Local cinemas and filmmakers
The first film made in the United Arab Emirates was released in 1980, under the title Aber Sabeel. But this film, like many others from the region, remained unknown to international audiences. It was not until the 2000s that transnational figures such as Hani Al Shaibani(The Dream, 2005) or Nawaf Al Janahi(The Circle, 2009) appeared. At the same time, the Abu Dhabi Film Festival was born in 2007 and put the emirate on the map of international gatherings, before disappearing in 2015 in front of the Dubai Film Festival. The festival has nevertheless seen talents such as Nayla Al Khaja, a director and producer born in Dubai, whose films Animal (2016) and L'ombre (2019) have now been picked up by the biggest European studios. A consecration for this filmmaker who is also an icon and inspiration for a new generation, through the film club she has supported in Dubai since 2007
At the crossroads of the West and the East, Bollywood as much as Hollywood
From the X-Wings of Star Wars VII flying over the Rub' Al-Khali to Vin Diesel's crazy stunts between the towers of the Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, or the adventures of Bollywood star Salman Khan, international cinema has been delighted to take over the Emirate's landscapes. With, of course, the support of a State Commission delighted with this international showcase. From Dune (Denis Villeneuve's latest film, released in 2021) to Mission Impossible: Fallout (where Tom Cruise makes a magnificent jump from a plane, shot over the emirate), can you recognize them all? Among the recent productions that put the emirate in the spotlight, Michael Bay's 6 Underground (2019) is a true ode to the capital's architecture. Ryan Reynolds and Melanie Laurent move between the Louvre des Sables, the Yas Island, but also the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, with a lot of driving and between two shootings of course, in the Michael Bay sauce. By the way, the director takes the opportunity to shoot some magnificent shots of the city, compiled in Visionary Abu Dhabi, available for free online.
Where to see movies in Abu Dhabi
The Vox cinemas (Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi Mall for the largest) are where you will experience cinema most intensely, facing an IMAX screen of almost 20 meters, in Dolby Atmos. But there are many other experiences to be had in this luxury city, where you can have a personal butler serve you right at your seat in some Novo Cinemas. You will find American blockbusters as well as Bollywood movies, but also children's movies, sometimes in dedicated theaters like Kids. For more independent films, go to the Cinema Space, which organizes many free screenings of classics, new releases or discoveries, for all lovers of the seventh art.
