Ramadan 2021: Two Arab films to screen for free at Dubai’s Cinema Akil

Cinema Akil and AlSerkal in Dubai will be collaborating for some public Ramadan programming in the final weeks of this year’s holy month.

Entitled #ThisIsNotABuffet, the film series features a documentary and a feature from different corners of the Arab world, both of which will screen indoors.

While the films themselves are free, prior registration is required.

First, on April 28 at 8 pm, Lift Like a Girl, a documentary from Egyptian director Mayye Zayed, will see it’s Dubai premiere. The doc follows a weightlifting coach called Captain Ramadan and his protégé Zebiba, who dreams of lifting like the Captain’s former students.

Next, on May 5 at the same time, We Are From There, a Syrian/Lebanese film from Wissam Tanios, will be showing. The story follows two brothers who dream of more, told against the backdrop of war-torn Syria.

The official descriptions of the films can be found below:

For over 20 years, Captain Ramadan coached world-class weightlifters in Alexandria, Egypt. A larger-than-life character in his own right, Ramadan led his daughter, one of Egypt’s most famous athletes, Nahla Ramadan, to become a world champion, and trained Abeer Abdel Rahman, the first Arab woman to become a two-time Olympic medalist. Mayye Zayed’s observational documentary dives into the training of Ramadan’s new protégé: the determined Zebiba (which means “raisin”), who dreams of lifting on the level of Captain’s past stars. Shot over four years, starting when Zebiba is 14 years old, Lift Like a Girl is an intimate journey into the inner life of an aspiring athlete. Filmed largely at Ramadan’s outdoor gym and at weightlifting competitions, it captures feats of astonishing athleticism. But it’s not just about muscle mass à la Pumping Iron, as Zayed explores the complex bond between Zebiba and her Captain — a bond that is frequently unpredictable, sometimes volatile, but always rooted in what can only be described as an unshakable faith. Zayed’s seamless cinematography takes on the perspective of the other lifters and of the crowd, and she doesn’t shy away from the losses and tears. The result captures Zebiba’s physical and mental struggles, as Ramadan pushes her further and harder — often more than any of his other athletes. But as time marches on, bringing Zebiba more success, it also brings new challenges for the gym, her team, and ultimately for Zebiba herself.

Jamil and Milad are brothers with very different personalities. Jamil is a get-up-and-go carpenter, following in his father’s footsteps. Milad is a sensitive trumpeter and dreamer. As their home country, Syria, sinks further into war, Jamil emigrates first to Beirut and then makes an illegal journey to Sweden. Milad stays in Damascus, but eventually can’t take it any longer and decides to leave to Berlin. Their cousin Wissam records their journey for over five years, bringing back childhood memories, while questioning the true meaning of home. The traumatic war in Syria plays a background role in this documentary, which focuses more on the psychological effects of being uprooted and the way the brothers, who had previously hardly travelled, deal with emigration. It draws with humility and admiration the human ability to cope with change, as radical as it can be. Jamil and Milad are achievers, each adapting his own way.