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UAE: Classic Movies Museum to open in Abu Dhabi soon

The museum by the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation to pay tribute to hundred years of Arab cinema

A new museum showcasing classic movies will be introduced in Abu Dhabi shortly, authorities have announced.

The UAE Cultural Ambassadorship for the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (Alesco) made the announcement at a cultural programme at the Arab World Institute in Paris. The programme entitled "Immortal Creations of Classical Cinema" was organised by Anasy Media and Alesco.

In the opening statement of the event, Jack Lang, President of the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA), stated: “We are very happy and honoured that Alesco chose the IMA to pay a tribute to the classic Arab cinema. I am pleased by the UAE Ambassador for Culture, who is doing remarkable work to develop art, culture and movies”

Dr Ahmado Habibi, Alesco expert, said: “The role of Alesco is to continuously serve Arab expressions of culture and the idea of Alesco ambassadors is what we strive to showcase in the programmes we work with.”

Abdelrahman Lahi, director of the Dar Mauritania Cultural Foundation and an expert at Unesco, emphasised the importance and necessity of having the museum to keep pace with the history of cinema. The presence of the museum of this distinctive golden cinema will be a preserver of its history and an open book for film lovers, researchers and specialists.

Lahi delivered a lecture entitled "Arab Cinema in the Golden Age — One hundred Years of magic, creativity and sophistication". He gave a presentation on the centenary of Arab classical cinema, and explained that the cinema of the Golden Age was characterised by the charm and brilliance of the product, the sophistication of topics and carried the dreams and memories of a nation, digging into the collective memory and showcasing the details of the lives of individuals and societies, to return with delicate edits of image, sound and story.

He talked about the history of the development of cinema in the Arab region and the advantages of its emergence in Egypt. He also highlighted the bright and distinctive positions in the centennial of Arab cinema in content, in terms of representation and topics addressed, and in production, from the point of view of technical development (tools) and the progress of the film industry in commercial and cultural distribution (exhibition halls — television — festivals).

Lahi also reviewed the most important reasons for the end of this golden century and the challenges facing cinema.

The event was also attended by Maadhad Hareb Al Khaili; Ahmed Almulla, Deputy Head of Mission at the UAE embassy; Dr Ahmado Habibi, Alesco expert; Aisha Kamaly, delegate of the UAE to Unesco; Afifa Zayadi, delegate of Alesco to Unesco and Ambassadors of Arab countries and diplomatic representatives.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com