When the Kuwaiti playwright, actor and screenwriter Mohammed Jaber was told he would be receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award during the opening night of the 6th annual Gulf Film Festival, his initial reaction was one of pure "shock".
"It was almost unreal. I remember thinking 'I wish I could rewind 20 years so I could give even more to the industry'," says Jaber, who began his television career in the early 1960s.
Today, he is often credited for having played a pivotal role in laying the foundation for the film industry. His passion began at school when he became involved in theatre back in 1962.
"I've been working in this field more than 52 years now and I hope to continue for many more to come. I cannot stop - it's in my blood," he says.
Although festivals such as GFF do help towards the development of the local film industry, Jaber emphasises the importance of UAE-made films being the main opening night movie in the future so "the whole world could talk about them".
[ melshoush@thenational.ae ]
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