A scene from the movie 'Half Life' by Emirati director Abdullah Aref
Emirti film director Abdullah Aref, tells us why he chose to focus on the story of a young girl living with a mental illness, for his directorial debut at the Gulf Film Festival.
Half Life, which has been selected as part of the ‘Lights’ segment that offer snapshots of GCC life, is about a 13 year-old girl suffering from a rare mental disorder which makes it difficult for her to differentiate between what is reality and what is an illusion.
The young, lonely girl, "whose mother is preoccupied with her own life", begins to create an imaginary world with characters from a “gloomy past”. Yet her hope for the future, never dims.
“It’s a beautiful story,” explains Aref. “The girl is struggling with an inner battle and her life comes with pain - and it is part illusion and part real. She must decide whether or not to have an operation.”
Half Life director Abdullah Aref, from the UAE
The objective behind the film, he says, is to inspire others to make the most out of their lives and not to let setbacks get in the way of living it to the fullest.
“Filmmaking for me began as a hobby. I was a little apprehensive at first to take this first step. Thankfully, feedback has been largely positive,” says Aref. “It’s been an amazing experience and I'm very proud of the film and this for me, is just the beginning.”
Watch: Half Life 17 April 3pm at Grand Cinema 7
