5 January 2011, Abu Dhabi, UAE: “Teta, Alf Marra” (Grandma, a Thousand Times), the award-winning documentary produced by Veritas Films of Abu Dhabi is set for its UAE premiere at a special screening at The National Theatre in Abu Dhabi on January 13th. Presented by twofour54 and Abu Dhabi Film Commission, entry to the premiere is free with the film starting at 8pm.
The highly esteemed “Teta, Alf Marra” has received glowing recognition from the international film festival circuit, including a triumphant world premiere at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival in October 2010, where it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary and a Jury Special Mention for its filmmaker, Mahmoud Kaabour.
Talking about the film, Mahmoud Kaabour, the founder of Veritas Films said: “ We have been overwhelmed by the response Teta, Alf Marra has received internationally, so we sincerely hope that documentary film lovers in the UAE will enjoy it as much as those abroad. This is the first film to be produced by our Abu Dhabi office so we are very proud to be showcasing the documentary for the first time in its home, here in the capital.”
“Our aim is to support filmmakers and filmmaking in Abu Dhabi and this is a great opportunity to showcase one of the successful productions from Abu Dhabi.” said David Shepheard, Director of Abu Dhabi Film Commission.
“The 48-minute film is a UAE/Qatar/Lebanon co-production, made possible by the financial support of the Doha Film Institute and Screen Institute Beirut. It marks an important step in the development of the UAE’s film industry as it is the first feature documentary film to be produced by a partner of twofour54, the content creation community in Abu Dhabi.”
“Teta, Alf Marra” is a magic-realist documentary that puts Kaabour’s own grandmother, a feisty octogenarian, at the centre of brave film exercises concocted to commemorate her many worlds before they are erased by the passage of time and her eventual death.
The film enjoys a special place in Kaabour’s heart and marks the first time that the award-winning filmmaker has appeared in front of the camera while also directing the film from behind the lens.
“As a documentary filmmaker I aspire to show human lives unfolding on screen,” added Kaabour. “This is a story about the trials of a person dear to my heart so to see it receive such international recognition, and for my grandmother to become a star, has been tremendously rewarding. It also shows that universality and critical acclaim can be achieved by an Arabic-speaking film. That is an important milestone in the development of a robust Arab film industry.”\
With a large number of art and film lovers based in Dubai, Veritas Films has partnered with thejamjar through its ArtintheCity initiative to provide their ArtBus to bring people to Abu Dhabi and back to Dubai after the premiere screening. People wanting to reserve a free ride on the ArtBus should email or call +9714 3417303.
“Teta, Alf Marra” will have its European premiere at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam at the end of January.
To view the film’s trailer please visit: YouTube. For more on the film and its future screenings internationally, please follow “Teta, Alf Marra” on Facebook and on twitter @TetaAlfMarra.
ENDS
About Veritas Films
Veritas Films is a UAE based company that specializes in the creation and production of non-fiction content including corporate films, short and feature length documentaries, TV programming, and virals. Latin for “Truth,” Veritas excels in thecelebration of realities, both cultural and corporate, through compelling programs of rare depth and allure. The creation of Veritas Films came in response to the dearth of production houses in the GCC that could both supply expert knowledge of the documentary form and deliver cinematic-quality production standards. The company’s founder and managing director, Mahmoud Kaabour, brought these capabilities together. With his world-class documentary training, award-winning track record, and equal proficiency in English and Arabic language filmmaking, Veritas Films has raised the bar of non-fiction filmmaking in the region. Veritas Films is a one-stop shop with a holistic approach to the entire production process (creative, pre-production, production, and post-production), thus enabling our clients to eliminate the need for multiple intermediaries. Veritas Films is equally the first company of its sort with its own development department, capable of researching and analyzing corporate profiles as a basis for developing content-accurate treatments of high creative value. Coupled with high production values, our films transcend the mundane commercial format to become highly effective marketing tools that empower overall marketing strategies. Our clients include many of the most prestigious government entities and corporations in the UAE, including The Ministry of Presidential Affairs, The Executive Affairs Authority, Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, Dubai Investments, and Dubai Holding subsidiaries. We also provide media consultancy and related services to clients such as Starcom Worldwide and Al-Jazeera. Aside from commercial pursuits, Veritas Films is actively involved in the cultural life of the UAE. Amongst our passions are the development of arts and music in the country, the preservation of heritage and cultural values, and the rich human stories of neighborhoods and communities. These passions have inspired many of our works, including our acclaimed project “Satwa Stories.” We also curate the wildly popular “Mahmovies!” – a free, bi-annual, standing-room-only series of art house film screenings and performances. Veritas Films operates from twofour54 Abu Dhabi.
Veritas Films Website: www.veritasfilms.ae
Doha Film Institute Website: www.dohafilminstitute.com
Screen Institute Beirut Website: www.screeninstitutebeirut.org
Abu Dhabi Film Commission Website: www.film.gov.ae
twofour54 Website:
* * *
For further media information and interview opportunities, please contact:
Nashwa Zakaria
PR Director
twofour54
Tel: +971 2 4012013
Mohamed Salhab
Hill & Knowlton
Tel: +971 50 554 8209
