adach: this month, dec2008 - jan2009

This MonthDecember 2008

January 2009

This Montha periodical publication by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage

The artist / calligrapher Mohammed Mandi is an Emirati artist who was awarded the highest diploma of the egyptian school of arabic calligraphy in 1977. His mentor was the famous egyptian calligrapher sayed ibrahim. Mandi has had many solo exhibitions both at home and abroad and some of his works are considered to be landmarks in contemporary arabic calligraphy. In 2007, he was awarded the al burda calligraphy award. Mohammed mandi designed a minaret for the islamic forum building in bensberg, germany, composed of the words of the call to prayer written in diwani script. He also inscribed verses of the holy quran on the cupola of the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan mosque in Abu Dhabi. More of mandi’s work appears in other mosques in the UAE and abroad. Mandi has also designed logos for several uae governmental and private institutions, as well as coinage commemorating events of national importance like the emblem of the famous TV show "Poet of the Million". His work also appears on all the bank notes of the UAE and Bahraini currency and on the 1000 and 200 lira banknotes of syria as well as on the passports of the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman. Mandi’s expertise is unique and has earned him many prizes and honours. Mohammed Mandi currently works on his calligraphic art at Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH). He also teaches calligraphy at ADACH

Featured Artist

This Month December 2008 - January 2009

New this month page 4National Library page 26

Special Events this month page 46Abu Dhabi Classics Page 46

Lectures Page 52

Cinema Page 60

Exhibitions Page 56

Performing Arts Page 84

Talents & Creativity Centre Page 92

New This Month page5

From the artist's collection

The Millions’ Poet Page 8Opening of Al Jahili Fort Page 10KALIMA project announces the translation of 15 titles Page 11Historic Environment Department Page 12ADASA Film Labs Page 13Kitab Page 14ADACH a member of the World Crafts Council Page 15Mazayina Dhafra Camel Festival Page 16Dhafra Festival through the Eyes of Photographers Page 17The Abu Dhabi International Photography Association Page 18Photography workshop and lecture Page 19Sheikh Zayed Book Award Page 20ADACH & UNESCO’s message Page 22UAE elected as Chairman of ICIH Page 23Zayed – Memories and Horizons Page 24ADACH has published a series of art books Page 25


The Millions’ Poet, The third season

5 million AED for the first place winnerPoets from all over the Arab world


The Millions’ Poet project was launched in 2006 under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi & Deputy Su-preme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The third season of The Millions’ Poet will be broadcast from 11 December 2008 to 26 March 2009. The show presents 48 poets, carefully selected by a panel of experts on Nabati poetry, from thousands of applicants after a six-week tour of the Gulf with contestants from all over the Arab world. The poets will battle it out, seeking to impress the jury and the audience with their poetic skills, in the hope of making it through to the grand final.

Contestants are judged using a mixture of jury votes, live audience votes via the in-theatre voting pods and SMS vot-ing throughout the weeks. The Millions’ Poet who wins first place will receive an increased grand prize of 5 million AED, second place will be awarded 4 million AED, third place 3

million AED, fourth place 2 million AED and fifth place 1 mil-lion AED. The prize money for all contestants, at the behest of HH Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will total 22 million AED.

The Millions’ Poet TV competition began in November 2006 and has become a broadcasting phenomenon within the Arab world, bringing Abu Dhabi, the cultural hub of the Gulf region, back to its roots. The television show aired on Abu Dhabi TV has been a huge success from the start with as-tronomical ratings and live audience attendance at the Al Raha Beach Theatre exceeding 2000 people each week. The first and second seasons of The Millions’ Poet show be-came the highest prime-stime rated shows in the region, watched by millions each week.

Join the live TV audience - Al Raha Beach Theatre in Abu DhabiEvery Thursday at 10.30 pm, last entrance at 10.00 pm.11th December 2008 – 26th March 2009

911 December 2008 - 26 March 2009

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, ADACH anounces the official opening of Al Jahili Fort during the forthcoming National Day celebrations on the 3rd of December 2008.

Al Jahili Fort was built at the heart of Al Ain by Sheikh Zayed the First (Sheikh Zayed Bin Khalifa) during the 1890s. One of the largest forts in the country, Al Jahili was home to

members of the ruling Al Nahyan family. At the beginning of the 1950s it was re-used as the headquarters of the Trucial Oman Scouts.

Al Jahili Fort is now the subject of an ambitious rehabilitation project that will preserve the values of this historic building whilst transforming the site into an active visitor destination. The fort will house a visitor information centre, a temporary exhibition gallery, a permanent exhibition of the photographs of the traveller Wilfred Thesiger, better known in the region as Mubarak Bin London, as well as a walk-through audio-visual installation about the history and development of Al Ain.

The official opening of Al Jahili Fort

During the forthcoming National Day celebrations


On the occasion of UAE participation in the Culture of Peace dialogue held in New York on 11-13 November, the Kalima project announced the translation into Arabic of a number of books on topics relating to the Middle East, the West and the Dialogue of Civilizations.

In collaboration with a group of experts, Kalima has chosen 15 books to be translated from German, English and French. These include Political Geography of the Mediterranean by Yves Lacoste, the Encounter of Civilizations by Emmanuel Todd and Youssef Courbage, What is the West? by Philippe Nemo and The Cultural Roots of American Islamicism by Timothy Marr. Through the translations of these works, the project aims to highlight the points which stress and

lead to cultural exchange and to clarify the factors that lead to detachment and negative cultural isolation. These books show the capacity of each community to produce a positive culture that would be a distinctive addition to human knowledge. Through these translations, Kalima hopes to clarify the historical factors in the formation of negative stereotypes that prevail in human societies and analyse the prejudices that led to the mythical images of the Orient in Western imagination. These books also emphasize meeting points and multiple positive relations between East and West. They offer in-depth analysis of patterns of communication between them, existing and assumed, aiming to build a future beyond the areas of darkness of the current reality.

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KALIMA project announces the translation of 15 titles

Faysal Bibi and Professor Andrew Hill will be returning in mid-December 2008 to continue work on the Yale University - ADACH Late Miocene Fossil Project, together with staff from the ADACH Historic Environment Department. The work will last until early January 2009. The work will conclude with a public lecture in the Cultural Foundation to announce the latest results of the Project during the second week in January 2009 (precise date still to be announced).

