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An all-female film crew is putting Bahrain on the cinematic map after producing several award-winning short films tackling topics from the Arab world and hopes to provide a platform for creatives from the Middle East and beyond.
The Bahrain-based Fablemill film production house, which now features a talented team of six, started in 2020 after long-time Purdue University friends Eman Al Sabah and Alaa Aldarazi were ‘bored by the lack of Arab stories in international media’ and decided to create something new.
The first feature the dynamic duo worked on was a short movie called A Small Dream in 2021, written and directed by Sarra’a AlShehhi with Shifaa Alsairafi in her debut role. It was shot in the UAE.
“It’s story of a young Emirati girl who dreams of swimming in the sea that she frequents. The movie tackles themes of womanhood, social stigma and cultural change,” said Alaa, who is a certified coach and trainer.
“A Small Dream is featured in more than six festivals globally and has won two awards.
“Once it completes its festival circuit, we are excited for an official screening in Bahrain for the community at large.
“We are proud that A Small Dream has been picked up for distribution by CineWaves, one of the fastest growing film distribution companies in the GCC.”
The filmmakers are in Cannes, until tomorrow, at the popular International Market of Communications Programmes (Marché International des Programmes de Communication/MIPCOM) to meet with producers, distributors and other artists and discuss their projects.
MIPCOM is the world’s greatest gathering of television entertainment professionals from 100 countries and is celebrated as ‘the mother of all entertainment content markets’ every October.
Currently, the Fablemill group is working on several projects that will be screened in four international film festivals across three continents over the next few months.
“We will be travelling to London in December and the US early next year to hold similar meetings with producers there,” explained Eman. “While our voice is local, we have global ambition for our universal stories.”
Some of their feature films have a dramatic focus; a few have animated children’s content and a range of lifestyle and reality projects.
“The region thrives on culture, folklore and mythology,” said Eman, who graduated with an MBA from New York University, US.
“The idea of Fablemill was quite literally that: A fable mill. We all grew up consuming media that shaped our identities, yet the representation of Arabs and minorities remains shallow and limited on a global scale.
“By founding a production house in the heart of the Middle East, which invests in telling the stories of our region, we want to give a voice to Arabs and tell their stories. Be it myth or tradition, social norms or language, we want to celebrate every aspect of the Arab experience.
“While our projects are varied, they have one thing in common – they tell stories of Arab identity and celebrate the richness of our region.”
Follow @fablemillofficial on Instagram for details.
