Four documentaries produced in the UAE are being shown at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, the largest of its kind in North America.
The films are Love Arranged, by Soniya Kirpalani, which premiered at last month's Gulf Film Festival; Koundi and The National Thursday, by Ariane Astrid Atodji; This Is My Picture When I Was Dead, by Mahmoud al Massad, and Zelal, by Marianne Khoury and Mustapha Hasnaoui. The Toronto event ends on Sunday. All four documentaries were screened at the recent Dubai International Film Festival.
This Is My Picture When I Was Dead, which follows a young Palestinian, Bashir Mammon Mraish, as he delves into his tragic past, won the Muhr Arab Documentary First Prize.
Zelal, which looks at the inhospitable conditions to which some Egyptians with mental illnesses are subjected, also took home the Fipresci Prize for Best Documentary at the festival.
The recognition being given to Emirati films has been the result of hard work, said Masoud Amralla al Ali, the Dubai film festival's artistic director.
"We are proud to see four of our films selected for this prestigious festival, and proud to serve as a stepping stone for regional filmmakers to take their talent to a global audience."