The results of recent work carried out by the project were recently presented at the 68th Annual Meeting of the Society for Vertebrate Palaeontology (16-18 October 2008) in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. A paper was presented at the meeting entitled: "A River Fauna from the Arabian Desert:

Historic Environment Department - News


Late Miocene Fossils from the United Arab Emirates" by Faysal Bibi, Andrew Hill, Mark Beech and Walid Yasin.

The Historic Environment Department will be undertaking a Preliminary Cultural Review (PCR) survey of the new proposed railway route between Ghuweifat, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Taweelah between December 2008 and January 2009. This survey will cover approximately 600km of the route of the proposed railway. The survey will identify any important paleontological, archaeological and/or historical sites to inform the Abu Dhabi Freight and Passenger Railway Committee of any potential problems with their proposed routing.

Throughout November and December, the Emirati Filmmakers are continuing to participate in the ADASA film labs. The filmmakers recently had the opportunity to present their scripts to L.A professionals who gave them guidance to structure their screenplays. In December, the Emirati Filmmakers will take part in a workshop in the desert to further develop their characters and continue writing their first act.

ADASA background The Adasa Film Labs are a year-round program devoted to nurturing and developing the skills of emerging Emirati filmmakers. The labs focus on story structure and crafting original feature film scripts of the highest caliber. One-on-one story sessions with Creative Advisors and group discussions with the entire Lab community support, challenge, and inspire the Filmmaker Fellows during the intensive process of script development.

Investors Circle workshops The Investors Circle workshops will take place in December in Abu Dhabi. The Investors Circle workshops provide an extraordinary opportunity for select local and regional investors to meet with international film financiers in an intimate group setting to discuss the benefits and opportunities of investing in film. The workshops are designed to expose regional investors to the intricacies, challenges and myriad possibilities of film financing. The Investors Circle workshops provide participants with informed investment expectations and sound professional film financing models and investment strategies implemented by some of today’s most successful film financiers.

Program Outline The intimate setting will provide investors the opportunity to ask pointed questions and receive detailed feedback regarding current film financing trends, highlighting the need to support local filmmakers to help build the Abu Dhabi Film Industry.

ADASA Film Labs

Program OutlineInvestors Circle workshops

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The team from KITAB/Abu Dhabi International Book Fair will be attending the Beirut Book Fair in November and will be happy to talk to interested visitors and provide more details about the up and coming events at the ADIBF 2009. KITAB and ADIBF will use this forum to promote the Symposium by talking to interested publishers and to showcase the International Publishers’ Association Symposium which will be held in Abu Dhabi in 2010. A dinner will also be hosted in collaboration with the Arab Publishers’ Association.ADIBF will host a 2-day Educational Conference at the 2009 Fair. The conference will focus on education, highlighting the UAE’s commitment to this vital issue. More than 500 delegates are expected to attend, including teachers,

school principals and representatives of educational institutions. For more details visit www.adbookfair.com or register for a place at [email protected]. This year the Fair will emphasize both English and Arabic education and educational publishing, with more exhibit space dedicated to educational publishers.

KITAB and ADACH are also very pleased to sponsor Spotlight on Rights which will be held at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.

For more details about our programmes please write to [email protected] and [email protected]

"Kitab" Abu Dhabi International Book Fair in BeirutDetails about the up and coming events at the ADIBF 2009


At the general meeting of the sixteenth World Crafts Council, held in the Chinese town of Konzo on 4-10 November 2008, the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage was selected as a member of the World Crafts Council for the Asia-Pacific regions, with the consent of all members.

The World Crafts Council aims to care for craftsmen, improve their conditions, develop their traditional industry and promote cooperation and exchange of professional knowledge among institutions around the world, both governmental and private. The Council also works to provide technical and financial support for craftsmen and to promote their traditional products.

The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage was represented by a delegation headed by the head of the Production Department at the Office of Intangible Heritage at the Authority, Mr. Saeed Al Kaabi. The Authority also submitted a number of crafts to the World Expo 31 for the development of traditional industries of the Asia-Pacific regions, held as an adjunct to the general meeting. A display of UAE handicrafts was presented to visitors as part of an initiative to publicize and promote UAE crafts.

Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and HeritageA member of

the World Crafts Council

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Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage is organizing the second session of the Mazayina Dhafra Camel Festival, to be held from 23 December 2008 to 4 January 2009 in Zayed City in the Western Region. The Festival includes a unique camel beauty contest, a date and date packaging competition, a UAE handicrafts market and a variety of other events. Mazayina Dhafra Camel Festival is divided into two main categories for the Asayel and Majahim breeds of camel. The general conditions for entry to each category are detailed in the handbook for entrants. These include the payment of entry fees. All camels must be purebred and free from defects and diseases. Entrants must complete the required number of laps. Some hair will be cut from each camel to show the animal’s age group and prevent it from

being entered in other categories of the contest. Entrants must show proof of ownership of their camel and will be requested to take an oath before the judging committee. The organizing committees have begun intensive efforts to prepare for the Festival, taking all necessary steps to ensure success of the Festival, which attracted considerable international attention when it was first held. Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage said “the aim of the Festival is to preserve the inherent strains of Asayel and Majahim camels, raise awareness of nomadic culture, encourage heritage tourism and put the name of the Dhafra area in the Western Region on the international tourist map. It also seeks to encourage economic development in the Western Region, create a commercial market for buying and selling camels, showcase UAE handicrafts and encourage the development of date packaging methods”.

Mazayina Dhafra Camel FestivalA variety of events including a date competition


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The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) has announced a new photography competition as part of the Dhafra Festival which will be held from 23 December 2008 to 4 January 2009 in Zayed City in the Western Region. The Festival is sponsored by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The new competition has several aims, notably to encourage photography as an art form in the United Arab Emirates, improve inter-generational communication, increase environmental awareness, revive interest in heritage in line with technological, artistic and cultural developments and shed light on the Bedouin community and their patterns of life.

Photographers are invited to submit images of events at the Festival and artistic images highlighting the beauty of camels and their relationships with humans and the natural beauty of the region hosting the Festival.

First prize 20,000 AED, second prize 15,000 AED, third prize 12,000 AED and fourth prize 10,000 AED. Other awards and certificates of appreciation will be distributed by ADACH and the Organizing Committee.

