The nation was gripped with excitement by the announcement over the weekend that the Hollywood production house STX Films would be making a biography of the late Sheikh Zayed, who was the Founding Father of the UAE and a world statesman.
STX is the home of hit movies including Bad Moms, which was a surprise near $200m hit in summer 2016 starring Mila Kunis – unprecedented for an R - rated comedy – and Adrift, a Shailene Woodley survival thriller that opens in UAE cinemas next weekend.
However, there were some concerns from within the local industry. Award - winning filmmaker Amal Al Agroobi has been trying to get a Sheikh Zayed biopic off the ground in the UAE for some time, but has so far failed to secure funding.
The filmmaker told The National that she is, overall, positive about the newly announced film, although she also expressed dismay that it should fall to Hollywood to tell one of the Arab region’s most fascinating stories.
“This seems to be the trend in the UAE, we consistently allow the West to tell our narrative, dictate our structure, solidify our history while we sit back and watch, ” Al Agroobi said.
“We believe Sheikh Zayed’s story has the potential to garner Academy Award attention along the lines of what Gandhi and Darkest Hour achieved, ” he says.
Social media was naturally abuzz at the news when it first came out last week.
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