Cinema of The World at DIFF 2009
At the heart of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), is the screening of twenty-six high-caliber films from around the world, several of which will make their Middle East premiere at the festival.
Listed below are the films classified under Cinema of The World at DIFF. Information on film schedule and cinema location is noted.
Films are screened either at the Madinat Arena, First Group Theater, DMC Amphitheater, or in the Cinestar cinema at Mall of the Emirates (MOE). Ticket prices vary but are usually 25 AED for adults and 10 AED for students.
Avatar
by James Cameron, USA 2009, Drama, 166 minutes (MIDDLE EAST PREMIERE)
Avatar takes us to a spectacular world beyond imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on an epic adventure, ultimately fighting to save the alien world he has learned to call home. James Cameron, the Oscar-winning director of ‘Titanic’ first conceived the film 15 years ago, when the means to realise his vision did not exist yet. Now, after four years of production, ‘Avatar’, a live-action film with a new generatio of special effects, delivers a fully immersive cinematic experience of a new kind, where the revolutionary technology invented to make the film disappears into the emotion of the characters and the sweep of the story.
See a preview of Avatar.
When and Where: Madinat Arena, 15 December, at 8 PM; Stand by only
Bran Nue Dae
by Rachel Perkins, Australia 2009, Music Documentary, 88 minutes (MIDDLE EAST PREMIERE)
The musical ‘Bran Nue Dae’ is one of the most appealing and heartwarming musicals to have emerged from Australia in recent years. Set in the West coast town of Broome in 1969 it’s the tale of 16-year old Willie, a lackadaisical youth whose ambitions stretch barely beyond hanging out with his mates and daydreaming about comely young Rosie, who sings at his church. But Willie’s sunny torpor is soon shattered when his mother sends him south to Perth to a Catholic boarding school. Hating the repressive environment, Willie plots his escape – and tumbles into a world of adventure as he tries to make the long journey home, aided and abetted by a hilarious cast of eccentric characters.
When and Where: Cinestar MOE 12, 14 December, at 7 PM; Cinestar MOE 12, 15 December, at 3:45 PM;
Brothers
by Jim Sheridan, USA/Spain 2009, Drama, 110 minutes (MIDDLE EAST PREMIERE)
Captain Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) and younger brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) are polar opposites. Sam’s a Marine, off on his fourth tour of duty, a steadfast married man and father to his daughters. Tommy, his charismatic young brother is a drifter just out of jail who slides easily into his role as family provocateur on his first night out of prison. But once Sam is abroad and reported missing, Tommy’s role within the family changes dramatically.
When and Where: Cinestar MOE 3, 12 December, at 7:15 PM; Cinestar MOE 8, 14 December, at 6:30 PM
Corso: The Last Beat
by Gustave Reininger, USA 2009, Documentary, 89 minutes (MIDDLE EAST PREMIERE}
The iconic Beats of 1950s New York were the maddest, baddest poets of the 20th century, numbering wild types such as Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs and the subject of this revealing documentary, Gregory Corso. In ‘The Lost Beat’, the aged bohemian takes us on a tour of his early years, through France and Italy, through to Greece, retracing the halcyon, freewheelin’ days of his Beat youth. Through an eclectic cast of characters and locales, Corso’s memories of the sunny era of lost innocence are brought to life with candour, vivacity and wit.
When and Where: Cinestar MOE 11, 10 December, at 4:15 PM; Cinestar MOE 11, 11 December, 10 PM
Die Koreanische Hochzeitstruhe (The Korean Wedding Chest)
by Ulrike Ottinger, Germany 2009, Documentary, 82 minutes (GCC PREMIERE)
Contemporary Korean culture and the central conflict between the traditional and modern gets examined in depth in Ulrike Ottinger’s superbly nuanced, wry and sensitive film. Through capturing couples on their wedding days, Ottinger contrasts the rigid adherence to ancient traditions, as devoutly followed by some, to the fondness for bombastic celebrations of kitsch that are increasingly proliferating. Ottinger’s camera opens up this fascinating world for us all to enjoy and ponder, transcending the basic narrative conceit of the traditional wedding chest, into a more profound meditation on commercialization and Korean culture and tradition at large.
