PROINTERVIEW
Walking the red carpet
On the surface, Abdulla Al Kaabi comes across as a calm, composed, and somewhat reticent young Emirati. However, delve deeper and one finds a curious mind constantly in search of ideas. Vibhuti Arora speaks to the filmmaker about his journey so far
At an age when most youngsters are still grappling with career choices, Abdulla Al Kaabi was walking the red carpet at international film festivals, hobnobbing with the who’s who of the international film fraternity. The young Emirati filmmaker had the opportunity to direct French cinema icon Jean Reno in his debut film The Philosopher when he was all of 24. His film was screened at DIFF 2010 and Tribeca Film Festival in 2011. Cut to 2013, Al Kaabi is directing his dream project, which he hopes to complete next year. “Films have always fascinated me but it was during my stay in Paris that I got exposed to cinema in the true sense,” Al Kaabi explains. After completing his under-graduation from American University of Sharjah, Al Kaabi completed a post-graduation course in cinema in Paris. He has a Masters in Fine Arts in Filmmaking from the International Film School of Paris - EICAR. “I loved studying in Paris because that was when I had a chance to explore my artistic side and I was able to go beyond academics. I embraced their culture and appreciated the way art is part of their lifestyle and everyday life.”
38 | www.broadcastprome.com | August 2013