THE ARTS CENTER
Performance

In collaboration with the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi

Al Sidr Environmental Film Festival

Curated by Dr. Nezar Andary

Fri-Sun, Oct 25-27 @ Various Times

The Blue Hall, The Arts Center

  • A special 3-day film festival in collaboration with Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi themed All Living Beings, featuring diverse films from across the world exploring environmental issues

    This year’s festival takes inspiration from the holy Quran’s Surah Al An'am. All living beings roaming the earth and winged birds soaring in the sky are communities like yourselves (Quran 6:38).

    Al Sidr seeks expressions of community between all living beings. Its films revere and appreciate many communities while asking key questions that move us towards not only surviving climate change, but also thriving together. The immense world of creatures allows our inner and outer lenses to explore new and elusive regions of our minds and hearts. The festival aims to forge communities that see, hear, and feel the planet in new perspectives; and, perhaps, as the Surah guides us, all living beings that fly and walk the earth will reciprocate with more compassion and insight.  

    From classic films of renowned directors Ken Loach (UK) and John Abraham (India) to recent films from all over the world, the festival asks simply, how can we learn from all living beings, and what new perspectives do all beings generously offer? Environmental film collectives such as UAE’s Climate Tribe, Lebanon’s Rural Encounters on Environment and Film, and others from Palestine, Tibet, Japan, and France are highlighted in this year’s edition. We also seek elusive communities of being that we seldom think about.