Entries should be addressed to:Dhafra Festival through the Eyes of PhotographersAbu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage –Cultural CompoundMr. Badr Al Numani Phone Office: +97126195310 Fax: +97126210205 PO Box: 2380 Abu Dhabi – The Cultural Foundation Email: [email protected] Website: www.ephotoc.com

Dhafra Festival through the Eyes of PhotographersAn annual competition to coincidewith the Dhafra Festival

The Abu Dhabi International Photography Association

The Abu Dhabi International Photography Association was founded at Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage in January 2008. The Association, which operates under the umbrella of ADACH, aims to serve the art of photography and provide all the support and means possible to encourage the development of photography and associated art forms. The Association attained membership of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP) last September and became the official representative of all

associations and clubs of photography and photographers in the United Arab Emirates at the International Federation. The Association’s activities include:

Local and international photography competitions. •Local and international art exhibitions.•Workshops and specialized lectures throughout the year. •Diverse field photography trips and programmes. •Providing technological and technical photographic tools •at photographic sites.Publishing and marketing works on pages dedicated to •its members at the Association’s website.Providing facilities and permits necessary for photography.•

The Association's membership is open to applicants worldwide. Affiliated members of the Association receive a FIAP membership.

Membership requirements: 1. A copy of the applicant’s passport. 2. CV. 3. Personal photo. 4. CD-ROM containing 10 specimens of the applicant’s

photographic work. 5. Annual membership fees of 300 AED. Membership applications are available at the reception desk of Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage or from the Association’s website: www.ephotoc.com

For registration and enquiries, please refer to page 23

WOW...

Valuable PrizesInternational ExhibitionsProfessional Workshops

Submission Deadline 31st December 2008:

جوائز قيمةمعارض عالمية ورش تصوير محترفة

Mohammed Al Taei, Winner of the Emirates Potography Competition - 2008 - Spirit of the Desert

اشترك ا�ن في الدورة الرابعة لمسابقة ا�مارات للتصوير الفوتوغرافي ٢٠٠٩

آخر موعد لتقديم ا�عمال ٣١ ديسمبر٢٠٠٨

Participate NOW in the forth year of theEmirates Photography Competition 2009


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The Abu Dhabi International Association of Photography at the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage is working in various ways to support the development of photography and photographers in the UAE. One of its first activities, accompanying the fourth session of the Emirates Photography Competition 2009, is a workshop by the international photographer Steve McCurry.

Steve McCurry is currently one of the finest image-makers in the world and has won many international awards for his photojournalism. His haunting pictures of the Afghan refugee girl Sharbat Gula are remembered throughout the world.

Steve was born in Philadelphia in 1950 and graduated from the Faculty of Arts and Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. He began his career as a news photographer, covering international and civil conflicts such as the Iran-Iraq war, Beirut, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Gulf War and still provides coverage from Afghanistan. His work has appeared in most international magazines and he continues to contribute photos and articles about Tibet, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and Cambodia to National Geographic Magazine. He is distinguished by his ability to cross the borders of language and the barriers of religions.

Steve has been a member of Magnum Photos since 1968 and has published a number of books: The Path to Buddha. South Southeast, Sanctuary: The Temples of Angkor, Portraits

The lectures and workshops hosted by Steve McCurry convey a wealth of knowledge and field experience relevant to photographers of all kinds and levels.

For registration and enquiries, please refer to page 23

Photography workshop and lecture by international photographer

Steve McCurry, offers the workshop participants insights into his style and techniques of photography

and shares with them his experiences.

©Steve McCurry / Magnum Photos

ر مع انضم الى عالم المحترفين وصوستيف ماك كوري في أبوظبي

شارك في ورشة عمل توفر بيئة غنية منالمعرفة والخبرة الميدانية

23 - 27 February ٢٣ - ٢٧ فبراير

Meet

Steve McCurryThe Legend

قابلستيف ماك كوري

ا�سطورة

Steve MacCurry23 – 27 February 2009

November 3 2008 - Abu Dhabi, UAE – A delegation from the Sheikh Zayed Book Award was received by Deputy Director of the Nobel Foundation Ake Alteus yesterday in Stockholm, Sweden. The UAE delegation included Mr Rashed Al Oraimi, Secretary General of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, Dr. Ali Al Noaimi and Dr. Mohamad Al Murr, from the Award Advisory Council.

The delegation described the objectives of the Sheikh Zayed book award and its role in enriching the world of Arab culture. “It has been our pleasure to learn about one of the most prestigious awards worldwide. This meeting gave us a

wonderful chance to communicate and exchange expertise,” said Rashed Al Oraimi, commenting on the meeting.Mr Alteus briefed the delegation about the history of the Nobel Prize and the scientific basis on which the judging procedure is based.

The Swedish Academy, represented by the Permanent Secretary Horace Engdahl and Per Wustberg, a member of the Nobel Committee for Literature, explained the nomination process and briefed the delegation on the different criteria used for each of the six Nobel prizes: Chemistry, Medicine, Physics, Literature, Peace and Economics.

Nobel Prize hostsSheikh Zayed Book Award


The latest Arabic edition of the 19th issue of the letter of Intangible Heritage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has been published in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH).The Authority continues the translation and publication in Arabic of UNESCO’s letter, which is published every two months in five international languages in printed and electronic formats.

The new issue includes the latest achievements of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and contains four projects to preserve heritage. These projects were undertaken in different regions of the world and aim to encourage ethnic groups to continue practising their customs and traditions, consolidate their identities and assert their belonging.

The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage cooperates with the International Organization (UNESCO) in the framework of its urban trends which support all efforts to maintain the diverse human heritage.ADACH publicises human heritage in the belief of the importance of the cultural heritage of different human societies and the need for effective communication between these communities through their numerous cultures and identities.

Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritagecontinues the translation and publication of UNESCO’s message


The United Arab Emirates was elected as Chairman of the Intergovernmental Committee of Intangible Heritage at UNESCO during its third meeting held in Istanbul, Turkey on 4-8 November 2008 in the presence of more than 100 countries, governmental and non-governmental organisations and the 24 member states of the Committee. The Chairmanship in Office of the Intergovernmental Committee Safeguarding Intangible Heritage for the next session from September 2008 to September 2009 was also elected from the representatives of six regional groups of member states: UAE (Chairman), Croatia (Principal), Cyprus, Mali and Paraguay (Vice-Chairman). The Committee has elected the candidate of the UAE, Mr. Awad Ali Saleh, for the chairmanship of the fourth session which will meet in Abu Dhabi. The Committee discussed the issues on its agenda, notably the completion of some of the legal issues necessary for its work. This is to be followed by the implementation of the member states’ commitment to safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. Non-governmental organizations specializing in heritage management are to be employed as observers and their expertise used to work towards safeguarding heritage. The conditions required for the admission of these non-governmental organizations were also discussed. Among the topics put forward was the formation of a team of experts to consider requests made by various countries around the world for the registration of intangible heritage

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components in the representative list of human intangible heritage at UNESCO. At the end of the meeting in Istanbul, the Committee discussed the date and place of the next meeting. Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, was unanimously approved as the location of the fourth session of the Committee in September 2009. The next session will see the participation of about 300 guests representing the one hundred and four countries that signed the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage in 2003. Representatives of associations, regional organizations and non-governmental organizations will also be attending.

