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Tribune News Network
Doha
Qatar Foundation (QF) is playing a significant role in creating opportunities and inspiring young people to become filmmakers.
Amal al Muftah, a student from Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) – a QF partner university – recently won an award for Best Narrative at the Doha Film Institute’s Ajyal Youth Film Festival for her piece, Sh’hab.
Muftah’s interest developed as a student at Qatar Academy Doha, part of QF’s Pre-University Education, in 2012, when she registered for a filmmaking course that she had little interest in. However, she soon realised she had discovered her passion.
“When I took the course at school, I found that film was a way for me to express myself in a way that was different from other means of communication,” she said.
When she joined NU-Q, she found a network of people – fellow students, professors and mentors – who helped her turn her hobby into a full-time commitment.
Being a young Qatari filmmaker, she felt a desire to empower the local filmmaking culture and create works originating in the country.
“I wanted to be based here in Qatar and talk about the culture and the lives people lead. I feel like I’m creating a mirror through my films. They reflect the day-to-day lives of people in Qatar, even the not-so-interesting parts. Many people tend to respond to that point of view,” she said.
Muftah’s award-winning film,” Sh’hab”, is inspired by tales her grandmother told her as a child and myths she said people in the region believed decades ago.
She created the film as a way of connecting with her roots and the history of her country. The story revolves around a little girl chasing fallen stars.
“It’s a film about dreams and ambitions for everyone. It combines all the generations of Doha – the old and the young – in one film,” she said.
Mariam al Dhubhani, also a student at NU-Q, is another aspiring filmmaker. Her directorial breakthrough –”Just Another Memory” – was a way for her to create a new narrative and come to terms with the reality of the crisis in her home country, Yemen.
Dhubhani always had a passion for media and filmmaking, but living in Yemen and pursuing an education in pharmaceutical sciences made it difficult for her to work towards it.
“It only became possible once I moved to Qatar and got admitted to NU-Q,” she said.
“Just Another Memory” was part of a painful journey for Dhubhani.
“Escaping war didn’t really help in liberating me from its emotional and psychological burdens. This personal documentary is a piece of me that tells not only a part of my life, but also highlights an important humanitarian crisis,” she said.
Winning the award for Best Documentary at the Ajyal Youth Film Festival only motivated her to continue telling stories through her films.
Opportunities for students and filmmakers are endless in Qatar.
Universities like NU-Q provide resources and training for students to develop a number of storytelling skills and host workshops to nurture local talent.
Doha
Qatar Foundation (QF) is playing a significant role in creating opportunities and inspiring young people to become filmmakers.
Amal al Muftah, a student from Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) – a QF partner university – recently won an award for Best Narrative at the Doha Film Institute’s Ajyal Youth Film Festival for her piece, Sh’hab.
Muftah’s interest developed as a student at Qatar Academy Doha, part of QF’s Pre-University Education, in 2012, when she registered for a filmmaking course that she had little interest in. However, she soon realised she had discovered her passion.
“When I took the course at school, I found that film was a way for me to express myself in a way that was different from other means of communication,” she said.
When she joined NU-Q, she found a network of people – fellow students, professors and mentors – who helped her turn her hobby into a full-time commitment.
Being a young Qatari filmmaker, she felt a desire to empower the local filmmaking culture and create works originating in the country.
“I wanted to be based here in Qatar and talk about the culture and the lives people lead. I feel like I’m creating a mirror through my films. They reflect the day-to-day lives of people in Qatar, even the not-so-interesting parts. Many people tend to respond to that point of view,” she said.
Muftah’s award-winning film,” Sh’hab”, is inspired by tales her grandmother told her as a child and myths she said people in the region believed decades ago.
She created the film as a way of connecting with her roots and the history of her country. The story revolves around a little girl chasing fallen stars.
“It’s a film about dreams and ambitions for everyone. It combines all the generations of Doha – the old and the young – in one film,” she said.
Mariam al Dhubhani, also a student at NU-Q, is another aspiring filmmaker. Her directorial breakthrough –”Just Another Memory” – was a way for her to create a new narrative and come to terms with the reality of the crisis in her home country, Yemen.
Dhubhani always had a passion for media and filmmaking, but living in Yemen and pursuing an education in pharmaceutical sciences made it difficult for her to work towards it.
“It only became possible once I moved to Qatar and got admitted to NU-Q,” she said.
“Just Another Memory” was part of a painful journey for Dhubhani.
“Escaping war didn’t really help in liberating me from its emotional and psychological burdens. This personal documentary is a piece of me that tells not only a part of my life, but also highlights an important humanitarian crisis,” she said.
Winning the award for Best Documentary at the Ajyal Youth Film Festival only motivated her to continue telling stories through her films.
Opportunities for students and filmmakers are endless in Qatar.
Universities like NU-Q provide resources and training for students to develop a number of storytelling skills and host workshops to nurture local talent.
