The film series Hekayat Khaleejiya (Khaleeji Stories) continued in Qatar last weekend with the screening of Abdullah on Thursday.
The movie is a 97-minute Arabic drama by Emirati director Humaid Alsuwaidi. It is about a young man who belongs to a conservative family, who struggles with his love of music, which he hides from them for years.
Alsuwaidi studied in the New York Film Academy in 2010 and then worked on a number of short films after graduation.
His film, Abdullah (2015) premiered at the Dubai Film Festival. According to the Doha Film Institute’s website, Hekayat Khaleejiya: is a DFI screening series dedicated to showcasing
cinematic voices from the Gulf region. Taking place at the Museum of Islamic Art every three months, Hekayat Khaleejiya; will present films accompanied by a Q& A sessions with the filmmakers for a chance to gain insight in to their work.
Previously screened titles include: Going to Heaven, The Tainted Veil, The Sleeping Tree", " Clockwise" and many more stories that delve into different Arab cultures, issues and characters. The protagonists vary from kids in an old Qatari village, a deaf boy in Iraq, a Bahraini family, to an Iraqi soldier. Also, the films vary in length, some being short narratives that run for 9 -16 minutes and others longer like " Abdullah".
DFI is an independent non-profit organization. Their mission statement states that: Doha Film Institute is dedicated to film appreciation, education, and building a dynamic film industry in Qatar that focuses on nurturing regional storytellers while being entirely global in its scope.
With culture, community, education and entertainment at its foundation, Doha Film Institute serves as an all-encompassing film hub in Doha, as well as a resource for the region and the rest of the world. We firmly believe in the power of film to change hearts and minds, and our motto reflects the sentiment that “Film is Life”.