The Otolith Group’s part-UAE-funded 'Infinity Minus Infinity'. Courtesy The Otolith Group
The Otolith Group’s part-UAE-funded 'Infinity Minus Infinity'. Courtesy The Otolith Group
The Otolith Group’s part-UAE-funded 'Infinity Minus Infinity'. Courtesy The Otolith Group
The Otolith Group’s part-UAE-funded 'Infinity Minus Infinity'. Courtesy The Otolith Group

Berlinale 2020: Your guide to the films and installations from the Middle East


  • English
  • Arabic

When the 70th Berlin International Film Festival announced this year’s main competition films back in December, cinema fans in the region may have been disappointed to see a distinct lack of works from the Arab world among the candidates for the top prize.

The situation was repeated when the festival announced its shorts programme in January, and it began to appear, despite the presence of directors Annemarie Jacir and Hala Lofty on the festival's juries, that we may be in for a decidedly dry year for the region.

Thankfully, however, now that the full festival line-up has been revealed, the balance has been redressed somewhat. From features starring international A-listers in the festival’s Panorama section, which this year focuses on migration, to shorts and installations in the forum section, which aims to look at topics including racism, sexism and climate crisis in a non-traditional way, the Berlinale 2020 will screen a diverse mixture of works from the Arab world.

The Berlinale runs from Thursday, February 20 to Sunday, March 1, and this year marks the first festival under the leadership of artistic director Carlo Chatrian and executive director Mariette Rissenbeek.

Here are the highlights from the region in this year’s programme.

'Mughal Mowgli' by Bassam Tariq

This British-made work is not technically a film from the Middle East, but we’re including it here on the basis of producer and star Riz Ahmed’s enduring popularity in the Gulf. The British-Pakistani actor plays Zed, a young British rapper about to embark on his first world tour when a crippling illness strikes him down. He is forced to move back in with his family, where he finds himself caught between an international music career and Pakistani family traditions.

'Kama fissamaa' kathalika ala al-ard' (As Above So Below) by Sarah Francis

This on-screen essay weaves together different facts and myths surrounding the Moon, with humans both at the centre and infinitely small in this celestial context. Francis's last film, Birds of September, premiered at Dubai International Film Festival in 2013 and saw her documenting life in Beirut from a van, filming day-to-day events from behind glass.

'Nardjes A' by Karim Ainouz

Algerian-Brazilian documentarian Karim Ainouz has already had success at major festivals including Cannes and Venice, as well as Berlin, where his last feature, Zentralflughafen THF, took home the Amnesty International prize two years ago. This year, he follows female activist Nardjes Asli with his camera, documenting Algerian youth taking to the streets in support of a democratic future for Algeria, demonstrations which led to the resignation of president Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

'Infinity Minus Infinity' by The Otolith Group

The Otolith Group's part-UAE-funded Infinity Minus Infinity explores racism in today's British society via the fate of the Caribbean immigrants of the Windrush generation. Their installation uses dance, music, recital and animation to examine the relationship between capitalism and racism and intertwines these with the repercussions of climate policy.

'Eldridge Cleaver, Black Panther' by William Klein

In the late 1960s, Eldridge Cleaver, the political activist who became an early leader of the Black Panther Party, was in exile in Algeria. Klein’s 1970 visit resulted in a self-reflective, fascinating portrait of a controversial figure, who discussed everything from racism to the Vietnam War.

'Al-Houbut' (The Landing) by Akram Zaatari

Lebanese artist and filmmaker Akram Zaatari is best known for his photographic work, but in this hour-long audiovisual installation he heads to Sharjah and focuses on sound, bringing an abandoned desert public housing project to life in collaboration with a group of sound artists.

'Al-Maw’oud' (The Promised) by Ahmed Elghoneimy

Set in and around the historical ruins of Fustat in Old Cairo, tensions simmer between the site’s government-appointed guards and residents of a nearby informal settlement. For the guards it would be easiest to keep the site closed until further notice in this dynamic film.

'Moazzam ma yalla haqeqy' (Most of What Follows Is True) by Maged Nader

A man returns to his neighbourhood looking for his brother. He confronts the destruction of his old home, which has become a featureless wasteland. He keeps looking for his brother’s traces, but all he finds is the urban legend about his disappearance.

'Clebs' by Halima Ouardiri

For the 750 dogs that live in a Moroccan shelter, the daily routine consists of eating, resting, a bit of fighting and eating again. Could they possibly expect more from life? A pointed, cinematic commentary on mass confinement.

'Born of the * * * On Zarathustra's Going Under from Cairo to Oran' by Ayreen Anastas and Rene Gabri

Palestinian artist and filmmaker Anastas returns for the third time to her filmic attempt to translate Friedrich Nietzche's Thus Spake Zarathustra for the contemporary Arab world, a mission she began with 2007's A Film for Everyone and No-one.

'Purple Sea' by Amel Alzakout and Khaled Abdulwahed;'Shipwreck at the Threshold of Europe, Lesvos, Aegean Sea' by Forensic Architecture

These two works are based on video material recorded by Syrian artist and survivor Amel Alzakout as a boat full of Syrian refugees was sinking en route to Europe. How such images are to be dealt with and the relationship between them and their history is the theme of her own film Purple Sea, a collaboration with filmmaker Khaled Abdulwahed.

