With 134 films screening over eight days at this year’s festival, film buffs have plenty to choose from. Chris Newbould picks 10 of the best that you won’t want to miss.
Spotlight
Director: Thomas McCarthy
Starring: Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo
This based-on-fact story of how reporters from the Boston Globe's Spotlight team of investigative reporters exposed child-abuse in the catholic church has been a hit with critics and audiences alike, and the film is tipped for Oscars glory. The Washington Post mentioned it in the same breath as Orson Welles's Citizen Kane – no small compliment. To see the trailer click here.
• Monday, December 14, 10pm, Madinat Arena
Fatima
Director: Phillipe Faucon
Starring: Soria Zeroual
Faucon's French drama is especially topical, given recent events in Europe. Based on the autobiographical book Prayer to the Moon, the film tells the story of Moroccan immigrant Fatima Elayoubi, who struggles to adjust to life in a less-than-welcoming France in the 1980s. She channels her turmoil into writing letters in Arabic to her daughters, expressing what she cannot say in French. To see the trailer click here.
• Thursday, December 10, 6.30pm, Mall of the Emirates; Saturday, 2.45pm, MoE
Room
Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Starring: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay
DIFF's opener, which won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival, tells the story of a mother and her young son who have been imprisoned in a room for five years. After a successful escape, the pair try to adjust to the amazing, but terrifying world outside their prison. To see the trailer click here.
• Thursday, December 10, 10pm, Madinat Theatre (sold out but standby tickets may be available at the venue)
Bilal
Directors: Khurram Alavi and Ayman Jamal
Starring: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ian McShane, Jacob Latimore
Made entirely in Dubai, Bilal is the highest-profile and biggest-budget animated film yet to emerge from the Middle East. Kidnapped and sold into slavery in a faraway land as a child, Bilal dreams of finding his voice and escaping his chains to become a great warrior.
• Thursday, December 10, 9.30pm, Madinat Theatre. To see the trailer click here
Zinzana
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Starring: Ali Suleiman, Saleh Bakri
Another UAE production, Image Nation-produced Zinzana is a psychological drama set entirely within single room in a police station. It received rave reviews at Fantastic Fest in Texas and the London Film Festival and genre fans on both sides of the Atlantic are hailing director Majid Al Ansari as a new Arab master of the form. To see the trailer click here.
• Thursday, December 10, 6pm, Madinat Arena; Saturday, 10pm, MoE. Also on general release in cinemas from Thursday.
The Lady in the Van
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Starring: Maggie Smith, Alex Jennings
Adapted by Alan Bennett from his autobiographical play. Maggie Smith is always watchable and she's had plenty of practice in this role, having appeared in the original stage play and on radio. The film tells the story of the writer's relationship with a homeless woman he allowed to live in a van on his driveway for 15 years. To see the trailer click here.
• Sunday, December 13, 7pm, The Beach (free screening); Tuesday, 7pm, MoE sold out but standby tickets may be available at the venue)
Suffragette
Director: Sarah Gavron
Starring: Meryl Streep, Helena Bonham Carter, Carey Mulligan
Another British drama, this time starring Meryl Streep as Emmeline Pankhurst, the leader of Britain's suffragette movement, which battled in the early 20th century the to win for women the right to vote. Carey Mulligan plays Maud Watts, who faces a torrid time following her conversion to the cause. To see the trailer click here.
• Sunday, December 13, 6pm, Madinat Theatre; December 16, 2.45pm, M0E.
The Tainted Veil
Directors: Nahla Al Fahad, Mazen Al Khayrat and Ovidio Salazar
This thought-provoking, partly Emirati-directed, documentary about the history and perception of the hijab visited nine countries across the Middle East and Europe to interview its subjects, and was longlisted for next year's Best Documentary Oscar. To see the trailer click here.
• Monday, December 14, 7.30pm, Madinat Theatre; Wednesday, 5.30pm, MoE
Rams
Director: Grimur Hakonarson
Starring: Sigurður Sigurjónsson, Theodór Júlíusson
Typically quirky Icelandic fare, in which two feuding brothers, who communicate only through written messages delivered by their sheepdog, are forced to work together to save their flock from disease. To see the trailer click here.
• Friday, December 11, 2.45pm, MoE; December 16, 2.30pm, MoE
The Big Short
Director: Adam McKay
Starring: Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carrell
This year's festival closer is a star-studded ensemble piece in which four bankers take on the murky world they are employed in, after their predictions of the financial collapse of 2008 were ignored. To see the trailer click here.
• Wednesday, December 16, 8pm, Madinat Arena.
