In the third major homage to Egyptian film director Youssef Chahine, since his death on July 27 2008, a photo exhibition detailing his personal and professional life will go on display at the Emirates Palace during the second annual Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF), to be held in the capital from October 10 to 19.
Chahine was previously honoured at the 61st Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland, with a Piazza Grande screening of his historical romance Destiny, which had first screened at the same venue in 1997. As well as Locarno, this year's Venice Film Festival, held from August 27 to Sept 6, was entirely dedicated to the deceased Egyptian director, where the tribute film was Cairo Station, a 1958 classic that Chahine starred in and directed, was shown.
The MEIFF's initiative to organise an exhibition detailing Chahine's cinematic career stems from a need to show appreciation towards a career in cinema that spanned 58 years.
"Chahine is one of the markers of cinematic art and was one of the greatest symbols of Arabic cinema in the world in close to half a century," says Mohamed Khalaf al Mazrouei, vice chairman of the festival. Starting with Baba Amin, his 1950 directorial debut, Chahine directed some 40 films over the course of his life, cementing a name for himself as the most independent of Arab filmmakers by tackling controversial themes and varied genres regularly in his films, as well as a deep interest in Middle Eastern and Egyptian history and society.
Chahine, who studied acting in California in the 1940s, became one of Egypt's most distinguished film directors. His work has been critical of US foreign policy in the Middle East, as well as of Muslim fundamentalism and Egypt's authoritarian regime.
The exhibition to be held in Chahine's honour "contains 100 rare photos and several rare artifacts...[and] was prepared in Cairo by a team of experts in film exhibitions," explains Nashwa al Ruwaini, executive director of the MEIFF, who was also voted as one of the top three most influential women in the Middle East in 2006 and the 20th most powerful businesswoman in the Arab World by Forbes Magazine.
"We decided to hold the exhibition in honour of Chahine's life as he was one of the most respected and talented directors of the Arab World," says Ms al Ruwaini. "Since the 1950s, Chahine has continued to present to our screens the serious, humorous, sad and thought-provoking films that will be remembered for all of time. Chahine was one of the founders of film in the Arab world, and because of this I felt we owed it to him and his family to honour him by exhibiting to the public these rare images."
The frames for each of the images on display were designed by Egyptian artist Naji Shaker, and the opening of the exhibition will be attended by the leading performers in Egyptian cinema, including veteran actresses Yusra, Leile Alawi and Lubluba, film director Khaled Youssef, screenwriter Nasser Abdel Rahman, and a number of Chahine's own family members, including his niece, producer and director Marian Khoury.
It is of little surprise that tributes to the filmmaker's life and work - a career that has also been credited with bringing the actor Omar Sharif to the world's attention - have become a priority in the programmes of this year's leading film festivals. News of Chahine's death had even elicited a tribute from French president Nicholas Sarkozy, who described the director as "very attached to his Egypt but open to the universe," and said that he sought "to denounce censorship, fanaticism and fundamentalism."
@email:hkhalaf@thenational.ae
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
Company%20Profile
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The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
New Zealand 176-8 (20 ovs)
England 155 (19.5 ovs)
New Zealand win by 21 runs
Courses%20at%20Istituto%20Marangoni%2C%20Dubai
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
RESULTS
6.30pm: Handicap (rated 95-108) US$125,000 2000m (Dirt).
Winner: Don’t Give Up, Gerald Mosse (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap (95 ) $160,000 2810m (Turf).
Winner: Los Barbados, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
7.40pm: Handicap (80-89) $60,000 1600m (D).
Winner: Claim The Roses, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (Div-1) Conditions $100,000 1,400m (D)
Winner: Gold Town, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
8.50pm: Cape Verdi Group 2 $200,000 1600m (T).
Winner: Promising Run, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
9.25pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Conditions $100,000 1,400m (D).
Winner: El Chapo, Luke Morris, Fawzi Nass.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Friday's schedule at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 qualifying, 10:15am
Formula 2, practice 11:30am
Formula 1, first practice, 1pm
GP3 qualifying session, 3.10pm
Formula 1 second practice, 5pm
Formula 2 qualifying, 7pm
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
A%20QUIET%20PLACE
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Profile Idealz
Company: Idealz
Founded: January 2018
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Size: (employees): 22
Investors: Co-founders and Venture Partners (9 per cent)
More coverage from the Future Forum
Company%20Profile
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Results
2.30pm: Expo 2020 Dubai – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Barakka, Ray Dawson (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
3.05pm: Now Or Never – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: One Idea, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.40pm: This Is Our Time – Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Perfect Balance, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Visit Expo 2020 – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Kaheall, Richard Mullen, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.50pm: The World In One Place – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1.900m; Winner: Castlebar, Adrie de Vries, Helal Al Alawi
5.25pm: Vision – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Shanty Star, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
6pm: Al Wasl Plaza – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Jadwal, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5