Movies in the UAE: The Abu Dhabi Film Festival Comes to an End

When I found out the Abu Dhabi Film Festival would be my only chance to watch good films, uncensored, I went out and bought 12 movie passes as soon as the box office opened. I had been to one movie in the theaters since arriving, and while the violence was aplenty, anything beyond a hug was cut out.  I also noticed that most of the movies that come here are action or kid movies.  Even horror movies seem to be ok, just nothing with kissing or homosexuality or nudity or... NORMALCY.

Another annoyance about going to the movies in the UAE is the lack of theater manners.  I thought the film festival would also be an exception to this norm, but unfortunately it was not.  Every single movie I have been to (13 so far) has been interrupted by phones going off, people talking through the movie, notification alarms, prayer calls, and the most annoying of all:  the tweet.  I had never heard the tweet before moving here, and for a while thought it was just some popular notification sound that all the Arabic and Emirati people used.  Then I found out it was the sound of the tweet, as in twitter.  This is just one more reason I hate twitter.  So yeah, it takes a lot of patience to sit through a movie when people are so inconsiderate.  Makes me really appreciate you, America.  You have trained us well.

So here are my reviews of the rest of the movies I saw during the festival.  My top three, which I highly recommend, are:  Philomena, Belle, and Broken Circle Breakdown.

Villa 69
I can't remember why I chose this movie.  Maybe I was trying to be as international as possible, and also hit a few "world premieres."  The best part of this movie was the beginning and the end, because that is when the movie stars were on stage, and the gals next to me were freaking out as if it was the damn Beatles.  I had never heard of these stars, but apparently they are HUGE in Egypt.  The movie itself was ok, just ok.  It was about a man who was dying-- typical artsy foreign film.  I had to suck on peppermints to get through without falling asleep.

Only Lovers Left Alive
Jim Jarmusch's latest film starring Tilda Swinton, about vampires and rock and roll.  This may just be my favorite Jarmusch film, after Dead Man of course.  It was smart, and the music was great.  One review I read said it was a hipster vampire movie, which I think was just one Twilight fan's attempt to understand a film that was probably too "weird" for their tastes.  The movie took place in two very different cities:  Detroit and Tangiers.  I can never quite put my finger on what it is I love about his movies, but this one haunted me for days.

Dial M for Murder
(in 3D, which is how Hitchcock originally filmed it)
I thought it would be a great idea to go see this movie on Halloween night, being that I didn't have any plans.  It was Thursday night, the end of the week, and I should have known better than to try to stay up past 8 pm.  I slept through the first 20 minutes of the movie (I think I just missed a bunch of talking), and then enjoyed the rest of the film.  It was not as suspenseful as I was hoping it would be, but it was a good mystery.  And that Grace Kelly is a doll.

School of Babel
I don't know what I was thinking choosing a movie about teaching, students, and school, but apparently I bought my tickets during a week long holiday and forgot how much I enjoy my weekend breaks from all things school related.  This wasn't a bad film.  It was a documentary about a class of middle school immigrant students learning French in Paris.  Their stories were heart-breaking, and I cried at the end when the teacher said goodbye and they were all crying.  I guess a movie must be somewhat good if it makes you cry.

Giraffada
I was really excited to see this film because I absolutely LOVE giraffes.  I was disappointed.  It was a Palestinian film, and I was turned off by the anti-Israeli propaganda.  The story could have been good though, and it had some really great scenes.  It was about a vet and his son who live in the West Bank and take care of animals at a zoo.  There are 2 giraffes and the little boy is obsessed with them.  During a missile strike, the male giraffe hits his head and dies, then they boy, his father, and his father's new French journalist "friend" try to find another male giraffe to replace him since the female is depressed and on a hunger strike.  Of course the vet has a vet friend in Israel who happens to have extra giraffes, so they come up with a plan to try to smuggle the giraffe back into Palestine.  The message in this movie:  Giraffes come first.