UAE elected as Chairman of IntergovernmentalCommittee of Intangible Heritage

Abu Dhabi to host next meeting

The exhibition Zayed: Memories and Horizons, mounted by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) in memory of His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, peace be upon him, attracted many visitors from all over the UAE. The exhibition comprised photographs and paintings by well known Emirati artists, illustrating the life of His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed.

The exhibition previewed at the Emirates Palace on 2 November for one day before opening at the ADACH headquarters in the Cultural Foundation. A series of black and white and colour exhibits traced the history of the Emirates, showing His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed meeting other Arab leaders, travelling and interacting with citizens, teachers and students.

Jalal Loqman and master calligrapher Mohammed Mandi both submitted works to the exhibition. Mandi’s work is based upon an inscription reading ‘the Union lives within me, in my heart; it is the best of me…I will never allow it to be divided or jeopardize its future...”

Zayed – Memories and Horizons


Portrait of His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, drawn with his name in

Ijaza calligraphic style - a gift from the artist to commemorate National Day.

The National Library at ADACH, in cooperation with Hala House, has published a series on the lives and works of famous artists. The books are translations of the Heinemann Library series, compiled by foreign specialist art writers.

The series comprises fourteen books introducing the most prominent artists from different historical periods, affiliations, artistic currents and intellectual trends. The publications are distinguished by simple and concise language and are full of useful information about the artists and their work.

The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritagehas published a series of art books.

The series includes Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Paul Cézanne, Claude Monet, Jackson Pollock, Vincent Van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, August Rodin, Rembrandt, Brueghel, Henry Moore and Paul Klee. The books were translated by Othman Mustafa Othman.

This initiative is part of a framework aimed at making Arab and Western art accessible to young people in the region, raising awareness of fine art and educating the artistic taste of future generations.

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جــــــذور

National Library page27


National Day Page 30Latest Arrivals, Periodicals Page 32Latest Arrivals, Books Page 34Book Reviews Page 36Kids' Latest Arriavals Page 42Just for Kids Page 44December in History Page 44Letters Perfume Page 45

National Day


There are crucial moments in the life of nations and peoples that point the way forward and determine the course of history. The possibility of seizing these moments varies, depending on the ability of our leaders to assess situations and take the right decision.

The sixth of August 1966 was a memorable day in the history of the United Arab Emirates as His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan took office as the ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and set for himself the goal of building and stabilizing a nation.

With great insight and vision he saw that a future of strength and continuity for his people could only come about in the form of an emirate with strong cultural and historical roots, firmly united with its neighbours as a first step towards confronting the challenges facing small territorial entities.

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His momentous decision culminated in the establishment of a union combining allied forces in one single entity – the United Arab Emirates. His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed described this experience, saying: “We have been able to develop a unique way of building a federal state.If you noticed, professors of political, constitutional and social sciences are studying our experience as a truly unique and pioneering federal experiment in history."We are all in this nation partners in opinion and politics, in planning and preparation, and in implementation. Without such participation, national action has no meaning or content.”

On 2 December 1971 His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed’s dream was realized in the creation of the United Arab Emirates, which set out in its Constitution that it is an independent sovereign state and part of “the great Arab nation”, with the intention of preserving its independence, sovereignty, security and stability; of pushing away any threat to its existence; of achieving close cooperation among its emirates for their mutual benefit; of seeking prosperity and progress in all fields; of providing better life for all its citizens; of supporting the causes and interests of Arab and Islamic countries.

Over the past thirty-seven years, the United Arab Emirates has become the most successful federal experience in the history of the Arab world and has succeeded in establishing itself in a world that recognizes only the most powerful.

Since its inception, the United Arab Emirates has achieved successes at all

economic, cultural and social levels. It has carved out for itself a distinct position

on the world map through participation in political, social, economic and cultural forums at

both regional and international level.

In the field of human development, only cultured, enlightened and literate individuals have proved themselves capable of building a society based on truth, goodness and beauty. The Authority for Culture and Heritage came into being to instil interest in the heritage of the UAE and pride in its culture. Through a clear strategy, it has enabled Abu Dhabi to become a leading cultural centre, proud of its cultural and national identity, protecting and promoting its heritage and fostering a creative spirit in the fields of knowledge and culture.

Director of the National Library

Jumaa Abdulla Al Qubaisi

Latest Arrivals Periodicals


33 دار الكتب الوطنية.. متعة القراءة.. وشغف المعرفة

Latest Arrivals Books


The United Arab Emirates is part of the Arabian Peninsula, which in turn forms a continental crossroads connecting Asia, Europe and Africa. It is a land of dramatic natural beauty with its turquoise seas, sand deserts, rocky plains, sabkhah or tidal flats and ancient barren mountains. It was not always such a harsh environment. The presence of fossils of animals such as early elephants, horses, hippopotami and sabre-tooth cats as well as freshwater reptiles such as crocodiles and turtles, shows that the area must once have been fertile, with wide, slow-moving rivers, and substantial rainfall, similar to today’s African savannahs.

Early man probably arrived in the Emirates tens of thousands of years ago and his flint tools can still be found scattered in the desert and on the edge of the mountains. The first datable evidence, however, goes back only to around 5000 BCE. Shell mounds and settlements have been found along the coast and on offshore islands, indicating remains of small fishing communities that were trading up the gulf to Mesopotamia.

The earliest large-scale archaeological remains date back around 5000 years to 3000-2500 BCE. Hundreds of stone

A Day above the EmiratesBy John Nowell. - DubaiEmirates Printing Press, 2002125P

tombs from this period have been discovered on the slopes of Jebel Hafit and Qarn Bint Saud near Al Ain, as well as on the neighbouring Hajar mountains in Oman, showing a sophisticated pattern of construction that could only have been undertaken by a well-organized and settled society. These people traded copper with Mesopotamia and the Indus valley.

Cuneiform tablets from the Sumerian Empire refer to the import of copper from Magan, now identified by archaeologists as having been in the area which includes the UAE and the Hajar mountains.

