Free film screenings at Louvre Abu Dhabi explore the Arabian Peninsula

The film series, curated by Emirati artist Hind Mezaina, is inspired by the museum's exhibition Roads of Arabia: Archaeological Treasures of Saudi Arabia

Oscar-nominated, BAFTA-winning film 'Theeb' will be screened as part of the new Louvre Abu Dhabi film series. REX/Shutterstock

Louvre Abu Dhabi’s current exhibition, Roads of Arabia: Archaeological Treasures of Saudi Arabia, displays the rich and untold history of the Arabian Peninsula, from the dawn of civilisation to modernity.

The critically acclaimed exhibit takes people on a journey around a region so often mistaken for just an empty desert. Visitors get the chance to learn about some of the earliest inhabitants of Arabia.

Now, three film screenings also give visitors the opportunity to dive in deeper, allowing you to discover the kingdom's deserts, the underwater wildlife of the Red Sea and meet the women working the male-dominated world of camel beauty pageants in the UAE.

The film schedule

'Desert Sea' is a nature documentary narrated by David Attenborough.

Desert Seas (2011)

Saturday January 19, 5pm

Director: Mark Wheeler, Simon Nash, Dominic Weston

The English-language, 46-minute-long documentary narrated by David Attenborough unveils two underwater realms: the Gulf – more famous for sand, oil and war – and then the Red Sea, where nesting green turtles and dancing terns swim beside majestic whale sharks and aquatic birds.

'Nearby Sky' tells the story of a female camel owner in a male-dominated industry.

Nearby Sky (2014)

Saturday January 26, 5pm

Director: Nujoom Alghanem

This 85-minute documentary is screened in Arabic with English subtitles. We follow Fatima Ali Alhameli, the first female Emirati camel owner, who participates in the country's camel beauty pageant competition and Abu Dhabi's dromedary auctions. While facing opposition, she was determined to represent women in this male-dominated industry.

'Theeb' was nominated for the 2016 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

Theeb (2014)

Saturday February 2, 5pm

Director: Naji Abu Nowar

This Arabic-language film won a BAFTA in 2016 and was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in the same year. It's a coming-of-age story that follows young Theeb, the mischievous son of a sheikh from a Bedouin tribe, which lives peacefully in a forgotten corner of the Ottoman Empire. He embarks on an adventure with a British army officer on a mysterious mission and comes face to face with the "Stranger", an outcast who's trying to capture the Englishman's intriguing wooden box. It'll be screened with English subtitles.

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Read more:

Inside Louvre Abu Dhabi's new 'Roads of Arabia' exhibition

Ancient routes take a 2,500-year detour across the Arabian Peninsula all the way to Louvre Abu Dhabi

Roads of Arabia: untold history of Arabian Peninsula on show at Louvre Abu Dhabi

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