When and Where: Cinestar MOE 1, 14 December, at 6:30 PM; Cinestar MOE 6, 15 December, at 9 PM
Fantastic Mr. Fox
by Wes Anderson, USA 2009, Animation, 87 minutes (MIDDLE EAST PREMIERE)
A smart, sharp feature-length stop-motion animation of Roald Dahl’s classic story, from idiosyncratic auteur Wes Anderson. Mr Fox (voiced by George Clooney) is a deceptively mild-mannered individual, living with his family in the English countryside. Although he had promised his wife (Meryl Streep) to settle down and renounce his wild days, by night, he is plundering neighbouring farms of their chickens. When three malodorous local farmers – Boggis, Bunce and Bean – decide that they have had enough of Mr Fox’s destructive nightly prowls, they plan a campaign of terror against the dapper, furry fiend, forcing Mr Fox and his compadres to fight back.
Video preview above.
When and Where: First Group Theater, 12 December, 4 PM
Good Hair
by Jeff Stilson, USA 2009, Documentary, 95 minutes (MIDDLE EAST PREMIERE)
Acting as an African-American Michael Moore, comedian Chris Rock goes front and centre in this investigative documentary that is both hilarious and surprisingly informative. In black families ‘good’ hair means straight hair – and it’s been the source of pain and envy ever since African slaves first took on European beauty standards. Today, women on limited incomes pay thousands of dollars a year to maintain their straight hair – or expect their men to pay for them! Aided by both ordinary people and celebrities Rock shines a light on to an arena that is both fascinating and disturbing.
When and Where: Cinestar MOE 3, 15 December, at 7 PM; Cinestar MOE 12, 16 December, at 3:45 PM
Hammada
by Anna M. Bofarull, Spain 2009, Documentary, 83 minutes (WORLD PREMIERE)
Set in the Sahara of Northern Africa, ‘Hammada’ deals with the lives of the disposed Saharaui people through the figure of Dadah, a young boy who lives in the refugee camp of Dajla. The visual record of daily life in the desert, – the air full of sand, the dunes as horizon, the games, the world-weariness of adults’ long conversations while they prepare tea – quietly and sympathetically renders ruptured lives as both lyrical and hard.
When and Where: Cinestar MOE 6, 14 December, at 9:45 PM; Cinestar MOE 6, 15 December, at 6:30 PM
La Teta Asustada (The Milk of Sorrow)
by Claudia Llosa, Spain/Peru 2009, Drama, 100 minutes (GCC PREMIERE)
Between 1980 and 1992, Peru was gripped by violence, following the uprising of Maoist group Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) and the resulting response from paramilitary and state armed forces. By 1990, the conflict had reached Lima, the capital city of Peru. Claudia Llosa’s film features Fausta, a young woman who symbolises the trauma experienced by women raped by members of Sendero Luminoso. This trauma was then passed on to their children, through their mothers’ breast-milk, so continuing the violence suffered not only those who experienced it, but the next generation as well. A Golden Bear and FIPRESCI winner at the 2009 Berlinale Festival.
When and Where: Cinestar MOE 7, 11 December, at 3:30 PM; Cinestar MOE 9, 13 December, at 10 PM; Cinestar MOE 11, 16 December, at 7 PM
Lille Soldat (Little Soldier)
by Annette K. Olesen, Denmark 2008, Drama, 101 minutes (GCC PREMIERE)
Lotte, a young soldier returns home, emotionally scarred from her time on the front line. Her father, who runs a brothel, offers her a job as a chauffeur for his Nigerian girlfriend, the escort girl Lily. Lotte is mostly preoccupied with getting the attention of her father that has always escaped her and has contempt for Lily, who she sees as just another prostitute. Lily is also very sceptical about having a female driver, but soon, they fall into a routine and friendship slowly emerges between the two women – before events take an unexpected turn.
