Dubai film makes it to international festivals

DUBAI BASED FILM-makers Kahani Baaz (Story-Tellers) have recently been featured in two international festivals with their short movie Nazah. Nazah means the agony one faces before dying; the death throes. The film depicts the life of a mentally disturbed individual and his struggle with living. It takes the audience inside the mind of Yasir, who wants to take his own life. Sarah, his sister, tries to be a beacon of hope and reason in this abstract piece of cinema. The movie made it to the Calcutta International Cult Film Festival and the AAB International Film Festival earlier in the summer.

“We have a lot of talent in the city which we live in”, says Asad Raza Khan, who is the actor in the film playing the part of Yasir. “There is a lot of work being done in small pockets which is of an international standard. This movie is made purely by residents of the UAE, most of whom have separate day jobs. We need institutions to come forward and actively support/ promote such work to put the UAE on the map!”. Speaking about the movie he says: “It is a very dark theme, the depiction of the feeling before death is not for the faint at heart. We decided to do this as there is a rise in the stories of depression, suicide, mental disorders that we hear every day.

“The movie is supposed to suffocate you by giving you a glimpse of their reality.” Asad has starred in international movies, theatre and television.

Nazah will be released on YouTube on Friday at 5pm Dubai time.