jarrah Al Selawi (JOR) bt Abdoul Abdouraguimov (FRA)
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Specs
Engine: 3.0L twin-turbo V6
Gearbox: 10-speed automatic
Power: 405hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 562Nm at 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.2L/100km
Price: From Dh292,845 (Reserve); from Dh320,145 (Presidential)
On sale: Now
The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