When and Where: Cinestar MOE 9, 14 December, at 6:45 PM; Cinestar MOE 5, 15 December, at 9:30 PM; Cinestar MOE 5, 16 December, at 6:45 PM
Los Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embraces)
by Pedro Almodovar, Spain 2009, Drama, 128 minutes (MIDDLE EAST PREMIERE)
Pedro Almodovar’s new film is a typically colourful mélange of darkness, passion, love and tragedy. Moving between the present day and early 1990s, ‘Broken Embraces’ is at heart, a tragic love story. Mateo Blanco is a film director, now blinded and calling himself Harry Caine. Penelope Cruz plays Lena, his former partner who was killed in the car accident that cost him his sight. Flipping back a few years, we encounter her in a relationship with sleazy stockbroker, Ernesto Martel, when she meets Blanco, casting for his next movie. The pair strike up a fateful relationship – with tragic consequences.
When and Where: First Group Theater, 15 December, at 10 PM; Stand by only
Made In Hungaria
by Gergely Fonyo, Spain 2009, Documentary, 83 minutes (GCC PREMIERE)
It is the mid-1960s and Miki Feny’s parents return to Communist Hungary – just when everyone else is fleeing to the West. For Miki, arriving from America and sporting a rebellious streak, life under dictatorship was always going to be tough with his old friends not knowing what to make of his clothes, American accent and collection of Buddy Holly 45s. But that’s not all. When the authorities see the effect Miki’s music has on teenage girls, they won’t stand for it. His father’s job is on the line, and, for the first time, Miki must play by the rules.
When and Where: DMC Amphitheater, 15 December, at 8 PM
Metropia
by Tarik Saleh, Sweden 2009, Animation, 80 minutes (MIDDLE EAST PREMIERE)
Vincent Gallo, Juliette Lewis and Udo Kier lend their voices to this dark, ingenious animated feature. Set in a not-too-distant, dystopian future, in a world fast running out of oil, ‘Metropia’ tells the story of Roger, a nervous man from Stockholm. With Europe connected now by a gigantic subway network, Roger finds himself assailed by mystery voices every time he enters the gloomy, sprawling subterranean system. A mysterious girl, Nina, initially seems as if she might have some answers for him – but as things get weirder, he realises he is becoming entangled in a intricate, sinister conspiracy.
When and Where: Cinestar MOE 5, 11 December, at 10 PM; Cinestar MOE 3, 15 December, at 9:30 PM
Mille Neuef Cent Quatre-Vingt-Un (Nineteen Eighty One)
by Ricardo Trogi, Canada 2009, Comedy/Drama, 132 minutes (MIDDLE EAST PREMIERE)
The title refers to the year in which young Ricardo Trogi (Jean-Carl Boucher) moved with his parents and young sister into a big house in Ste-Foy, Quebec. For the family, this was a big move, because they owned the house instead of renting. And while Ricardo and his sister changed schools and started new lives, they brought along their old obsessions. Ricardo’s sister, Nadia’s was with her cat Caramel, and Ricardo has his beloved ‘Consumers Distributing’ catalogue, along with a nascent curiosity in girls. Their parents, meanwhile, are mostly concerned with figuring out how to pay their new mortgage.
When and Where: Cinestar MOE 10, 14 December, at 7:30 PM; Cinestar MOE 8, 15 December, at 9:15 PM; Cinestar MOE 11, 16 December, at 3:30 PM
Moloch Tropical
by Raoul Peck, France/Haiti 2009, Drama, 105 minutes (MIDDLE EAST PREMIERE)
In a fortress perched on the top of a mountain, a democratically elected ‘President’ is getting ready for a state celebration. But in the morning of the event, he wakes up to find the country inflamed the streets in turmoil. Meanwhile, expected guests are withdrawing from the party one after another. Despite the situation, the President does not want to face reality and refuses to resign. Overwhelmed, he plunges into a deep mental confusion as the events follow their course.
When and Where: Cinestar MOE 10, 10 December, at 9:30 PM; Cinestar MOE 6, 11 December, at 9:45 PM
Moon
by Duncan Jones, UK 2009, Science Fiction, 97 minutes (GCC PREMIERE)
It is the near future. Astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is completing a three-year mission to the moon, mining Earth’s primary source of energy, Helium-3. It is a lonely job with only a robot to talk to and a broken satellite means he can’t contact Earth. Luckily, Sam is due to return home in a few weeks. But then, after being involved in a near-fatal accident, he is incredulous to encounter a younger, angrier version of himself, back at the mission base hospital. Confined with what appears to be a sinister clone of his earlier self, Sam is fighting the clock to discover what is going on.
