• Home
  • Faces
  • Movies
  • The Diaries
  • The Briefly
  • Minimalist Fashionista
  • Selfies Interviews
  • About
  • contact
Menu

E. Nina Rothe

Film. Fashion. Life.
  • Home
  • Faces
  • Movies
  • The Diaries
  • The Briefly
  • Minimalist Fashionista
  • Selfies Interviews
  • About
  • contact
×

The Diaries, because sometimes life needs more. 

Katara Opera House on the opening night of Ajyal Film Festival in Doha, Qatar

Katara Opera House on the opening night of Ajyal Film Festival in Doha, Qatar

Doha's Ajyal Film Festival Opening Night: We may be socially distanced but our cinematic hearts beat as one!

E. Nina Rothe November 19, 2020

It is a brave new world that filmmakers and film institutions have helped to create. Without them going forth undaunted, we may not have gotten so far. Personally I’ve watched films and followed film festivals that braved this Covid-19 restricted world, and in the process, have managed to find a “new normal” for myself.

Of course, I can’t wait to watching films in the theaters and attending festivals in person and although I’ve made a few attempts in the last few months, the time does’t seem right just yet. Cairo, Venice and Doha will have to wait for now. But the conversation can still go on.

The Doha Film Institute has managed to put together a hybrid online and in person (for Qatari residents only) version of its annual Ajyal Film Festival dedicated to young audience and there was even a red carpet last night and an opening ceremony. I’m sharing the video of the latter below.

The opening film was Majid Majidi’s ‘Sun Children’ which is this year’s Iranian entry to the Best International Feature Film in the Oscar race. You can read more about the three Iranian films which are in the line-up on this year’s festival here. The choice of these three masterpieces for young audiences is at once visionary and quite smart! I mean, even though the films hardly deal with unicorns and chocolate rivers, their mature subject matters — death, child labor and forgiveness — are the perfect way to introduce the younger generations to a way of viewing the world through the cinematic lens. I think back on my own upbringing and thank my parents every day for having had the courage to take me to watch everything from Woody Allen to Luchino Visconti, with a little Disney animation thrown in.

For the occasion, H.E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of the Doha Film Institute, said, “Ajyal 2020 offers a unique opportunity for you to connect with peers around the world who share your passion for learning and discovery through cinema. Our culture’s rich history of literature, art, music and performance serves to preserve our past and informs our unique identity and perspective as Arabs and as modern-day storytellers. Now it’s your turn to shine, as creative role models for the generations of the future.”

DFI CEO Fatma Hassan Alremaihi addresses the audience on the opening night of this year’s Ajyal Film Festival

DFI CEO Fatma Hassan Alremaihi addresses the audience on the opening night of this year’s Ajyal Film Festival

While the lovely and ever-elegant Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Festival Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, added, “In previous years, the size of our audiences were limited to the number of seats available; Ajyal 2020’s new hybrid format breaks these limitations and enables audiences from around the globe to join in cinematic celebration of culture and creative expression from wherever they are. I want to thank all our local and international participants for their support and trust in the unwavering spirit of Ajyal. This year’s Festival theme ‘The Show Goes On’ aptly reflects the essence of that spirit – one of vibrant creativity, community, and resilience. We are very proud to embrace youth from all backgrounds and cultures as they explore individual freedom of thought, imagination and expression in the environment of intercultural understanding and respect of Ajyal.”

Personal favorites at this festival include ‘I Am Greta’ by Nathan Grossman, an in-depth and quite revelatory look at climate warning icon Greta Thunberg, ‘Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness’ by Massoud Bakhshi and ‘200 Meters’ by Ameen Nayfeh and featuring Palestinian superstar Ali Suliman. Read more about each project by clicking on the underscored links.

This year, the Festival will showcase a diverse program of 22 features and 58 shorts, including 31 from the Arab World and 30 by women directors. Bringing together award-winning filmmakers from across the globe, Ajyal Film Festival continues to amplify powerful voices and rouse all generations through cinema.

Expanding audience access across the region via an online streaming platform and exciting new Drive-In Cinema in Lusail, Ajyal 2020 brings back the highly-anticipated Made in Qatar program presented by Ooredoo, to celebrate emerging film talents who call Qatar home.

In Cinema, Festival, The Diaries Tags Doha Film Institute, DFI, Doha, Qatar, cinema, Arab cinema, Iranian cinema, Ajyal Film Festival, Katara Opera House, Covid-19, socially distanced, Majid Majidi, Sun Children, Oscar entry, Iran, Best International Feature Film, Young audiences, Woody Allen, Luchino Visconti, Disney animation, H.E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Ajyal 2020, Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, I Am Greta, Greta Thunberg, Yalda a Night for Forgiveness, Massoud Bakhshi, 200 Meters, Ameen Nayfeh, Palestine, Ali Suliman, Made in Qatar
← The Red Sea International Film Festival announces Red Sea Lodge second editionDoha's Ajyal Film Festival: Erasing some of the common borders of the Middle East, for a youth centric audience →
Post Archive
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • November 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • April 2020
  • February 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
 

Featured Posts

Featured
The Extrardinary Miss Flower review for E Nina Rothe.jpg
May 2, 2025
The power of one, letter: 'The Extraordinary Miss Flower' review
May 2, 2025
May 2, 2025
Most People Die on Sundays for ENinaRothe.jpg
Apr 28, 2025
To be young, gifted and... gay! A review of Iair Said's 'Most People Die on Sundays'
Apr 28, 2025
Apr 28, 2025
the-accountant-2-ben-affleck-jon-bernthal for ENinaRothe.jpg
Apr 25, 2025
I'll give you one, no make that 2 good reasons to watch 'The Accountant 2' with Ben Affleck
Apr 25, 2025
Apr 25, 2025
UnBroken_Weber_Siblings_Allied Forces_Bremerhaven_Germany_1946 for ENinaRothe.png
Apr 21, 2025
Courage decoded: Beth Lane's 'UnBroken' is the film you need to watch on Netflix
Apr 21, 2025
Apr 21, 2025
Olmo Schnabel's Pet Shop Days for ENinaRothe.jpg
Mar 12, 2025
Olmo Schnabel's 'Pet Shop Days', EP'd by Martin Scorsese to finally release in the US
Mar 12, 2025
Mar 12, 2025