Broken Circle Breakdown

The only reason this isn't my favorite movie of the festival is because it broke my heart.  Still, it was amazing.  The soundtrack is still playing in my head.  It was just what I needed-- an escape from all things UAE.  There was sex, nudity, profanity, tattoos, and a lot of bluegrass.  I smiled when some man in the audience exclaimed in disgust "This is too much!" during one of the steamy sex scenes.  It was not pornographic by any means, just a typical rated R sex scene.  I was surprised they allowed this movie to play here, but I guess the usual rules don't apply during the festival-- all in the name of art.  This was a Belgian film, a story about a bluegrass musician and a tattoo artist, told masterfully in a non-linear fashion.  It was brilliant, completely unexposed, human, raw, and full of emotion and passion.  It was heart-breaking, but then again so is life.

Qissa
This movie was CRAZY.  I think I will steal the words from another review:
"I honestly have no words to help gain my footing because this film exists on a level beyond my comprehension. I don’t know if that is good or bad—probably alternatingly both—but the result is definitely something uniquely its own. A tale of rebirth, honor, fidelity to family, and the loss of identity, Anup Singh‘s Qissa tackles an insane subject matter so realistically tragic that its head-scratching shift to fantastical and spiritual allegory can’t help but take you aback. Right when you’ve maybe wrapped your head around the central conceit, Singh blindsides you once more with a revelation that simply isn’t feasible in the context of verisimilitude. The title is Arabic for “folk tale,” however, so I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised there would be enchanted liberties taken with reality."

Abu Dhabi Film Festival Day 2

Amazonia

This is a great film to take your children to.
No, not this Amazonia:

This one:

This film was about a monkey in the Arctic who gets high on mushrooms and falls in love with a seal.  Ok, not really, but close.  There was no dialogue in this movie, so I assumed it meant I was free to make up my own.  I could imagine the guys from Mystery Science Theater having a blast with this film.  It was a film about a monkey, though.  A very cute little monkey that has been raised in captivity as a pet and when his plane crash lands in the middle of the Amazon he is left to fend for himself in a jungle full of life and surprises.  Like Alice, he learns to be careful about what he eats.  His shroom trip was probably my favorite part of the movie-- I wasn't sure he'd make it through!  I wasn't too keen about the 3D, especially with the tarantulas and the crocodiles lurking about, but I have to admit this movie was visually stunning.  The director, who was in attendance, answered some questions after the film which is how I learned that he lived in the Amazon for 2 years filming.  All of the animals were wild, and he basically put together all the footage to form some sort of story.  The story was a bit weak, I have to admit, and cheesy at times.  I wasn't sure if I was watching a National Geographic special or Curious George.  And the monkey went from cute to annoying, with his shrill shrieks, very quickly.  Still, I do love a good love story... and after surviving crocodiles, anacondas, waterfalls, a harpy eagle, a jaguar, and magic mushrooms, the little capuchin monkey finds his true love and takes off his collar.  The End.

"AAAAAK, they are burning down the rain forest!  AAAAAAK, let's go steal some eggs!  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAK, kiss me you fool!"

"I think I'm having flashbacks."

Philomena

I just love Judi Dench.  She was absolutely fantastic in this movie, made by the same director as The Queen.  This film was great.  I highly recommend it, so I don't want to give too much away.  It is about an Irish woman who is searching for her biological son who was taken from her by evil nuns and adopted.  It made me laugh and cry.  Five stars.  Go see this movie.  So far, it is my favorite film from this festival.

The Abu Dhabi Film Festival, Day 1

Today I watched three very different movies. One was at the Marina Mall, while the second and third were at the Emirates Palace, complete with the red carpet and gold dusted french fries. Here are my reviews:

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

What a treat to be able to watch the classic film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, for the first time on a big screen. I had heard about the film since I can remember, but actually had no idea what it was about. I didn’t fall in love with the movie until the end. It was this quote that did it for me: “No matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself.” It made me think about my life, and a good movie does just that.