When and Where: Cinestar MOE 1, 12 December, at 3:45 PM; Cinestar MOE 3, 13 December, at 7 PM
Mother and Child
by Rodrigo Garcia, USA/Spain 2009, Drama, 125 minutes (MIDDLE EAST PREMIERE)
Somewhat reminiscent of Pedro Almodovar’s vigorous celebrations of modern women, this engrossing drama discussing themes of parenthood and family as it revolves around the lives of three women. Elizabeth (Naomi Watts) is a neurotic lawyer, Karen (Annette Bening) an embittered nurse and Lucy (Kerry Washington) is desperate to have a child and is preparing to adopt. While each character is richly drawn, each facing their own distinct set of problems and thwarted ambitions, it’s the gradual unfurling of their individual narratives that coalesce slowly and gracefully to an unexpected, yet satisfying conclusion. Stellar performances from this exciting cast drive this film, Garcia’s best work to date.
When and Where: Madinat Arena, 12 December, at 8 PM; Cinestar MOE 1, 14 December, at 3:15 PM
Nine
by Rob Marshall, USA 2009, Musical Comedy, 120 minutes
A rich, decadent and thoroughly delicious adaptation of the energetic stage play. Having reached the age of forty, director Guido Contini (Daniel Day Lewis) is facing a midlife crisis that is stifling his creativity and leading him into a variety of complicated romantic involvements. As he struggles to complete his latest film, he is forced to balance some of the numerous formative women in his life, including his wife (Marion Cotillard), mistress (Penelope Cruz), his film star muse (Nicole Kidman), his confidante (Judi Dench), a fashion journalist (Kate Hudson), a temptress from his youth (Stacy Ferguson) and finally – his mother (Sophia Loren).
When and Where: Madinat Arena, 9 December, at 8 PM
Nord (North)
by Rune Denstad Langlo, Norway 2009, Drama, 78 minutes (GCC PREMIERE)
A road movie of sorts, set in the icy wastes of frozen northern Norway. Jomar is a former star athlete, who suffered a nervous breakdown five years ago and fled to a remote existence near the top of the world. But eventually he realises that he must face his life again and on sudden impulse, takes off cross-country on a snow-scooter – with many strange characters and unexpected surprises lying in wait. A much-lauded hit , North blends humour, irony, pathos, stunning landscapes and profound emotion. Winner of the Best New Narrative Filmmaker at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
When and Where: Cinestar MOE 10, 10 December, at 7 PM; Cinestar MOE 10, 11 December, at 9:45 PM; Cinestar MOE 10, 16 December, at 6:30 PM
Oil City Confidential
by Julien Temple, UK 2009, Music Documentary, 106 minutes (MIDDLE EAST PREMIERE)
You may not know of Dr Feelgood, but for many British rock fans, they were one of the most inspiring and important bands of the 1970s. The crucial evolutionary link between traditional blues-based rock’n'roll and the revolutionary overthrow of Punk, Feelgood’s blistering live shows reinvented the music scene with thrilling raw power. Filming against the backdrop of the band’s hometown – the grim environs of East London’s Canvey Island, six metres below sea level – Julien Temple’s compulsive and poignant documentary blends electrifying archive footage, contemporary interviews with surviving members (Wilko Johnson is the equal of any stand-up comedian) and fellow New Wave stars to trace the bands brief, brilliant and tragic career.
When and Where: DMC Amphitheater, 11 December, at 8 PM
Picture Me – A Model’s Diary
by Ole Schell , Sara Ziff, USA 2009, Documentary, 80 minutes (GCC PREMIERE)
It’s one of the most glamorous and controversial jobs in the world – but what is it really like to be an international fashion model? In this frequently shocking behind-the-scenes documentary, film-maker Ole Schell presents a visual diary of his partner Sara Ziff’s rise to international acclaim as a globe-trotting fashion icon. Ziff is a smart cookie, soon realising that the fairy-tale glamour of the modelling industry has a thin veneer, under which a culture of sleaze, exploitation and sexual abuse is prevalent. With her unparalleled access to fellow models, she and Schell present a hard-hitting and honest insight into the dark side of fashion.
