Cinema of Touch Zones: The UAE and Dubai
  • Category: Entertainment , World
  • Topic: Movies , Asia

Kay Dickinson, Arab Cinema Travels: Transnational Syria, Palestine, Dubai and Beyond (London: British Film Institute, 2016).

Sources/Credits for Visuals (Photos, Pictures, Illustrations, Art…)

Dubai’s prominent architecture frequently appears in Bollywood and Hollywood films. This paper explores the idea of cinema of touch zones, relying on Dubai’s historical connectedness with the world through overlapping globalization. Dubai is one of the biggest countries with a large rate of immigrants, such as Indians and South Asians. Many films demonstrate that the UAE has stunning geographic diversity, ranging from modern metropolitan environments to ocean beaches, rocky mountains, and miles of rolling desert. Dubai and Abu Dhabi have a solid track record when it comes to major international film productions.

For any director or filmmaker who wishes to produce a film in Dubai, there are several advantages. The UAE has state-of-the-art infrastructure and excellent internet connectivity, as well as a production-friendly environment that includes skilled local crews, top world-class production and post-production facilities, green screen requirements, and the availability of specialized equipment.

We have some places that we can suggest to the filmmakers for mass productions. One such place that may be attractive to any director and filmmaker is the Burj Khalifa, one of the UAE's iconic buildings known worldwide. This location has high volume visitations, and it was featured in a scene from Mission Impossible 3, in which Tom Cruise moved down through one of the windows to showcase Dubai's branding in his movie.

Another location that filmmakers in the UAE can use is the Sahara, a large part of the UAE covered by desert. This is the best filming location for any director who wishes to showcase the desert in their movie. Most films that are released in cinemas have scenes of the desert, such as the movie Dune, which follows the story of a young man who gets involved in a power struggle on a distant planet. The main location for this film is the Arrakis desert in Dubai.

The Atlantis hotel is another place that can be shown in Dubai movies, symbolizing UAE branding with unique geographical features and a pristine environment for filming special scenes. It showcases the view of Palm Jumeirah, one of the most beautiful, luxurious, and expensive places for tourists who visit Dubai.

As a result, Dubai is one of the best places for directors to make films, especially since it has skyscrapers and man-made islands like Palm Jumeirah and Jebal Ali Palm, along with natural icons that have many tourist attractions and history in the region. The UAE government spends lots of money on promoting their culture, which attracts many filmmakers and directors from Hollywood to make films in the UAE.

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