The site of a port that must have been a focal point of the trade has been found on Umm al Nar, a small island adjacent to Abu Dhabi, while at Tell Abraq in Umm al Quwain a massive mound yielded evidence of continuous occupation from about 2500 BCE to 500 BCE.

Other sites have been found all over the country and show that the inhabitants of the region in that far-off past enjoyed a sophisticated lifestyle, trading along desert and marine routes with other civilizations hundreds of kilometres away. One of the earliest records yet found

Book Reviews


of the domestication of the camel, dating back over 4000 years, has been discovered at Umm al Nar.

The great wooden dhows that line the anchorages of the modern Emirates and can still be seen under construction in boat-yards around the country are broadly the same as those that plied the seas from the seventh to the seventeenth centuries, trading between ports from East Africa to China. Competition between the European powers for regional supremacy at sea throughout the early modern period culminated in the British establishing themselves in the Gulf at the beginning of 1820. This move resulted in a treaty to preserve a maritime truce and earned the area yet another name, the Trucial States.


No single study can do justice to all the domains and genres of the UAE’s rich and colourful folklore. This study provides a broad analytical survey of folklore within traditional UAE society. It also examines the role and relevance of folklore in a contemporary context by focusing on its role in private and public life as well as in the political and socio-economic sectors.

The study is a result of my experience in the UAE during the last decade of the twentieth century, a period which was politically and socially turbulent in the UAE and in the gulf region as a whole. My personal and academic interests allowed me to witness important socio-economic and cultural changes and to observe and record useful information about folklore and folklife.

My work at the UAE University, which was mainly concerned with teaching and research in the closely related areas of sociology, anthropology and folklore, provided a useful forum for interaction with colleagues and students. It also presented a challenge which required me to learn more about UAE culture and society. Furthermore, owing to the fact that there are very few trained folklorists in the UAE, I found myself either directly or indirectly involved

in conferences, seminars and workshops dealing with the collection of data on, and study of, folklore in various emirates. This experience generated a large amount of literature, field data and first-hand information, part of which is used in the present study.

Two factors have encouraged me to publish this study in English. Firstly, there are virtually no academic works on UAE folklore in English whereas a number of important scholarly works about UAE archaeology, history and political science have appeared in English over the past decade. Secondly, the unique experience of the UAE with regard to the personal attention and financial support extended to folklore and cultural heritage by its political leaders deserves to be extensively publicized. In this way, a wide readership in the Arab world and beyond will benefit from UAE folklore scholarship in general. (from the author’s introduction)

Folklore and Folklife in the United Arab EmiratesBy Sayyid Hamid Hurriez. - London Routledge Curzon, 2002. 192P

Book Reviews


revolt of al-Mukhtar and the 'Abbasid revolution; On the meaning of the 'Abbasid call to al-Rida; The 'Abbasid Abna' and Sasanid cavalrymen; The early Islamic world; The pay of client soldiers in the Umayyad army; Mawali and the Prophet's family: a Shi'ite view; Imperial trauma: the case of the Arabs; Index.

This second collection of articles by Patricia Crone brings together studies on the development of early Muslim society, above all the army with which it was originally synonymous, from shortly after the Prophet's death until the mid-Abbasid period. The focus is on the changes that the Arab tribesmen underwent thanks to settlement outside Arabia, their strained relations with converts from the conquered population and their gradual eclipse by them. About the Author Patricia Crone is Professor at the School of Historical Studies, The Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, USA.

Table of Contents: Introduction; The Arabian Background: The tribe and the state; Tribes and states in the Middle East; The 1st-century concept of Hijra. The Later Evolution: Were the Qays and Yemen of the Umayyad period political parties?; A note on Muqatil b. Hayyan and Muqatil b. Sulayman; The significance of wooden weapons in the

From Arabian tribes to Islamic EmpireBy Patricia Crone. - London: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2008. 350P

Book Reviews


text for students taking just one course on the subject. Fundamentals of Digital Communication has coverage of turbo and LDPC codes in sufficient detail and clarity to enable hands-on implementation and performance evaluation, as well as “just enough” information theory to enable computation of performance benchmarks to compare them against. Other unique features include space-time communication and geometric insights into noncoherent communication and equalization.

Table of ContentsPreface 1. Introduction 2. Modulation 3. Demodulation 4. Synchronization and noncoherent communication 5. Channel equalization 6. Information-theoretic limits and their computation 7. Channel coding 8. Wireless communication

This is a concise presentation of the concepts underlying the design of digital communication systems, without the detail that can overwhelm students. Many examples, from the basic to the cutting-edge, show how the theory is used in the design of modern systems. Students will be motivated by the relevance of this theory which is supported by practical algorithms so that they can perform computations and simulations. Leading edge topics in coding and wireless communication make this an ideal

Fundamentals of Digital CommunicationBy Upamanyu Madhow. – Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. 499


Kids’ Latest Arrivals


Just for KidsMy name is Mohamed. I am ten years old. I like books very much

especially those about the United Arab Emirates and the heroes of

Islamic history. I invite all my friends to visit the children’s library in the

Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage. Let’s see what’s new in the

children’s library.

December in History

02 December 1971 the Birth of the United Arab Emirates •03 December 1661 Galileo invents the telescope•6 December 1768 the first edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica is •published.10 December 1901 the first Nobel Prizes are awarded.•15 December 1939 Gone with the Wind, one of the most famous movies of •all time, premieres in Atlanta, Georgia.17 December 2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is •released worldwide.27 December 1904 Peter Pan, a play by J.M. Barrie, premieres in London. •


Letters Perfume

Beauty is in the ideal of perfect harmony which is in the universal

being; truth the perfect comprehension of the universal mind. We

individuals approach it through our own mistakes and blunders,

through our accumulated experience, through our illumined

consciousness - how, otherwise, can we know truth?


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Abu Dhabi Classics

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Abu Dhabi Classics

Abu Dhabi Classics - the programme schedule

10 Jan 2009 at 8.00 pm

Shostakovich conducts Shostakovich, Emirates Palace Auditorium

During the course of his exile in the US, Maxim Shostakovich appeared with most of the leading North American orchestras, including those of Boston, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Toronto. In 1994 he returned to his Russian motherland and again conducted regularly in St. Petersburg and Moscow.As the authentic and predestined interpreter of his father’s music, he has recorded all of Dmitri Shostakovich’s

symphonies and initiated a major Shostakovich Festival in London’s famous Royal Albert Hall. He will make his Abu Dhabi Classics debut with London’s Philharmonia Orchestra in an all-Russian programme featuring his father’s Fifth Symphony, the work that represents a heroic manifesto of artistic freedom. This will be preceded by one of the greatest violinists of the younger generation, Sergey Khachatryan, as soloist in Tchaikovsky’s stirring Concerto.