I soon forgave Holly Golightly for dumping her cat, Cat, in the rain and being a whiny, alcoholic, chain-smoking gold digger, but it was all thanks to Paul Varjak who put her in her place. I admit I got a little teary during the final scene when she gets out of the taxi to run after Paul, who has gone looking for the cat in the rain storm. As he watches her search for Cat, you can finally see what he has seen all along, and why he fell in love with her in the first place-- her innocence. I’m not a big cat person, but there was something so sweet about the embrace and kisses in the rain with the big drenched orange cat being squeezed in between them. 

As an independent, “free spirit,” I could relate to the character of Holly Golightly to the extent of which she tries so hard to find herself and to assert her independence. She believes that marrying a rich man will grant her even more independence, which is a lesson she learns the hard way. Luckily, I have never been one to seek out a mate for financial gains. But being afraid of falling in love and losing myself? Definitely. Sometimes I think I could use a lecture like this:

"You know what's wrong with you, Miss Whoever-You-Are? You're chicken, you've got no guts. You're afraid to stick out your chin and say, "Okay, life's a fact, people do fall in love, people do belong to each other, because that's the only chance anybody's got for real happiness." You call yourself a free spirit, a wild thing, and you're terrified somebody's going to stick you in a cage. Well, baby, you're already in that cage. You built it yourself. And it's not bounded in the west by Tulip, Texas, or in the east by Somaliland. It's wherever you go. Because no matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself. "

Djinn


I went to this film because it was the world premiere and the UAE’s first horror movie, directed by Texas Chainsaw Massacre legend Tobe Hooper. I was not prepared to be jumping out of my seat and clutching my scarf in terror every 5 seconds. This film gave the audience no rest from one scare to the next, and by the end I felt like I had gone on a 90 minute roller coaster ride through a haunted house. Thanks a lot, Djinn, for giving me a reason to be spooked by women wearing all black, face covered by a black veil, which isn’t exactly uncommon here! I might be sleeping with the lights on tonight. 

So the djinn are spiritual creatures mentioned in the Quran, along with humans and angels.  They can possess humans, they are made of fire and smoke, and can be good, evil or "neutrally benevolent" since they have free will.  In this movie, they were pure evil.  If you want to get a little creeped out, watch the trailer:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2eRNgFZyNk

Belle

I loved this movie, which was made even more special by the attendance of the lead actors and director and the Q & A that followed the screening. I think I may have a new celebrity crush on the actor Sam Reid, who is not only handsome, but is also a passionate activist (on and off screen). *Swoon*

It was a movie based on a true story, that of Dido Elizabeth Belle, a mixed-race girl raised as an aristocratic lady in 18th century England.  Not only was it a love story, but it also included the first official antislavery actions. What an interesting character from history-- a mixed-race woman raised by a wealthy family (her aunts and uncle), growing up with her white cousin Elizabeth, and inheriting a fortune making her “free” in a sense from the pressures of marrying that women in that day had to do in order to become financially secure, yet still limited by her status as a black woman.  The movie was based on an actual painting made of Dido and her cousin Elizabeth.  

I found similarities between this movie and the message I got from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and could probably write a whole essay comparing the two, but I won’t because it’s 1 AM and I should be asleep. I highly recommend this movie. Here is the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wtdk6owFj2o

Eid Mubarak

After two of the busiest months of my life, I have finally gotten a break-- one whole blissful week off, with no plans.  I couldn’t wait to start my staycation by sleeping in as long as possible and staying in my pajamas all day.  Goal accomplished.  Thanks to the internet, I was able to finish the Dexter series, and work on finishing Breaking Bad.  Nothing like marathon t.v. watching to feel truly lazy.  

I stayed inside my apartment for 3 days until hunger forced me to make an exit.  I really didn’t want to leave my little cell, where Dexter and Walter White were keeping me company.  I realized that I was hiding from the outside, from a place that does not feel like home.  I didn’t even open my curtains, the constant sunshine being so unfamiliar and increasingly annoying.  I think I’m suffering from SAD (seasonal affective disorder) because there is no Fall here.  And the sun won’t stop shining!  

