It is the time of year when outside temperatures sink and the number of entries on the social calendar soar: in four weeks time Abu Dhabi will host the final round of this year’s Formula One season at Yas Marina Circuit. In a fortnight’s time, the art world will descend upon the city for this year’s Abu Dhabi Art. For now, the city is given over to the movie industry.
The Abu Dhabi Film Festival is in full flow, bringing with it a varied programme of movies from around the world and home-grown productions such as Super Lochal, which stand in marked contrast to the standard fare of blockbusters, thrillers and sequels that tend to clog our cinema schedules for the rest of the year.
The change of pace brings with it a change of etiquette: screenings are rarely, if ever, interrupted by customers talking on their mobile phones. Some of the movies are so touching they encourage several waves of spontaneous applause from the audience during the film. Enjoy the festival feeling – it’s here all week.