Stray cats’ search for home brings old area of Abu Dhabi back to life in hand-animated feature film
Production is under way on Catsaway, an Emirati-directed animated movie about a group of street cats trying to find a home as Abu Dhabi rapidly expands around them.
The idea for the feature-length film, directed by Emirati Fadel Al Mheiri, has been in the works for years. It’s being produced by Tent Pictures Productions, based at Abu Dhabi media hub twofour54, in co-operation with Juice Studios in Poland.
The movie will rely less on computer imagery, being drawn by hand. “Featuring traditional hand-drawn animation, Catsaway is going to be the perfect nostalgia-trip for adults, as well as being entertaining and educational for youngsters,” Al Mheiri says.
The film, set in Abu Dhabi in 1999, will feature beloved old landmarks such as the Volcano Fountain and the Old Souq. The Clock Tower will also play an important role. Al Mheiri realised early on that nostalgia would be the unique pull of the movie. “This is our selling point,” he told The National last year. “Everyone was like, ‘Amazing. When’s this out? We need to tell our kids about it’. You might say ‘So what? It’s just an old water fountain, just an old souq’ but it’s more than that. It’s to do with culture intertwined with history. That weird effect you get when you see somewhere that you remember from high school.”
The story will see the city’s stray cats seeking a home as the city evolves around them. “All the cats used to live in the Volcano Fountain where they had a spa and they’d go to the Old Souq where they’d eat all the nice shawarmas,” Al Mheiri says of the story. “But that started to fade away. Then they ended up in the water tank area in Khalidiya – it’s one of the only squares in Abu Dhabi that’s remained untouched for the past 50 years.”
Tent Pictures was founded by Al Mheiri, and partners Mohamad Numan and Mohamad
Jawad at twofour54 in 2013. It has produced several films.
The multi-talented Al Mheiri had film success at the Dubai International Film Festival (Diff) with his live-action “guerrilla” movie Abood Kandaishan, which was nominated for 2014’s Muhr Emirati award.
Maryam Eid Al Mheiri, chief executive of the Media Zone Authority Abu Dhabi and twofour54, said: “We are particularly delighted to see a homegrown firm such as Tent Pictures producing this feature-length animated film. It showcases the incredible talent, creativity, and facilities of our thriving media industry in Abu Dhabi.
“As a champion of quality Emirati-produced content, it is rewarding for twofour54 to see that consumers have appetite for content that reflects this region’s heritage and character, and it reinforces our commitment to supporting its production.”
At the Abu Dhabi Book Fair in 2016, Al Mheiri presented a 3D model of the water tank area in Khalidiya, as well as sculptures of the film’s cats.
“We got an amazing reaction, especially with the old landmarks that have disappeared,” he said.
As for when the film will come out, Tent Pictures expects to have the first teaser trailer of the movie ready this month, and will then be seeking cinema distribution when the full film is finished.