If I sound a little grumpy it's because I am already dreading the end of this week off.  In 4 days I return to work, and I am not exactly happy in my work.  I don’t want to get into it, because I want to enjoy 4 more days of not working (or talking about work).  Aside from hours of eye-bleeding t.v. watching, I have also done a lot of thinking this week.  It has been great to actually have the time to chat and talk to some of my friends and family back home.  At the same time, it makes me even more homesick, especially when I get sad news and want more than anything to be closer to my family and friends to offer hugs and support.  

This may not come as a surprise to some of you, but I might as well make it official:  I’m not going to stay here for 2 years.  I’m calling it quits.  I’ll be giving my notice at the end of next month, finishing out the school year, and moving on.  I am trying not to see this as a failure, but as a gift.  If I hadn’t come here, I would have never realized where I want to be-- where I belong, what is important to me, etc.  I admit, a part of my decision to come here was simply not knowing what I wanted to do.  Part of it was an escape.  And part of it was to open more doors and opportunities.  As a teacher, I am not happy at all in the school where I am teaching.  The only part of it I like is the kids, and I only get to spend 4 hours a day with them, which is not why I went into teaching.  Personally, I have also really struggled with the city life.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE cities, I just don’t think I was meant to live in one.  I never anticipated this aching feeling, physically and spiritually, for nature.  When I feel this way (which is every day) I close my eyes and imagine rain, the smell of pine and cedar, moss, I can feel cold wind on my cheeks and taste salty air, I hear birds of prey shrieking and water splashing, wind moving the branches, a distant howl.  I never realized that I NEED this to feel alive.  Here, I feel like I might as well be living on Mars.  I struggle to find hints of nature, but all I find are stray cats, pigeons, sand, and signs on the beach that say “Beware of jelly fish and sea snakes” (that’s as close as I’m getting to the water).  

I’m still here for 9 more months and I’m going to make the best of it of course.  I have planned 2 bucket list trips sure to nourish my spirit and provide a lifetime of memories to cherish, so this year won’t feel like a total waste.  In December I am going to Africa on a 2 ½ week camping safari through Kenya and Uganda.  I am going to sleep under the stars and marvel at all the animals.  I’m even going to trek mountain gorillas, which has been a dream of mine ever since I was a young girl.  Diane Fossey was one of my heroes.  In April, I am joining a team of women for a 14 day trek to Annapurna base camp in the Himalayas, Nepal.  

In the meantime, I will try to update the blog with more pictures.  However, I have just signed up for NanoWriMo http://nanowrimo.org/ National Novel Writing Month, and am committing to writing 1,000 words each day for the month of November.  This may inspire more blogging, or less, who knows.  

I’ve also just bought tickets to see 12 films at the Abu Dhabi International Film Festival http://www.abudhabifilmfestival.ae/en/ coming up in a couple of weeks.  I plan to post my reviews on this blog.  I’m very excited about the selections I made-- international films, documentaries, and a couple of classics.  I will also get to see a few of them at the Emirates Palace!  So stay tuned…

As always, I appreciate your letters and messages.  Peace out.  And Happy Eid.  

Palestine and Pigs

I was told never to bring up 2 subjects here:  pigs and Israel.  I didn't.  But my students did.  Today I handed out a class set of student World Atlases and told them to explore them and then report back on what they had discovered.  It wasn't long before one of the students exclaimed, "Miss Conway!  Someone has written in the book with black marker!"  Sure enough, someone had gone through all of the atlases and crossed off the word Israel.  The students, of course, wanted to know why they covered up words and what the words said.  They easily were able to read underneath the black marks.  “It says Israel!”  

Instead of thinking “Oh shit, they brought up the one subject I’m not allowed to talk about… what now?” I felt relieved and quickly thought about the best way to address this issue.  I was not going to sweep it under the rug or tell them to ignore it.  Isn’t this what they call a “teachable moment?”  

