The Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation will be hosting a film screening of Emirati film Aa’ila An Bu’d (Long-distance Family) at 8pm on Tuesday, November 30, 2021. The screening, which is part of the activities of Al Owais Film Club, will be attended by the film crew and will include an open discussion about the film featuring its director as well as a tribute to the team who contributed to the film.
The film was written by Saoud Al Zarouni, directed by Khalid Ali and produced by Dubai National Theatre. It features Abdullah Saleh, Ashwaq and Moza alongside a group of actors, which includes Hamad Al Hammadi, Abdullah Al Ghamdi, Nour Al Sabah, Mahmoud Al Qattan, Elias Shadid, Abdullah Anwar, Intisar Mohammed, Ali Kiyani, Abdul Aziz Anwar, Mahmoud Ramadan, Uhud Al Jasmi, Hassan Mohammed, Faisal Humaid Ali and child actor Jawaher Mohammed.
The film sheds light on the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic through the story of an Emirati family that consists of a father, a mother, a grandmother and three sons, two of which are frontline health workers who serve their patients with great dedication, unlike the third son who is reckless and takes the pandemic lightly, but eventually recognizes the positive role played by frontline workers and responsible members of UAE society to protect everyone from the negative effects of the pandemic.
“Long-Distance Family” is considered the first film to be produced by Dubai National Theatre aiming to spread awareness within the framework of comedy and suspense. It was filmed in very challenging circumstances at the beginning of the pandemic in Ajman, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain.
It is worth mentioning that ‘Al Owais Film Club’ was launched at the end of October, 2021. Al Owais Film Club is an initiative that has been added to the Foundation’s repertoire of cultural projects, which aims at screening notable and award-winning local, Arab and international films that are often not seen by the public, and hosting discussions about them in the aim of cultivating visual literacy in the community.
In its debut event on October 28, 2021, Al Owais Film Club screened three short films by director Saleh Karama Al Ameri, namely: ‘Sayreen Al Ghos’ (Going Diving), ‘Tawzee’a’ and ‘Kharji Ala Al Sath’ (Out on the Roof). The event was attended by a wide audience and was met with great acclaim as it represents a welcome addition to the local cultural scene.
