'This place is the future': Why Dubai was the ideal setting for Hans Zimmer’s latest concert film

German film composer’s new film features performances shot at Coca-Cola Arena

With his new concert film, Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond in the Desert, the composer may have finally found settings that match the grandeur and thrill of his acclaimed film scores. Screening in select UAE cinemas and globally until Saturday, the German composer and his 19-piece orchestra perform a selection of songs across Dubai’s landmarks, from the serene desert landscapes to Al Wasl Plaza at Expo City Dubai.

A particular highlight for Zimmer is performing a solo piano version of the haunting Time – from sci-fi blockbuster Inception – on the helipad of Burj Al Arab.

"Putting my little piano on top of that building was amazing," he tells The National. "Everyone kept saying I’d be scared, but I wasn’t. I just remember feeling how much I loved it – and that’s why I wanted to shoot the film in Dubai. There’s so much grace, sophistication and meaningful conversation to be had here. I say it in the film, and I’ll say it again – this place is the future."

A high-octane concert film as well as a meditation on creativity, Diamond in the Desert features live performances from Zimmer’s concerts at Coca-Cola Arena on May 31 and June 1 last year.

It also includes sit-down interviews between Zimmer and his famous collaborators such as singers Billie Eilish and Pharrell Williams, Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer, actor Timothee Chalamet and director Christopher Nolan. While those discussions were filmed in the US, the lion’s share of the two-and-a-half-hour film comes from the arena performances. Backed by a sprawling band, including two drummers, a string and horn section, plus an eclectic array of vocalists – from South African and Irish folk singers to sopranos – Diamond in the Desert is a stirring showcase of a composer who has captured the imagination of generations of filmgoers over four decades.

Beginning with A Time of Quiet Between the Storms from last year’s Dune: Part Two, the film opens with a sparse introduction to the score, filmed in the Dubai desert, before transitioning to the arena, where the piece picks up steam. The galloping Wonder Woman Suite – taken from Wonder Woman 1984 – is a brilliant showcase of the band, who come together to painstakingly reimagine Zimmer’s scores, which are often built on electronic keyboards before taking on layers of evocative orchestration.

Zimmer, who is seen on film ensconced within the ensemble, playing instruments including keyboards, bass and electric guitar, explains that the concert film is partly a tribute to the group he began performing with in 2016. “I never really felt this film was about me, and it might actually be safer to leave it that way. But honestly, I love my band, and this film was made because of that," he says. "You know, I never designed the band to be this big multicultural thing, but it just so happens that I have friends from all over the world who happen to play very well."

While not appearing on stage, two key figures were instrumental in bringing Zimmer’s live spectacle to life. Happy singer Pharrell and guitarist Johnny Marr – who co-wrote The Smiths’ Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now – come from different musical backgrounds, yet the film highlights how their encouragement ultimately led Zimmer to take his show on the road.

"I was initially afraid of all of it – being out there on stage terrified me. But it was Pharrell and Johnny who kept telling me, 'Come on, you’ve got to do it. You owe it to the people,'" Zimmer recalls. "And they were absolutely right. If I do get stage fright, then that’s the price I have to pay. But the reward is great – being on stage and having this conversation with people is genuinely exciting."

Hans Zimmer with Turki Al Sheikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority. Turki Al Sheikh / X

As it turned out, Williams and Marr unleashed a road hound, with Zimmer and his orchestra touring the world consistently for about a decade. Each tour has added new material from Zimmer’s latest Hollywood compositions – from the 2017 war film Dunkirk to 2021’s James Bond installment No Time to Die.

UAE fans will once again savour the live experience when Zimmer ends his Australian and Asian tour with his Abu Dhabi debut concert at Etihad Arena on May 31. All that time on the road has kept him away from the studio, particularly from his latest high-profile gig – reinterpreting Saudi Arabia’s national anthem, a commission from the General Entertainment Authority.

“All I can tell you is I've been thinking a lot about it,” Zimmer says. “I have some ideas and I have some plans. At the moment it's going really well because I haven't played anybody anything.”

Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond in the Desert is showing in UAE cinemas until Saturday