One little boy, from Iraq, raised his hand and very quietly said, “This makes me very, very angry.  This place is not Israel.  It is called Palestine.  I am so angry.”  My response:  “Well, I think this is exactly why someone crossed off the word Israel, boys and girls.  They did not want to make anyone angry.  You see, there is a war that has been going on for quite some time because people cannot agree on who this country belongs to.  Some people believe it should be called Israel, and others believe it should be called Palestine.  It is very sad that people are fighting over this country, and having a war about it.”  The kids agreed that war is bad (this isn’t our first conversation about war-- we have already discussed the war in Egypt, Iraq, and Syria.  In third grade.  All because my students had direct association with those places).  And my answer seemed to satisfy them.  I ended with, “let’s be grateful that we live in a peaceful country, and our classroom belongs to all of us no matter where we are from and what we believe in.”  

As for the subject of pigs, I can’t wait to see what happens when I innocently read The Three Little Pigs.  

Country Mouse in the City

In a city full of stray cats, it’s no wonder you don’t see any mice.  I’m starting to feel like a country mouse here in the city, or at least a country mouse in disguise.  I dread having to leave the house because I no longer live in a place where I can walk out my front door wearing my yoga clothes and flip-flops (even to go to the corner store for water and bananas).  I have to cover up my tattoos and try hard to look like I tried hard to look decent.  What could possibly happen if I don’t?  Well, it’s not like I’d get devoured by some hungry predator, but I would stick out like a sore thumb (even more so than I already do being white and female).  

All the make-up and fancy clothes can’t make me look like a magazine model or a t.v.star, let alone like a city dweller.  The other ex-pat women here are all about style, and I just don't have it.  At least not the urban fashion style. I think back on my days in Alaska and Oregon.  Damn, I was HOT in Alaska.  Super hot.  I could rock Xtra Tuffs and Carhartts and make men's hearts melt.  I didn’t have to wear make-up.  I could throw my hair in a bun and use scrunchies and not worry about the fashion police arresting me.  I dressed for the weather, not the people.  I dressed so that I could get dirty or wet, not to look like I had never gutted a fish or climbed a mountain.   Who am I fooling here in my high heels and pathetic attempts to look "stylish"?  It never feels right or comfortable.  I doubt myself constantly-- “Am I supposed to wear nude heels with this skirt?  Do I wear silver or gold with this outfit?  Should my earrings match my necklace?  Do I look like I don't know a thing about fashion (cuz I don't)?" Yes, I hired a personal stylist to help equip me for this place, but I feel like I should have taken better notes.  The thing is I just don’t like to fake it and I feel like that’s what I’m doing here-- faking it.  And so is everyone else.  

I have not found "my people" yet.  REAL people.  People who aren't fake, who are liberal and outspoken, hippies, people who don't give a shit what people think, who aren't afraid to admit they are vulnerable and make mistakes.  Aside from my roommate (how blessed I am!), I haven’t found anyone that I can be real with, and who I feel is showing me who they really are.  That's it-- this place is hard.  This place is full of people who care more about what is outside than what is inside.  Maybe what I gain from this whole experience is simply an answer to the big question, an end to this restless uncertainty: Where do I belong?  

My heart and soul are screaming for a mountain, to be protected by the trees, to be standing somewhere where there are no signs of humans.  Just nature.  Raw and wild.  It is turning into an anxiety that I never expected would be so deep.  It's a sadness and a longing deep within me, and if I think about it too much I start to cry.  I just swallow it, and distract myself... with work, with shopping missions, with the internet.  

Ok, enough with the rant.  This situation is only temporary. Speaking of shopping missions-- I found organic kale today which made me want to leap through Lulu's in joy. I also discovered an organic grocer where I can order a veggie box with local, seasonal, organic veggies, which I can pick up from a cafe nearby called Jones the Grocer. The website is called Ripe Me. Yes, Ripe Me. Clever or creepy?

