SEF 2024 celebrates female Arab filmmakers

Labaki, whose films, including ‘Caramel’ and ‘Capernaum,’ have received international acclaim including at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018, said she had been drawn to movies as a child because it was a way to escape the reality of the civil war in Lebanon. Labaki acknowledged that it was a big recognition to be part of the wider film industry. “It feels amazing when you come from such a small country where no films were shot, had a shy film industry in the post-war era and had no chance to work with other filmmakers,” she observed.

According to the director, it was important for the Arab world to break stereotypes by producing its own movies “to understand our history, be proud of our language, our rituals, traditions and everything we are”. “This is how we can talk to the whole world, because at the end of the day we understand each other as human beings no matter what culture we come from. When you are coming from somewhere honest, everyone is going to understand you.”

Labaki pointed out that being creative and finding one’s voice was hard in today’s world with its political correctness and cancel culture. “Self-censorship becomes your nature,” concluded the Capernaum director who divulged that she was working on her next film.  

A workshop on making films in Saudi Arabia

The opening day also saw Saudi Arabian filmmaker and university professor, Maha Al Saati, present a workshop titled ‘Making Films From What We Know’ to explain how powerful, real-life situations can be portrayed with available resources. Al Saati, who has made short films such as Fear: Audibly, VHS Tape Replaced and Hair: The Story of Grass, played her movies for the audience to explain techniques and motivation behind them. 

Al Saati pointed out that she employed social issues, diversity and inclusion to drive home messages to the audience. In VHS Tape Replaced, set in the 1980s, a teenager tries to overcome racism and match the expectations of his love interest. “For me, these moments of extreme sadness or embarrassment is something that gives value to the scenes and makes it unique,” she concluded.

UAE’s own film producer Nayla Al Khaja

The UAE’s first female film writer, director, and producer, Nayla Al Khaja, whose films have screened at more than 42 film festivals worldwide, also featured on SEF’s star-studded speaker and masterclass line-up. The founder of ‘The Scene Club,’ Dubai's first film club, is leading some of the masterclasses and workshops on the SEF 2024 agenda, delving into one of the festival’s key focus areas - the creative economy - exploring ways in which emerging founders can attain success in this fast-growing and rapidly transforming sector.

The two-day festival organised by the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) will conclude on February 4.