National Geographic presents a bird’s-eye view of the UAE at 50
▶ ‘The Emirates From Above’ reveals stories that many have no idea about, the creators tell Chris Newbould
The 50th UAE National Day is almost here, and National Geographic has joined the party with the latest instalment of its long-running From Above series, The Emirates From Above.
The 44-minute documentary will have its world premiere in the USA Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai tomorrow, before broadcasting on NatGeo TV globally in 120 countries, including the UAE, and 33 languages on Thursday.
From Above, as the name implies, brings viewers aerial footage of some of the most incredible places on Earth by using the very latest in drone technology. The popular show has already featured specials from New Zealand, China and India among others.
You might assume that the team would have to fly even higher than usual to get the best shots of Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s famous skylines, but while there is plenty of dramatic footage of the oft-seen facade of Burj Khalifa and its glass-fronted modern peers, there’s plenty of action at ground level too.
Have you ever given much thought to the Iron Age Falaj irrigation system of Al Ain, or the 130,000-year-old archeological site at Mleiha in Sharjah? Did you know that Camelicious food company is bringing the ancient art of camel farming into the 21st century on the outskirts of Dubai?
Producer Carolyn Payne did not, but as one of the team behind documentaries such as the Emmy-nominated Inside North Korea’s Dynasty and 911: One Day in America, she seems well placed to unlock such secrets for a wider audience.
“I really had no idea about the ancient history of the Emirates, that was really an eye opener to me,” she says. “I think probably from all of the From Aboves we’ve done, this was the one where there was an ancient history that I had no idea about. In lots of other places it’s more well documented, so you’re not too surprised to see an ancient history story, but that was the one that really threw me here.”
The task of unlocking some of the UAE’s most fascinating stories was made harder by the fact that, owing to the pandemic, neither Payne nor director Johnny Shipley were actually able to visit the UAE in person to make the film, being forced instead to conduct proceedings remotely from London via a trusted team on the ground.
Waiting simply wasn’t an option since the plan was to get the documentary finished in time to celebrate the UAE’s Golden Jubilee. Consequently, Payne will be making her first visit to the country for the National Day premiere. Shipley did shoot a documentary in Dubai for Discovery Networks about a decade ago, but concedes that “a lot changes in the Emirates in a year, never mind 10 years”.
The director explains how the unusual process played out. “It’s really all about building a relationship with the local team and organisations to do the whole remote directing. I’ve done a certain amount on previous productions in the last year, but I’ve never done one where I totally never went to the place, which has its challenges,” says Shipley.
“You start with the research and finding interesting stories, and then what’s actually possible within your time frame. Carolyn and I were working very closely to pitch stories back and forth, and we created this tapestry of how you produce a film that as best possible summarises what the country is today and its journey to where it is today, and how it’s looking to the future.”
When most visitors think of the UAE, Shipley says, they think of towering structures and glistening malls.
Indeed, his own previous visit to the country was for Discovery’s Strip the City, a series on the construction of some of the world’s biggest metropolises. Like his producer, he admits he was surprised to find out how many other stories the UAE had to tell once he started peeling away the surface.
“On a shallow level, people think it’s all about the oil, but what really came through for me during my research and while directing was how, for millennia, people have had this incredible ingenuity to adapt to what the landscape provides. That heritage is really important to the Emirates and to Emirati culture,” he says.
“I think the challenge is that there’s this heritage that’s set out for the tourists, and then there’s what we can do to scratch below that surface and show you the layer beyond that. It really feels like it’s a kind of exclusive access. And it gives you these surprising details that you wouldn’t necessarily visit – they wouldn’t be the first port of call if you’re arriving in Dubai.”
The documentary is therefore a varied mix of the ancient and the modern. For every archeological dig you’ll find a Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque; for every prehistoric farming technique, a Dubai Frame.
When asked if there are any stories he regrets not making the cut, Shipley has an unexpected answer: “The falcon is huge in Emirati culture, and it’s how the bedouin tribes hunted their meat to go alongside the staple dates and camel milk. I’d really hoped to film falcons flying.
“But it’s a huge challenge filming falcons with drones in the first place, and the scheduling didn’t really work out either. There’s only a limited window when the weather’s just right that you can fly falcons and film, because they’re very precious birds, and I love how valued they remain in Emirati culture. That didn’t work out on this occasion, so maybe I’ll be back.”
The Emirates From Above premieres at the USA Pavilion tomorrow at 7pm. It is open to all guests with valid Expo 2020 Dubai tickets.
The show will be on TV on National Geographic and National Geographic Abu Dhabi on December 2 at 10am, with repeats at 3pm and 9pm
I really had no idea about the ancient history of the Emirates, that was really an eye opener to me
CAROLYN PAYNE
Producer