Be positive, Erin! Why is it so hard? Ok so I caught some glimpses of humanity last night.  I went to a poetry slam event -- Rooftop Rhythms-- with my new friends Cathy (from Kenya) and Temi (from NYC).  There were poets, hip hop artists, and singers from all over the UAE and abroad.  They represented many countries in Africa (Egypt, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Ghana), the Middle East & Asia (Palestine, UAE, Pakistan, India) and the Americas (Detroit, New York, L.A., San Francisco, Guyana).  There was some real talent (and some brave souls who got up to the mic), great hip hop and R & B singers.  I especially loved the woman who sang Erikah Badu’s “On and On” and got the whole audience singing.  I realized that I would never find a gathering like this in Oregon or Alaska.  I still felt like a country mouse (who can’t dance) though.  

A Few Things I Have Learned Since Moving to the UAE

I’ve learned how to burn Arabian incense—loose sandalwood and frankincense crystals—in a gaudy goblet using charcoal.  

I’ve learned how to hail a taxi, and most importantly, how to direct a taxi to my anonymous apartment, which is on a street with no name.

I’ve learned how to navigate Lulu’s Hypermarket, and am constantly surprised by the ever-changing inventory.  I’ve decided that each week I will research 2 recipes using a new fruit and a new vegetable, since the produce department is full of such exotic ingredients from around the world.  Today’s purchase was galangal, which I will use to make Tom Kha soup.  It was delightfully easy to find the other ingredients (kaffir liime leaves, lemongrass stems, etc.).

I’ve learned that nothing is as it seems, and nothing ever happens when it is supposed to happen.  I’ve learned that if it does, then it is an unexpected treat akin to winning the lottery.  And one must celebrate.

I’ve learned how to flush the toilet in my apartment.  It takes the perfect balance of force and wait time, with two (sometimes three, or if I’m lucky one) push on the lever.  

I’ve learned that desalinized water wreaks havoc on the hair and skin, so I have installed a shower filter.

Actually, the watchman, Sajit,  installed the shower filter.  I’ve learned that cash is the universal language, and it pays to reward the watchman for his watchmanly duties (which involve sitting outside the apartment with the numerous stray cats, and installing water filters for helpless American tenants with no tools).  

I’ve learned that Abu Dhabi is a haven for stray cats, and aside from the occasional pigeon, they are the only animals I ever see in the city.

I’ve learned that life gets a lot more interesting when you are living among so many different cultures.  The diversity is my favorite part about living in the UAE.  I look at my beautiful kids, and their beautiful faces in so many shades of skin (from pale with freckles to dark cocoa brown), their different accents and mannerisms, their sense of humor (and lack of… ok, so maybe they just don’t get my jokes), and I feel like I am living, really living, an international life.    

I’ve learned to keep my mouth shut around other teachers, and to choose my friends carefully.

I’ve learned that little gifts of chocolate and heartfelt thank yous will guarantee immediate IT assistance at work, and a very clean classroom.  

I’ve learned that this city is only 40 years old, and despite the wealth, is still a “developing” country.  

I’ve learned the difference between a hijab, an abaya, a shayla and a burqa.  The hijab is the colorful head scarves that Muslim women wear all over the world, the abaya is the long black robes that Emirati women wear, the shayla is the black head scarf worn with the abaya, and a burqua is the piece that covers the face (In the UAE it looks like a metallic beak, but is actually made out of some sort of hard fabric or felt, and is bronze in color, typically only worn by older women).  

I’ve learned that you can tell a woman is beautiful just by her eyes and the way she walks.  

I’ve learned that Muslims here need not pray during the iman’s prayer call, but can actually “make up” their 5 prayers a day at anytime in between the first call (about 2 hours before sunrise)  and the last call of the day (about 2 hours after sunset).  

I’ve learned to embrace malls.  It’s the place to be in the UAE.  

I’ve learned to count my blessings, which is sometimes most meaningful and important on the days when it is most difficult to remember them.