When and Where: Cinestar MOE 3, 11 December, at 7:30 PM; Cinestar MOE 9, 12 December, at 9:30 PM
The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights
by Emmett Malloy, USA 2009, Music Documentary, 93 minutes (MIDDLE EAST PREMIERE)
The distinctive blues scratch’n'howl of enigmatic Detroit duo, The White Stripes echoes throughout this superb road movie-cum-concert film. Shot following the release of the pair’s ‘Icky Thump’ album in 2007, it follows them across Canada as Jack and Meg White set out to play in every province of the country, in whichever environment comes to hand. So, we witness the pair thrash their distinctive noise out in locations ranging from town-halls to busking for a group of elderly Inuits – and playing a one-note concert! Set against panoramic Canadian landscapes, the film is, like the band themselves, utterly unique and distinctive.
When and Where: DMC Amphitheater, 14 December, at 8 PM
Welcome
by Philippe Lioret, France 2009, Drama, 110 minutes (GCC PREMIERE)
When a 17-year old Iraqi-Kurdish refugee Bilal arrives in Calais, France after an arduous 4,000 km journey from his home, he’s almost attained his goal of making it to England to be reunited with his girlfriend, Mîna. But in Calais, to his dismay, the sophisticated deterrents and surveillance systems placed at all possible exit points seem insurmountable and he is trapped in the underworld of illegal immigrants. However, when Bilal befriends Simon, a life-guard at a local swimming-pool, the pair hatch a crazy scheme to get Bilal across to England – by swimming the English Channel.
When and Where: Cinestar MOE 7, 12 December, at 9:45 PM; Cinestar MOE 6, 13 December, at 7 PM; Cinestar MOE 6, 16 December, at 6:30 PM
Whip It!
by Drew Barrymore, USA 2009, Comedy, 111 minutes (MIDDLE EAST PREMIERE)
Drew Barrymore’s high-spirited directorial debut certainly doesn’t disappoint. Smalltown girl Bliss (Ellen Page, ‘Juno’) is constantly being pressured by her mother to enter beauty pageants. One day, by chance she discovers and joins a roller derby league, despite having no idea how to skate. One of the team, Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig), takes her under her wing, and encourages her to display her hitherto-undetected natural talents. Bliss, after telling her mother she is taking extra classes, begins the arduous journey to the top of her game. However, it’s only a matter of time before her parents discovers the truth – and what will happen then?
When and Where: First Group Theater, 16 December, at 7:15 PM
Woodstock
by Michael Wadleigh, USA 1970, Music Documentary, 225 minutes
In August 1969, a sprawling farm in upstate New York became the unlikely setting for the biggest (and muddiest) rock happening of the 1960s, the (in)famous Woodstock festival. With 400,000 hippies in attendance, freak-flags were flown and minds were, everyone agreed, quite comfortably blown. Over the three-day event, a roll-call of now legendary names braved the mud and hopeful organization to deliver a feast of thrilling late-60s rock. And to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the festival, director Michael Wadleigh has released this extended edition of the sun-drenched film which will bring out the groovy, langorous flower-child in even the most reluctant of ravers.
When and Where: DMC Amphitheater, 10 December, at 8 PM
Zanzibar Music Club
by Patrice Nezan , Philippe Gasnier, France/Germany 2009, Music Documentary, 85 minutes (GCC PREMIERE)
An invitation to explore a millenary Muslim culture, where traditions are transmitted through music, ‘Zanzibar Musical Club’ goes deep into a culture where music is inextricably woven into the social fabric. This superb documentary is alive and pulsing with a musical mix of Arabic tones, Latin rhythms, Indian melodies and African drums.
When and Where: Cinestar MOE 11, 14 December, at 9:30 PM; Cinestar MOE 11, 15 December, at 7:15 PM; Cinestar MOE 6, 16 December, at 6:45 PM
More information about the Dubai International Film Festival 2009 (DIFF) at their website.