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The Magical Music of Walt Disney, Abu Dhabi National Theatre

The Lion King, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Tarzan and The Jungle Book … everybody knows these great Disney classics but few people realize that the roster of names behind the music for Disney films reads like a Who’s Who of international musical life, from classical to pop. The great American conductor James Levine, for example, collaborating with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, recorded the music for Fantasia 2000 – including classical favourites by Beethoven, Gershwin, Respighi, Elgar and Shostakovich – while figures like Elton John, Phil Collins, Alan Menken,

Hans Zimmer and Jerry Goldsmith have composed for Disney soundtracks. All of these famous names have contributed to the unique quality of these total artworks, making the great Disney masterpieces not only a musical must for children, but obligatory viewing – and listening – for grown-ups too. For Abu Dhabi Classics’ first film-music concert, conductor Allan Wilson has selected the most beautiful melodies from Walt Disney films for performance by London’s Philharmonia Orchestra. And, of course, the indispensable visual dimension will be catered for with a movie screen behind the orchestra.

11 Jan 2009 at 6.00 pm

الحصان األحمر

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Lectures

Tuesday, 16th December 2008 at 7.30 pm, Ibn Majid HallArabic popular poetry: developments over the last 50 years

Professor Clive Douglas Holes

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Wednesday, 24th December 2008 at 7.30 pm, Ibn Majid HallThe Arabic Novel and the question of Space

Dr. Hassan Najmi

Lecture Programme

For timing confirmation please visit www.adach.ae

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Exhibitions

17 - 30 December 2008

Photography Exhibition Artist: Ahlam Al AhmadIbn Daher Hall

59 For timing confirmation please visit www.adach.ae

Exhibitions

Events page61

Cinema

Portrait of the artist Professor Sheikh Al-Turki Hassan Chalabi with his name.

Contemporary Chinese Cinema Page 64Classic Truffaut Page 72Contemporary Latin American Cinema Page 78Box office Movies Page 80

Events page63

Cinema

Beyond Martial Arts: Contemporary Chinese CinemaSelected by Film Curator Christoph Mohni

Raise The Red Lantern -1991

Friday 19 December

China in the 1920s. After her father's death, nineteen-year-old Songlian is forced to marry Chen Zuoqian, the lord of a powerful family. Fifty-year-old Chen already has three wives, each of them living in separate houses within the great castle. The competition between the wives is tough, as their master's attention carries power, status and privilege. Each night Chen must decide with which wife to spend the night and a red lantern is lit in front of the house of his choice. And each wife schemes and plots to make sure it's hers. However, things get out of hand.

Zhang Yimou - China

Contemporary Chinese Cinema

Film schedule is subject to change so please call 02-6195391/02-6195303 for prior confirmation.

Cinema page64

In The Mood For Love - 2000

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Friday 26 December

Set in Hong Kong in 1962, Chow Mo-Wan is a newspaper editor who moves into a new building with his wife. At approximately the same time, Su Li-zhen, a beautiful secretary and her executive husband also move in to the crowded building. With their spouses often away, Chow and Li-zhen spend most of their time together as friends. They have everything in common from noodle shops to martial arts. Soon, they are shocked to discover that their spouses are having an affair. Hurt and angry, they find comfort in their growing friendship even as they resolve not to be like their unfaithful mates.

Wong Kwar-Wai - Hong Kong

All screenings at The Cultural Foundation, Bainuna Hall, 8pm

Platform - 2000

Friday 02 January

In 1979, in a China undergoing rapid changes, it is still forbidden to listen to pop music. Platform is a record young people listen to in secret. Minliang and his friends, an official theatre company, present a play in praise of Mao Zedong. With the 1980s, the theatrical troupe’s life changes: pop music, permed hair, cigarettes…This feature film follows the artistic and emotional tribulations of the young artistes over a ten-year period against a backdrop of revolutionary disappointment, a bygone past and privatization.

Zhangke Chia - China



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Breaking News - 2004

Friday 09 January

When an ambulatory TV news unit live broadcasts the embarrassing defeat of a police battalion by five bank robbers in a ballistic showdown, the credibility of the police force hits rock bottom. While on a separate investigation in a run-down building, detective Cheung discovers the hideout of the robbers. Cheung and his men have also entered the building, getting ready to take their foes out any minute. Meanwhile, in order to beat the media at its own game, Inspector Rebecca decides to turn the stakeout into a breaking news show.

Johnnie To - Hong Kong

Beijing Bicycle - 2001

Friday 16 January

Beijing: young men in gangs, machismo, class divisions, violence, and indifference. Guei arrives from the country - toothbrushes, hotel foyers – and is dazzled by Qin, a rich neighbour in high heels. He gets a job as a messenger. The company issues him a bike, which he has to pay for out of his wages. When it is stolen, Guei hunts for it. A student, Jian, has taken it; for him, it's the key to teen society - with his pals and with Xiao, a girl he fancies. Guei finds the bike and stubbornly tries to reclaim it in the face of great odds, but for Jian to lose the bike would mean humiliation. The two young men - and the people around them - are swept up in the youths' desperation.

Wang Xiaoshuai - China



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Internal Affairs - 2002

Friday 23 January

The setting is the never-ending war between the police and the Triads of Hong Kong. Chan is a cop who's been assigned to undercover work inside the Triads for so long that he's been able to rise through the ranks to a position of some authority. Lau, meanwhile, is a secret member of the Triads who has infiltrated the police force with an equal level of success. As they feed their bosses information on the plans and counter-plans of the organizations they pretend to serve, they both begin to feel the stresses of their double lives as they become torn between the oppressive obligations they owe to their superiors and the growing camaraderie they share with the foot soldiers around them. As the two organizations become increasingly aware of the moles in their midst, the race is on for Chan and Lau to try and get out of the game alive.

Andrew Lau & Alan Mak - Hong Kong


Night Train - 2007

Friday 30 January

Wu Hongyan, a female executioner in her thirties, works at the court in the province of Shaanxi in China, where she executes women condemned to death. In spite of her macabre job, Wu Hongyan travels every weekend to a town nearby to join parties organized by a marriage bureau. The result of her dating is mediocre, until she meets the mysterious Li Jun. But she is thousands of miles away from imagining that Li Jun’s wife is the last of the women she executed. Electrifying!

