What Do You See? A Review of the Ninth Dubai International Film Festival (December 9 – 16, 2012)

 
When my brother first mentioned in September that his movie Big Man was going to be the only Nigerian film showing at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), the first thought that came to mind was: "Fantastic, holiday in Dubai!" I booked my flight to Lagos, called my best friend Bibi and said, "How do you feel about a holiday to Dubai?" However, what I believed would be a week of sunshine, shopping and laying on the beach, turned out to be an educational journey into the world of international film. And we never made it to the beach.

Touchdown The flight to Dubai was far from smooth. Food ran out, chairs were broken and the movie selection was less than desirable. Safe to say we arrived into Dubai tired, hungry and sore. We clambered into a taxi and it wasn’t long before we were struck by the beauty that is Dubai architecture. Skyscrapers of all shapes and sizes surrounded the car and it seemed as though we had arrived into the sort of future constantly shown in films. If we hadn’t been wowed enough, the Jumeirah Beach Hotel took away what little breath we had left. Situated right by the sea, the view of the Burj Al Arab on the water against the backdrop of a cloudless sky and the sun shining brightly looked like a photo-shopped image – who knew the sky and sea could look so blue? We soon settled into our rooms and began to plan our trip. As we roamed the hotel we saw many people with badges and gift bags, all with the words ‘Dubai International Film Festival’ inscribed on them. The lobby was filled with actors, producers and directors, all preparing themselves for the opening night. All of a sudden we too wanted to be a part of the buzz. Bibi and I had, prior to our arrival, thought we would watch Big Man and spend the rest of the time relaxing. But watching Julius (the director of Big Man) getting ready for the red carpet and opening night party changed all the rules. We would spend the next day trying to find out how we could get in on all the fun. As the day ended and we got into bed the fireworks began, and with it the excitement of being in Dubai. The Red Carpet The first screening we went to was of Hitchcock, a movie about the making of Alfred Hitchcock’s most controversial film, Psycho. Although the movie was on standby, Bibi and I arrived early in hopes of being first in line; luckily for us, a lady had a pair of tickets that she had decided not to use. We happily took them, left the line and headed towards the Arena. Dressed in our casual day dresses we were surprised to see a red carpet, photographers and much too bright lighting awaiting us at the entrance. As we looked down at our ticket we saw the words ‘Red Carpet opens at 8’ – unknown to us, Hitchcockwas one of the Gala screenings which meant the red carpet was rolled out and the best seats reserved for special guests.

Sneaking in through a side entrance we watched as glamorous dresses, traditional outfits and crisp suits made their way down the red carpet. Walking into a dark theatre with fairy lights hanging off the walls and the ceilings, the stage was set, the room began to fill and on the screen was Helen Mirren welcoming us to Dubai, to the festival and hoping we enjoyed the film. Sat amongst so many different people one couldn't help but feel special. The movie was funny, intriguing, and all in all captivating. It was met with much deserving applause and at the end, we were happy to rate the film a 5 on the scorecards we had been given. For our first gala screening experience, the entire evening had fascinating. The atmosphere made the movie even more enjoyable and if this was a glimpse of the days to come, we were more than happy. Another Day, Another Movie Still buzzing from the day before, we were glad to have another movie to watch. This time we made sure to check there was no red carpet, got dressed and headed out. Hyde Park on Hudson, however, did not live up to the fun of the evening before. Perhaps it was because it was screened in a smaller room or because of the relatively unknown cast, but it felt much like any other cinema-going experience. At the end of the movie we rated it a 4 and made our way to one of the many restaurants that surrounded the theatre. Taking in the festival atmosphere we began to notice how although at the beginning it felt like we had been transported to another planet, by our third day we began to want something more authentic. Maybe it was the disappointment of the movie but the evening felt like it could have taken place been anywhere else in the world.

Big Man

After the slight anti-climax that was the second film, it seemed fitting that Big Man should be showing on our last evening in Dubai. We woke bright and early and ventured down to the buffet for what would be our last morning of pancakes, waffles and croissants all in one sitting. Whilst at the buffet, a woman whom we had not seen before sat on our table and struck up a conversation with the boys. As we approached we overheard her tell a story of nearly being arrested for being in the same room as three other men while filming her documentary. It turned out that she was a filmmaker from Mexico and wanted to interview Arie for part of her documentary. It somehow seemed fitting that he should be offered the opportunity to be part of a movie on the day of his screening. It was finally the moment we had been waiting for – except we forgot that there would be a series of other shorts shown before Big Man. The first of the shorts, a Turkish film that went on to win the prize given to the best short film, was intriguing and with a large Turkish audience present, it was possible to see why it won. The other shorts left a lot of questions lingering in the audience’s minds – perhaps we were not artistically sophisticated enough for them. However, the audience seemed to respond well to Big Man. They laughed, gasped and clapped and as the lights came up in the theatre, we realised our trip was over. The festival was an experience that won’t be easily forgotten. The people were exceptionally nice, the events were well organized and my only regret was that I didn't make better use of the film library housing all the movies that had shown. If I could, I would attend DIFF again. The Dubai International Film Festival, first held in 2004, is one of the largest film festivals in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. To learn more, visit its website. This piece was first posted on January 9, 2013.