Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Dubai Arthouse

With the frequent hints and articles regarding the mystery behind Dubai's reluctance to set up an dedicated Arthouse, the niche market exists.. and it exists strongly... this is why I have taken up the challenge to create something that everybody is talking about but doingin nothing about... Why can't we have an arthouse.... some of the reasons being that the big guys such as grand Don't want to invest anything in such a project convinced that the only way to make big bucks is through Hollywood releases... and they don't want to waste their time listening why Dubai needs an arthouse... another hurdle would be the amount of money involved in setting up such a venue... Another slasher to this would be censorship... If we're gonna invest big bucks to get this project going and we get the film censored.. that would be the ultimate killer....
I'm not sure how places like Five Green, IBo, and The third Line screen their small version of 'film club' but we're assuming it's through DVD's that may or may not have been censored. The danger here is the fact that it is considered (in a way) illegal to screen these because of the actual copyright laws on the DVD itself.
So who's gonna invest something like 20 million dirhams for a 3 screen cineplex that might have its films sliced by censorship laws. If you know anyone, let me know...I'll set it up today and not waste any more time...
Another issue would be this... where is the best location to set up such a venue....
or has the situation reached such an extent that my fellow movie buffs would drive anywhere in Dubai amidst the traffic chaos just to quench their thirst for some serious Arthouse films...
Would love to know what you think? or any suggestions on the way forward?

18 comments:

black feline said...

i suggest start small...maybe a seating capacity of 60...i will love to have it at Bastikiya...one of those old courtyard house...where u can dine as well. Good luck!

dhaheri said...

I will "show you the money"

any food or resturant in your project

Please advice

BuJ said...

WOW!!! this is a dream come true! i hope we'll have our own arthouse :)

the reason i am so excited is not just to see alternative movies but becuase from my experience in europe art houses always seem to attract a crowd very different from the hollywood-manic crowd.

the art house crowd is really a crowd i like, as they realise that there's more to life than money. i wonder how many people in dubai subscribe to that school of thought? eh?

Cosmic girl said...

Hey Buj..
oh plenty would subscribe for that school of thought...
there are some small screenings here and there...somewhat *illegal* but they get advertised in Time out magazine and others.. So you have venues like a night club that would have a movie night and would screen some foreign film.. you have the art gallery that is on the quest to showcase our local budding talent... and you have the cultural insitutes such as Alliance Francaise that has their very own 'cine-club' but of course they'd screen french movies... these are but small things on the way there but NO ONE is looking at the big picture..
WAKE UP people there is a world beyond hollywood...
Right now I'm just trying to find a good location for this little arthouse and it's becoming more and more challenging by the day...
Get me a place in Jumeirah if you will..... that would be a start... :)

Cosmic girl said...

Dhaheri.. for you there's always food... :)
and if you 'showed me the money' I would've opened the arthouse already...
remember it's the only place for your 'scifi' club... :)
'Live long and prosper' my friend...

BuJ said...

Jumeirah wouldn't be my ideal place...

somewhere old.. bastakiya is nice.. or somewhere atypical...

good luck.. i like the idea :)

Cosmic girl said...

oh I'd love to have it in the bastakiya area...
but that area has it's limitations...
if the traffic won't get you by the time u get there then the parking will...
Parking's a nightmare... u can't get any...
all the old heritage houses have already been taken.. most are cafes and galleries...
and some have been taken away by the municipality (and that would include my grandfather's house)
plus...
technically it's challenging to get a proper projector working in some of those houses...
thanx for the tip though...
on another note...
one of the houses rent out rooms for the night like a hotel...and it's as expensive as a 5 star hotel...

BuJ said...

sounds interesting! u need to speak to someone in the executive office or something.. i'm sure they can sort out funding.. u need big bucks for this.. surely sheikh mo can help...

beit yaddo? i didn't think ur local.. this is doubly interesting and unexpected!

Cosmic girl said...

hey BuJ..
oh yes.. I'm local alright...
on the other hand...
you wanna be even more disappointed with Dubai and the way it's turning out...
I have approached several people regarding funding from high places and from a related field.. I have continiuosly heard the words...
'sponsorship.. under the auspices.. partnership.. it's a great idea, it must be done'..and so on and so forth.. but I've learnt one valuable lesson.. if it's not written and signed it means NOTHING...just false promises...
I have approached Sh. Mohammed's establishement for funding, they did express interest in the idea but their limit is 3 mill.. I'll need something like 5 mill to come up with something decent... and to top off the cake.. I've heard they've stopped funding at the moment...
challenging situation huh?

BuJ said...

zein walla.. hatha shy zein.. 3m is better than ziltch.
i agree with u about having it in writing.. but the govrn will not invest heavily in something arty..

i will ask u something.. as seems u been to school in dubai.. when u were a kid.. did u have kids leave certain classes (sharda)? what was a better class to leave? Art or say Maths?

i went to an all-boys school and trust me, when we used to have art they used to all run away.. i used to too, except for grade 7 when we had a really cute teacher :)

anyway.. u get the point.. bas el muhim.. 3m is good if they can pay.. then maybe u can get the 2m from other companies.. the biggies like emaar say might be interested if u call it say the Emaar Dubai Arthouse Centre and get u some serious cash.