Yinan Diao - China



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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon -2003

Friday 23 February

crouching tiger hidden dragon is a masterpiece. It has that attitude you know, you either ride with us or collide with us. With the green scenery and the martial artist in this movie, one is left speechless as they create magnificent fight scenes. The story plot is somewhat complicated and difficult to understand if not careful, but wonderfully done. I think this movie is a great watch if you have an interest in martial art movies. The cast and costumes was excellent. I am still amazed by the special effects and have to give it up to the creators of the flick. The particular scene with the girl really lays an atmosphere of perfection.

Yun-Fat Chow & Michelle Yeoh - Hong Kong


We continue our regular tributes to the world’s greatest filmmakers

with a six-week special programme dedicated to François Truffaut.

Few directors have had such a lasting impact on future generations

of filmmakers in the practice and theory of cinema as Truffaut.

In a film career lasting just over a quarter of a century, he was

screenwriter, director, producer and actor in over twenty-five

films, one of the founders of the French New Wave in filmmaking,

and an iconic figure in European cinema.

For this tribute we have selected six films representative of various

periods in his life and creative path.

Classic Truffaut

Les Quatre cents coups - 1959

Sunday 07 December

The primary focus of The 400 Blows is the life of a young character by the name of Antoine Doinel, caught between an unstable parental relationship and an isolated youth and based on the real life events of Francois Truffaut himself. The film won Best Director Prize at Cannes and is credited with the creative birth of the ‘new wave’ movement in Cinema.


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Farhenheit 451 -1966

Sunday 14 December

Fahrenheit 451 speaks of a totalitarian society in the future where books are banned (any found must be destroyed), as the credits of the film anticipate, being spoken not written. But civil disobedience is active: the rebels, unable to preserve a book, transform themselves into one. Each memorises a book and repeats it ceaselessly, they are people-books creating a new oral tradition that allows them to escape the regime and—like Truffaut—live in their love of books.


CLASSIC TRUFFAUT

Baisers Voles/ Stolen Kisses -1968

Sunday 21 December

Jean-Pierre Léaud returns in the delightful Stolen Kisses, the third instalment of the Antoine Doinel series. It is now 1968 and the mischievous and perpetually love-struck Doinel has been dishonorably discharged from the army and released onto the streets of Paris, where he stumbles into the unlikely profession of private detective and embarks on a series of misadventures. Whimsical, nostalgic and irrepressibly romantic, Stolen Kisses is Truffaut’s timeless ode to the passion and impetuosity of youth.


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L’ Énfant Sauvage -1970

Sunday 28 December

A variation on the theme of the abandoned child, deprived of affection and human warmth. Of the film Truffaut remarked, "It's a film that responds, ten years later, to Les Quatre cents coups. We have on the screen, as we have said before, someone who lacks something essential, but this time there are people who will try to help." Truffaut plays Dr. Itard who is responsible for readapting Victor, a wild boy found in the forest, to society. The plot was derived from a book by Lucien Malson, Les Enfants sauvages: mythe et réalité, which analysed 52 cases of abandoned children who grew up alone. The film suggests enormous confidence in the educational process and in the possibility of redemption by exposure to culture.


CLASSIC TRUFFAUT

Le Dernier Metro - 1980

Sunday 04 January

François Truffaut tackles the elusive nature of creativity in this thoughtful, sumptuous, 1980 film. Nominated for the Best Foreign Language film Oscar, and the winner of various Césars, The Last Metro is a tale of the theatre in occupied France during World War II. Marion Steiner (Catherine Deneuve) manages the Theatre Montmartre in the stead of her Jewish husband, director Lucas Steiner (Heinz Bennent). He has purportedly fled France but is really hiding in the basement of the theatre. The one hope to save the Montmartre is a new play starring the dashing Bernard Granger (Gérard Depardieu). The attraction between Marion and Bernard is palpable, and as usual Truffaut creates tension and drama from even the most casual of occurrences. The theme of the director locked away while his lover and his creation are appropriated by others makes for an interesting Truffaut study, but first and foremost this is a well-spun romance.


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Tirez Sur le Pianiste - 1960

Sunday 11 January

Francois Truffaut followed his highly successful debut, The 400 Blows with Shoot the Pianist, a very different film from its predecessor. Truffaut wanted to show his debt to American film-makers and decided to make a gangster film. In fact, the auteur/director mixed several different genres in his gangster film, so that it ends up as a tale of tragedy, lost love, violence and also comedy. Unfortunately the film was not popular with the general public and under-performed at the box office. Nearly fifty years later many critics regard it as an under-rated masterpiece, and it certainly shows Truffaut's grappling with the 'new wave' style of film-making, continuously experimenting with new techniques and styles.


Nicotina - Mexican Film

Friday 5 December

Nicotina is a highly stylized crime caper set in Mexico City about a simple exchange that goes awry, causing the lives of nine unsuspecting characters to explode in one tumultuous night over a fortune in diamonds. Lolo is infatuated with his neighbour Andrea and films her via high-tech peeping devices. Lolo teams up with amateur criminals Tomson and Nene in a deal with a Russian mobster that involves the exchange of diamonds for computer access to Swiss bank accounts. Down the street, the irritable pharmacist Beto and his fed-up wife Clara get inadvertently entangled in the exchange, along with barber Goyo and his other half Carmen. When the haze finally clears, computers have been hacked, people whacked and lives have gone up in a cloud of smoke.

Directed by Hugo Ródriguez

Contemporary Latin American Cinema


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Historias minimas - Argentinian Film

Friday 12 December

Near the provincial town of San Julian, three vibrant characters undertake seemingly mundane journeys that turn out to be subtly life-changing. A lonely, fastidious travelling salesman quests for the perfect cream cake to win the widow of his dreams. A grizzly grandfather hitchhikes to town to find his forgotten lost dog and seek forgiveness. A poor young mother hopes to win the grand prize--a microprocessor--as a contestant on a TV game show. In the end, the three will get more or less what they set out for, but it will come to them in ways that they never expected.

Directed by Carlos Sorin


The Warlords

Saturday 13 December

Starring action powerhouse Jet Li in the role of a powerful general, The Warlords is a heroic tale of three blood brothers and their struggle in the midst of war and political upheaval. The action adventure is based on 'The Assassination of Ma', a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) story chronicling the victories of general Ma Xinyi.