'Secrets of a Digital Garden: 50 Villages - 50 Flowers' by Riwaq with Yara Sharif and Nasser Golzari

The Palestinian collective Riwaq's multimedia project Secrets of a Digital Garden: 50 Villages – 50 Flowers, considers the subversive potential of seeds as repositories of memory.

'Letter to a Friend' by Emily Jacir

The elder sister from Bethlehem’s best-known female filmmaking dynasty, Emily Jacir interlaces images, textures, movements, traces and sounds from more than a century to recount in minute detail a home and street in her home town.

'El Sghayra (Miss)' by Amira Gehanne Khalfallah

In a remote village in the Algerian desert, few inhabitants remain following France’s nuclear weapons testing in the region. With playfulness and imagination, a gleeful girl, the community’s only child, preserves a sense of life in the fading oasis.

'Yalda, la Nuit du Pardon' (Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness) by Massoud Bakhshi

In a reality TV show on the night of Yalda, Maryam, who has been condemned to death for murdering her much older husband, must beg for forgiveness and her life while the camera rolls. A tense drama about the power of forgiveness and the women who are doomed to remain prisoners.

Company%20profile
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UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

Student Of The Year 2

Director: Punit Malhotra

Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal 

1.5 stars

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
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Five%20calorie-packed%20Ramadan%20drinks
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERooh%20Afza%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20contains%20414%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETang%20orange%20drink%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20serving%20contains%20300%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECarob%20beverage%20mix%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20serving%20contains%20about%20300%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EQamar%20Al%20Din%20apricot%20drink%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20saving%20contains%2061%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EVimto%20fruit%20squash%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20serving%20contains%2030%20calories%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULTS

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m
Winner: Arjan, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m​​​​​​​
Winner: Jap Nazaa, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi.

6pm: Al Ruwais Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 1,200m​​​​​​​
Winner: RB Lam Tara, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinal.

6.30pm: Shadwell Gold Cup Prestige Dh125,000 1,600m​​​​​​​
Winner: AF Sanad, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi.

7pm: Shadwell Farm Stallions Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m​​​​​​​
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Patrick Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi.

7.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 1,600m​​​​​​​
Winner: Dubai Canal, Harry Bentley, Satish Seemar.

The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X

Price, as tested: Dh84,000

Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: Six-speed auto

Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm

Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km

Favourite things

Luxury: Enjoys window shopping for high-end bags and jewellery

Discount: She works in luxury retail, but is careful about spending, waits for sales, festivals and only buys on discount

University: The only person in her family to go to college, Jiang secured a bachelor’s degree in business management in China

Masters: Studying part-time for a master’s degree in international business marketing in Dubai

Vacation: Heads back home to see family in China

Community work: Member of the Chinese Business Women’s Association of the UAE to encourage other women entrepreneurs

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The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

Married Malala

Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.

The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.

Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.

England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BULKWHIZ PROFILE

Date started: February 2017

Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: E-commerce 

Size: 50 employees

Funding: approximately $6m

Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait

Ten10 Cricket League

Venue and schedule Sharjah Cricket Stadium, December 14 to 17

Teams

Maratha Arabians Leading player: Virender Sehwag; Top picks: Mohammed Amir, Imad Wasim; UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Zahoor Khan

Bengal Lions Leading player: Sarfraz Ahmed; Top picks: Sunil Narine, Mustafizur Rahman; UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Rameez Shahzad

Kerala Kings Leading player: Eoin Morgan; Top picks: Kieron Pollard, Sohail Tanvir; UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Imran Haider

Pakhtoons Leading player: Shahid Afridi; Top picks: Fakhar Zaman, Tamim Iqbal; UAE players: Amjad Javed, Saqlain Haider

Punjabi Legends Leading player: Shoaib Malik; Top picks: Hasan Ali, Chris Jordan; UAE players: Ghulam Shabber, Shareef Asadullah

Team Sri Lanka Cricket Will be made up of Colombo players who won island’s domestic limited-overs competition

John%20Wick%3A%20Chapter%204
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The Greatest Royal Rumble card

50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias

Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura

Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe

United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal

SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos

Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt

Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev

Singles match John Cena v Triple H

Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto

Brief scores:

Manchester City 2

Gundogan 27', De Bruyne 85'

Crystal Palace 3

Schlupp 33', Townsend 35', Milivojevic 51' (pen)

Man of the Match: Andros Townsend (Crystal Palace)

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

TICKETS

Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.

Tips for used car buyers
  • Choose cars with GCC specifications
  • Get a service history for cars less than five years old
  • Don’t go cheap on the inspection
  • Check for oil leaks
  • Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
  • Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
  • Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
  • Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
  • If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell

Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com

Cases of coronavirus in the GCC as of March 15

Saudi Arabia – 103 infected, 0 dead, 1 recovered

UAE – 86 infected, 0 dead, 23 recovered

Bahrain – 210 infected, 0 dead, 44 recovered

Kuwait – 104 infected, 0 dead, 5 recovered

Qatar – 337 infected, 0 dead, 4 recovered

Oman – 19 infected, 0 dead, 9 recovered

Find the right policy for you

Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.

Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.

Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.

Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.

If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.

Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.

Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”