It’s an exciting time for the local cinematic industry as a selection of films that screened at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival prepare for the big leagues.
Four out of the nine films announced as nominees for the 2015 Oscars’ Best Foreign Language Film Award were showcased at ADFF. The list of nominated films includes Ida, from Polish-British director Paweł Pawlikowski. The black & white film about a nun in 1960s Poland exploring her family has been described as haunting and devastatingly beautiful.
Leviathan, Winner of Black Pearl and Best Actor Awards at ADFF this year, is a Russian drama directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev that tells the story of a man who struggles against a corrupt mayor. The film was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, with Zvyagintsev and co-writer Negin winning for Best Screenplay.
Garnering a Special Jury Mention when it screened in the capital this year, Timbuktu (pictured) is a French-Mauritanian drama film directed by Abderrahmane Sissako that looks at the brief occupation of Timbuktu by militant Islamic rebels.
Finally there is Corn Island, a modest Georgian drama directed by Giorgi Ovashvili that observes a peasant farmer carrying out his duties with the help of his granddaughter.