Directed by: Peter ChanStarring: Jet Li, Andy Lau, Takeshi

Kaneshiro, Xu JingleiGenre: War/ ActionRating: 18+Venue: Al Dhafra TheatreTime: 8:00 pm

Box office Movies


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Eagle Eye


In this race-against-time thriller, Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) and Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan) are two strangers thrown together by a mysterious phone call from a woman they have never met. Threatening their lives and family, she forces Jerry and Rachel to become fugitives.

Directed by: D.J. CarusoStarring: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle

Monaghan, Rosario DawsonGenre: Action/ThrillerRating: PG15Venue: Al Dhafra TheatreTime: 8:00 pm


Tabakh Al Rayees - Arabic


Mitwali is an ordinary cook chosen to be personal chef to the president who enjoys his company. For the president, Mitwali symbolises the man on the street. The cook finds himself in a position in which he can convey to the nation's leader his people's opinions, wants and needs.

Directed by: Saeed HamedStarring: Khaled Zaki, Talaaet ZakariahGenre: ComedyRating: GVenue: Al Dhafra TheatreTime: 8:00 pm

Box office Movies

Cinema page82

لوحات خطية من مختارات الفنان.

Events page85

Performing Arts

Zayed and the Dream Page 88Music of the World Page 89Dance Theatre/ In-I Page 90

Events page87

Performing Arts

"Zayed and the Dream"

Caracalla Dance Theatre

Created by: Abdel Halim CaracallaDirected by: Ivan CaracallaAbu Dhabi National Theatre2, 3 & 4 December 2008Performance begins at 8:00 pm

A theatrical creation inspired by the life and achievements of His Late Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan (God bless his soul)

(Where history meets art)

or tickets and information please contact:800-44444

From outside the UAE: +971-2-6215300

Performing Arts page88

All the concerts will take place at the Cultural Foundation - Al Dhafra Auditorium, 8.30 pm.

Liu Fang / China

Thursday 18 December 2008

Liu Fang is world famous for her virtuosic solo interpretations of traditional pipa and guzheng music from the classical and folkloric Chinese traditions. Celebrated in the press as being "one of the greatest virtuosos", "the empress of pipa" (L'Actualité, 2001) she combines her knowledge and practice of eastern traditions with western classical music, contemporary music and improvisation, thereby creating new musical forms, uniting different cultures and discovering new audiences.

Diego Amador/ Spain

Thursday 8 January 2009

Diego Amador is a musical phenomenon. His music is almost impossible to define, mixing the traditional with vanguard Flamenco in a truly original style. An entirely self-taught pianist and composer, he also sings and plays almost every possible instrument from guitar to percussion. His sound has elements of jazz, even early 20th Century Classical, but above all is unmistakably marked by its Flamenco passion.

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The Badila Ensemble/ France, India, Pakistan

Thursday 15 January 2009

Enter the world of trans-oriental Sufi groove with this extraordinary intercontinental Ensemble. Initiated by the French percussionist Bastien Lagatta, Badila is the project of refined fusion between western and eastern soundscapes, where Islamic influences merge with Hindu traditions and Indian rhythms converge with Arab and Persian melodies. Badila proposes a unifying vision and an open modern dialogue where secret worlds come together in a feast of the imagination for an unforgettable live experience.

Akram Khan & Juliette Binoche, Two international artists,

one dance adventure

28 & 29 January 2009 - Emirates Palace Auditorium

Dance Theatre/ In-I

Performing Arts page90

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Oscar-winning French actress Juliette Binoche and internationally acclaimed Pakistani-British contemporary dancer & choreographer Akram Khan have joined forces to create a major new work of dance theatre entitled In-I.

Turner prize-winning artist Anish Kapoor is designing the set for this exciting new production and award-winning composer Philip Sheppard has created the original score.

In-I takes both artists in new directions: Juliette Binoche is learning to dance, never having danced on stage before and choreographer and dancer Akram Khan will act, sing and play the guitar.

لوحات خطية من مختارات الفنان.

Events page93

Talents &Creativity

Centre

Events page95

Talents &Creativity

Centre

14 – 25 December

CoursesActivity Day Timing Instructor

Drawing Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed 6 -8 pm Jehan

Music - Piano Sun, Mon 5 – 8 pm Nancy and Rasha

Music - Organ Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed 5 – 6 pm Mohammed Abdul Rahim

Arabic Calligraphy Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed 6 – 7.30 pm Mohammed Faky

English Language (Speaking + Grammar) Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed 5 – 8 pm Omar Moustafa

Registration from: 23 – 27 November 2008•Agegroupwillbedecidedaccordingtothenatureofthecourse

For further information please contact the following numbers02/6195257 – 02/6195319 – 02/6195286

Talents & Creativity Centre

Talents & Creativity Centre page96

January 2009

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Art CoursesActivity Instructor

Ballet Irena

Drawing Jehan

Music - Piano Nancy and Rasha

Music - Organ Mohammed Abdul Rahim

Arabic Calligraphy Mohammed Faky

Developing & building up personalityActivity Instructor

Enhancement of thinking skills Saleh Aljarmy

Languages & other coursesActivity Instructor

English (Speaking + Grammar) Omar Moustafa

French (Beginners +

Advanced)Khadra

Art of Etiquette Doa'a Nada

•Age:6–15years

•Agegroupwillbedecidedaccordingtothenatureofthecourse.

•Registrationclosesuponcompletionoftherequired

number of participents.

•Theparticipationfeeisnon-refundableaftertheregidtration.

•Thecentreisnotresponsibleforparticipentsafterthe

end of the activity time.

For For more info., please call:02/6195257 – 02/6195319 – 02/6195286

Cultural Foundation

Cultural Foundation

Airport Road

Airport Road Airport Road

Dubai

Electra stHamdan st

Khalidiyah st

CornicheAbu Dhabi Athority for Culture & HeritageCultural FoundationPO Box 2380 - Abu Dhabi - UAETel 00 971 2 6215300Tel 00 071 2 6195303Fax 00 971 2 6336059www.adach.ae

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What other events would you like to see at ADACH?

We value your comments.

We would like to receive your suggestions and opinions through this survey to continuously improve our programs . We hope that you always communicate with us through this survey.

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القبة الزرقاء

Islamic Forum, Bensberg, Germany. Minaret on which the call to prayer is written in Diwani calligraphic style.

adach: this month, dec2008 - jan2009

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