I have zero experience in fundraising, but if u get a big brand then they are more likely to pay and continue to pay over time. Coz you will need significant backing over 5 yrs as you're trying to establish urself.

Two suggestions that might help:

1- Speak to the Dubai Chamber of Commerce for suggestions to move forward. Maybe even Dubai Municipality, as you can probably partner with them. People will eventually visit Dubai and want something about emirati culture so the DM can use your centre.

2- Perhaps also speak to Gulf News, Al Khaleej, Al Bayan etc.. to try to get something published to attract interest.

Wallah sounds great your idea, and I'd like to see it through! Might actually give me something interesting to do whenever I have my short visits back to the homeland.

Cosmic girl said...

Buj...
well... I had approached the biggies.. and I don't want to mention names or companies here... trust they'd fit it very naturally with the project...
I've been after them since Jan.. and they've given me different answers at every occasion...
the first time I presented the proposal... I was bluntly told... 'Money should NOT be an issue... you should never take it as a weakness'.. I was flying high when i heard that... but on our second encounter, it was as if someone had pushed me off of Emirates Towers!!... 'oh yeah I'm sure we can hook you up with some investors and u can tell them how you're planning on returning the money'... hmmmmmmm.... I thought you were going to sponsor the project not dump it on someone else...
I'd say more.. but definitely not on this blog... :)
Don't want to give too many hints as some people might stumble across this...
I'm still maintaining good contact with them... I have to network with them if I want the arthouse to flourish...
I have my contacts with the press.. I can publicise it but I don't want to do it yet.. I know the interest is there..
and just one question.. what do u mean 'short visits'.. what is it that u do that keeps u away for soo long?

BuJ said...

Cosmic.. well.. your story is kinda sad but i can understand where you're coming from..

I guess one has to keep up the pressure to get what they want. That's life. As for the arthouse, it's something I really enjoy. In every city I visit or live in I try to find one, so one in my hometown would be so good, and will make me feel more at home even.

As for your question, I live and work in the UK and have been for many a few years, but I always go back home to Dubai to see the family. However, everytime I return (and it's just for a few days due to work) I feel the old Dubai has slipped away from my fingers and everytime I think of returning back home for good I find myself unhappy with what Dubai has become.

Hope that makes sense.

Cosmic girl said...

it makes a lotta sense...
Well the good thing is I don't give up that easily...
I truly believe that the arthouse can be used in a lot of ways... specially educate people about us.. about our culture in a way or the other... Anything's better than what we have right now...
plus, I really think that the next generation really needs to see this diversity in film 'cause they are only exposed to lousy cable and Typical Hollywood releases that promote a lot of violence...
According to distributors the movies that do the best are the B-rated action movies..
it's a real pity...
I'm glad I had access to a lot more than that...

BuJ said...

by the way, i got an idea a few weeks ago in dubai.. why not open a PROPER emirati restaurant?

i was toying with the idea of opening a different kind of cafe a few yrs back.. but i have no idea how to make this into reality..

but this resto idea hit me in the head.. if i got a visitor to the uae that wanted authentic emirati food.. all i can think of wallah is bin 3eed el sha3bii!!

we gotta have something to the standard of a 5-star hotel that can reflect positively on the country.

surely the idea of a good cinema with good emirati food will compliment each other.

goes back to my food theory.. any mall here will fail unless it has a super-market of kinds.. many in shj failed.. so did the al-mulla plaza.. but city centre is the first big success.. why? coz it had continent.. later to be called carrefour...

at the end of the day it might be that ppl with empty stomach's are the ones that pay for u and me watching these foreign films :)

Cosmic girl said...

I've thought about that seriously for a while.. and yes... every time we have guests from abroad who want to sample our food.. we cannot take them out... it's gotta be home cooked food...
I'll have to email u to discuss the arthouse a little further...

flic said...

You probably know already, about the European Art Movies [in Al Ain]. It's their fifth season this year. I believe they even show first somewhere in Dubai.

While not exactly what you might have in mind for Arthouse, their roster would be considered Arthouse in many a city in the Western world.

Their roster this year included: Pauline and Paulette, Elling, Noviembre, Nynke, La Promesse, Drifting Clouds, Wunder von Bern, Te doy mis ojos, Funny Games, Light keeps me company, Invention of Disaster, The Welts, Stesti, One would say the South.

Quite impressive, actually. Mobile Arthouse I guess you could call it.

I like your blog.

Cosmic girl said...

Hey Flic...
you threw me completely off guard.. what do you mean they screen first in Dubai... how come I know nothing about this...
it sounds very interesting...
I am aware of some screening that occured last year some time in September in AD... but nothing about Alain or dubai..
if you know more, or any contacts.. it will be of great help..
a mobile arthoue.. well whadoyaknow...
nice...
Thanx for the complement on the blog...

flic said...

Cosmic Girl--

They had a nicely designed brochure this year, as well. And this whole thing is a subscriber/membership generated endevour.

I could give you a contact name, although I think there will be a change of mast for next year.

Check it out: drop me an email and I'll give you the contact: Balloon