TECH SPECS: APPLE WATCH SERIES 8
Display: 41mm, 352 x 430; 45mm, 396 x 484; Retina LTPO OLED, up to 1000 nits, always-on; Ion-X glass
Processor: Apple S8, W3 wireless, U1 ultra-wideband
Capacity: 32GB
Memory: 1GB
Platform: watchOS 9
Health metrics: 3rd-gen heart rate sensor, temperature sensing, ECG, blood oxygen, workouts, fall/crash detection; emergency SOS, international emergency calling
Connectivity: GPS/GPS + cellular; Wi-Fi, LTE, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC (Apple Pay)
Durability: IP6X, water resistant up to 50m, dust resistant
Battery: 308mAh Li-ion, up to 18h, wireless charging
Cards: eSIM
Finishes: Aluminium – midnight, Product Red, silver, starlight; stainless steel – gold, graphite, silver
In the box: Watch Series 8, magnetic-to-USB-C charging cable, band/loop
Price: Starts at Dh1,599 (41mm) / Dh1,999 (45mm)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Haltia.ai
Started: 2023
Co-founders: Arto Bendiken and Talal Thabet
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: AI
Number of employees: 41
Funding: About $1.7 million
Investors: Self, family and friends
List of alleged parties
May 15 2020: PM and Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at
least 17 staff members
May 20 2020: PM and Carrie attend 'bring your own booze'
party
Nov 27 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff
Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary
Gavin Williamson
Dec 13 2020: PM and Carrie throw a flat party
Dec 14 2020: London mayor candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative
Party headquarters
Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
Confirmed bouts (more to be added)
Cory Sandhagen v Umar Nurmagomedov
Nick Diaz v Vicente Luque
Michael Chiesa v Tony Ferguson
Deiveson Figueiredo v Marlon Vera
Mackenzie Dern v Loopy Godinez
Tickets for the August 3 Fight Night, held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, went on sale earlier this month, through www.etihadarena.ae and www.ticketmaster.ae.
Result:
1. Cecilie Hatteland (NOR) atop Alex - 31.46 seconds
2. Anna Gorbacheva (RUS) atop Curt 13 - 31.82 seconds
3. Georgia Tame (GBR) atop Cash Up - 32.81 seconds
4. Sheikha Latifa bint Ahmed Al Maktoum (UAE) atop Peanuts de Beaufour - 35.85 seconds
5. Miriam Schneider (GER) atop Benur du Romet - 37.53 seconds
6. Annika Sande (NOR) atop For Cash 2 - 31.42 seconds (4 penalties)
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company Profile
Company name: Cargoz
Date started: January 2022
Founders: Premlal Pullisserry and Lijo Antony
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 30
Investment stage: Seed
Switching sides
Mahika Gaur is the latest Dubai-raised athlete to attain top honours with another country.
Velimir Stjepanovic (Serbia, swimming)
Born in Abu Dhabi and raised in Dubai, he finished sixth in the final of the 2012 Olympic Games in London in the 200m butterfly final.
Jonny Macdonald (Scotland, rugby union)
Brought up in Abu Dhabi and represented the region in international rugby. When the Arabian Gulf team was broken up into its constituent nations, he opted to play for Scotland instead, and went to the Hong Kong Sevens.
Sophie Shams (England, rugby union)
The daughter of an English mother and Emirati father, Shams excelled at rugby in Dubai, then after attending university in the UK played for England at sevens.
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
EMIRATES'S REVISED A350 DEPLOYMENT SCHEDULE
Edinburgh: November 4 (unchanged)
Bahrain: November 15 (from September 15); second daily service from January 1
Kuwait: November 15 (from September 16)
Mumbai: January 1 (from October 27)
Ahmedabad: January 1 (from October 27)
Colombo: January 2 (from January 1)
Muscat: March 1 (from December 1)
Lyon: March 1 (from December 1)
Bologna: March 1 (from December 1)
Source: Emirates
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
The biog
Name: Samar Frost
Born: Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: Singing, music and socialising with friends
Favourite singer: Adele
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dubai World Cup factbox
Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)
Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)
Fitness problems in men's tennis
Andy Murray - hip
Novak Djokovic - elbow
Roger Federer - back
Stan Wawrinka - knee
Kei Nishikori - wrist
Marin Cilic - adductor
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Almouneer
Started: 2017
Founders: Dr Noha Khater and Rania Kadry
Based: Egypt
Number of staff: 120
Investment: Bootstrapped, with support from Insead and Egyptian government, seed round of
$3.6 million led by Global Ventures
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Pieces of Her
Stars: Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, David Wenham, Omari Hardwick
Director: Minkie Spiro
Rating:2/5
TEST SQUADS
Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.
Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson and Jackson Bird.
Day 5, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Given the problems Sri Lanka have had in recent times, it was apt the winning catch was taken by Dinesh Chandimal. He is one of seven different captains Sri Lanka have had in just the past two years. He leads in understated fashion, but by example. His century in the first innings of this series set the shock win in motion.
Stat of the day This was the ninth Test Pakistan have lost in their past 11 matches, a run that started when they lost the final match of their three-Test series against West Indies in Sharjah last year. They have not drawn a match in almost two years and 19 matches, since they were held by England at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi in 2015.
The verdict Mickey Arthur basically acknowledged he had erred by basing Pakistan’s gameplan around three seam bowlers and asking for pitches with plenty of grass in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Why would Pakistan want to change the method that has treated them so well on these grounds in the past 10 years? It is unlikely Misbah-ul-Haq would have made the same mistake.