As a child, Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdulla Al Qasimi was something of a dreamer. While books allowed her to escape to magical places, she found an enactment of these fantasies in films. It is this ability to dream, and dream big, that made Sheikha Jawaher into something of a child prodigy herself, having graduated high school at only 15.
By the time she started working, Sheikha Jawaher was 19 and armed with a degree in English literature. Over the years, she’s donned the hat of a teacher and a librarian, but the journey to becoming a trailblazer began when she was tasked with starting a film festival for children in 2013.
Eleven years later, her resolve to groom nuanced storytellers has not only helped Sharjah International Film Festival (SIFF) for children and youth evolve into a platform of choice for young filmmakers in the region, but has also enabled a dialogue on what the ethos of Arab cinema should be. Ahead of the festival that starts on October 7, the director-general of SIFF talks at length about the future of Arab films. Edited excerpts from an interview:
What drew you to cinema in your formative years?
As a child, I always loved to read stories, and that took me to films. Cinema moved me, it made me think. I was only 19 when I started working as a teacher. And I loved working with kids. So, when an opportunity came to helm a film festival for children, I took it up because it combined my two loves. It was a new adventure.
What kind of films did you watch as a child? Was the palette vast in Arabic cinema?
When we were really young, we would watch Arabic content, old Egyptian films. Then I started watching Hollywood. In fact, the first Hollywood film that actually made me cry was Braveheart. It got me interested in Mel Gibson as an actor, and then I watched The Patriot. Then I had a romcom phase. As you grow and your life changes, your choices in films change too. Today, I would rather watch documentaries. I watched this film called A Mother’s Instinct while I was on a plane a month ago. It’s about grief and loss. As a mother of three, it left me with a heavy heart. It made me think of myself as a mother. I love films that do that to you, that make you think of your reality.
A lot of parents actively discourage their young ones from watching films. Why is it important to be exposed to cinema from an early age?
Our generation is completely different from the ones that have followed. When we were young, we rarely asked why we could not watch something. When we were told this is not good, we accepted. We actually believed that our parents knew best. With the younger generation, you have to reason, you have to convince them why something is not good for them. When we saw warning signs during a smoking scene, we’d be shocked. But it does not affect the younger generation the same way. If we tell them this is not good, they will actually want to experience it. Which is why films need to depict reality and issues, and do so in a way that is respectful to culture and religion. That’s why our festival has documentaries, shorts, different kinds of animation, silent films. Exposure to different formats broadens our understanding of the world.
Sharjah International Film Festival also focuses on films made by youth. How important is it to acquaint them with technical aspects of filmmaking at an early age?
We focus on media literacy, but it is also our responsibility to support the dreams and aspirations of the next generation. If someone says, ‘I have a story, can I tell it the way I want to?’, we should be able to provide them with tools that allow them to do so. Cinema is huge. It’s not just about acting and directing, there’s finance, makeup, cinematography. The least I can do is to have an educational platform that also allows youth to network. We have guests from around the world who come for discussions and talks. The youth can learn from them, talk about their difficulties. Obviously, we cannot get all children to be interested, but even if we have one, it will be well worth it.
And when these children set out to become professional filmmakers, is there an infrastructure in place to support them?
We are growing slowly but steadily. We now have connections with other film festivals where we can take their work. I don’t want to screen their films at my festival alone, but also on other platforms. We are taking baby steps, hopefully, on the right path.
You have been a child prodigy yourself, having completed high school at 15. Does your work with young people also draw from your own experiences of shining at a very young age?
It definitely takes me back to my childhood. As a teenager, I was intrigued by photography. Every time I looked for a workshop to attend, they would say not enough people had enrolled to actually have one. There were fewer opportunities. Today, kids have those platforms. I don’t see myself as a role model because I still want to accomplish more. I don’t want youth to be full of themselves, I want them to strive for more. My mother is in her 60s and she is still working, as is my father. I have been raised in a household that’s always giving, and I want to carry that legacy forward.
Palestine is the country of honour this year at SIFF. Today, there is a sense of urgency to preserve Palestinian art and culture as part of preserving the Palestinian identity.
It’s the first time we have launched this initiative, which is called ‘Country of Honour’. Looking at everything that is going on in the world, we wanted to start with an Arab country and believed Palestine was the perfect choice to start with. It’s a chance to celebrate their culture and traditions. For example, I never knew that every city in Palestine had a different attire. It’s nice to know such things. Yes, there is an ongoing struggle that everyone knows about, but very few people know about the culture. There are creatives who have done films to showcase their history and culture, and we want to be able to spotlight that.
And to a whole new generation that is currently in its formative years, there is a need to show a whole different side of Palestine.
Exactly. What we see is news. But that diminishes what Palestine actually had. They had their own history and traditions. We need to bring that back for the sake of the younger generations.
Arab societies are evolving tremendously. How does Arab cinema capture this shift?
I saw that in the submissions we received. If I speak only of Emirati filmmakers, I’ve had films that never saw light of day. When I asked them why, they would say, who will support it, who will watch it? We are really pushing Emirati filmmakers to make more content. A lot of Arab films are now in cinemas. We have screenings of films that are made by children, and they are mostly packed. I love this because it shows we are on the right track. We have films submitted by local children that do not always get accepted because they have to meet certain standards. We explain to them why their films were not approved. We educate them on what needs to be done better.
Is there any particular film screened at the festival that truly moved you?
There was a Saudi film, Valley Road, that had a bit of fantasy, and the special effects were out of the world. I was so proud of the quality of the film. This year, The Teacher is a film I am looking forward to.
What has been your biggest challenge in running a film festival for children?
At the beginning, the challenge was to make people understand what we were doing. But now they know and actually look forward to the festival. I have seen some people, some families, come every single day. I don’t want it to be seen as just another film festival. Let me give you an example. British actor Freddie Highmore has been a big supporter of the festival. His mother is his agent. Every time I speak to her, she says, “Freddie has to give back to the community.” I laugh and say, “But we are not your community, you are British and we are Arabs.” She responds saying, “All children are same and it’s his job.” I wish everyone thought this way because then there are also people who ask for a fee to attend the festival. You come to make a difference; yes, we can pay for flights and stay, but the intent should be noble. The kids will remember your empathy and act of kindness.
Your generation of Emirati women have well and truly come into their own. They hold positions of power in every important sector. What has fuelled this change?
Support and faith. Years ago, women were either teachers or housewives. Not that there was a lack of support then, but the roles for women were largely traditional. But today, the moment a woman says she wants to be a minister, she is given the opportunity; the moment she says she wants to be an astronaut, she is given a chance. In 2013-14, when we had just started the festival, there was a meeting of festival directors in Japan. I travelled with my son. They looked at me and said, “Oh, you’re a woman.” Prior to our meeting, we had only had email exchanges and because I came from an Arab country, they thought only a man could hold such a position. They thought I would be unmarried and have no family in order to shoulder such a responsibility, but here I was with my child.
And then there was a time when my father walked up to me when I had just got this opportunity to run the festival. It marked a huge shift from being a teacher to be under full media glare. The first thing he told me, “You are equivalent of 100 men. I trust you.” To make it even better, my children support me and push me to do even better. Support and faith — whether from the government, society or family — can take you places.
