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Two scripts written by Bahrain’s movie-makers are set to be turned into films by next year, after being chosen amongst the kingdom’s top amateur screenwriters, writes Naman Arora.
Bahraini Ahmed Akbar and expat Danny Sokov have been selected from six shortlisted screenwriters who participated in a two-week workshop.
They will be working with Mohamed Yusuf Fakhro to bring their vision into two short films, with financial support from the French Embassy.
“It was fantastic to see the uniquely Bahraini stories each of the attendees wanted to tell,” said Marianne Mayer, 49, who conducted the workshop.
“They proved to be quick learners and we are excited to see these projects come to life.
“The jury was impressed by the quality of all the scripts and it was difficult picking winners.”
Ahmed, 28, who lives in Muharraq studied 3D animation in Malaysia for four years and now works in a production company as an editor.
He was drawn to this workshop after having realised that he needed to further develop his script-writing abilities.
His film, Window, won the Best Cinematography award at the Made with Passion film festival in Bahrain last year but based on feedback, he realised that he needed a stronger script.
The film revolves around a maternity nurse and her husband, who are only able to conceive after 35 years of marriage.
“I grew up watching and loving movies,” he told GulfWeekly.
“I started with music videos and skater short films. After I came back to Bahrain, I started taking workshops, including one with Sayed Hashem, a renowned Bahraini film maker.
“This workshop changed my paradigm on cinema and I worked with my friend Mohamed Sultan, who studied film in the UK, to participate in a short film festival.
“We made Roznama, which means ‘calendar’ in Arabic. It was two minutes long and we won second place in the Bahrain Cinema Club festival.
“Since then, we have an agreement to make two shorts every year – he directs one and I direct the other one.
“I had a log line and an idea for a script when I started but this workshop has helped me layer that and develop it into a full script.
“The story is a drama and thriller about a deaf individual who sees everyone in a different light.”
His co-winner, Danny, on the other hand has decided to go down the satire and dark comedy route with a film about ‘a boy and his Djinn’, colloquially known as a genie and being careful about one’s wishes.
He studied at the UK’s University of Kent, graduating in 2012 with a degree in film studies and specialisation in screenwriting and editing.
“I was fortunate to have a mentor there, who was already a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)-nominated director,” the 29-year-old who lives in Juffair said.
That helpful hand allowed him and other students to gain apprenticeships to work on a script which also received a BAFTA nomination.
“Since then I have worn many hats on a film set, from script supervisor to cameraman,” he added.
“I took this workshop to sharpen my skills, both in screenwriting and to learn more about Marianne’s method of teaching it.
“I teach film theory and screenwriting myself, and I learned from Marianne’s hands-off approach where she plants a seed and lets it grow.”
The two film-makers have been allotted a budget by the French embassy for their seven-to-12 minute short films and will be shooting them in Bahrain over the coming months.
