ROLE MODEL: A publicity image of Mohammed Saeed Harib with characters from his hit animation series Freej.

Emirati Mohammed Saeed Harib, the man behind UAE’s first and extremely popular 3D animated series, spells out his success mantra. By Anand Holla

Thinking outside the box can be life-changing. Emirati animation director Mohammed Saeed Harib’s triumph is a testament to that.

At the Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar’s (VCU-Q) 2014 Commencement Ceremony, on Monday, at the Education City Student Centre, Harib spoke on how he made it big and the importance of following your dreams against all odds. “Dream big; don’t let people tell you that you can’t,” he said.

In the event that witnessed VCU-Q conferring 57 Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in fashion, graphics, interior design and painting and printmaking, and five Master of Fine Arts degrees in Design, Harib’s sharing of his success story proved to be an ideal shot of inspiration for the young talents.

The man behind UAE’s first and extremely successful 3D animated series, Freej (which means neighbourhood in the Emirati dialect), has won numerous awards, including the Emerging UAE Talent Award at the Dubai International Film Festival.

For those needing an estimate of his popularity, Harib could be considered as the Middle Eastern equivalent of Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons. Launched in 2006, his show was voted by viewers as the top show of 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Freej follows the lives of four chatty Emirati grandmothers, who live in a secluded neighbourhood of the fast-changing 21st Century Dubai. Steering clear of rehashing superheroes, Harib started off Freej by looking to his roots for inspiration.

This made him think of the female folk of yore who would raise children and multi-task at home while their husbands went pearl diving for months on end. That they wore Bedouin face masks made it easy for Harib to see them as “superwomen.”

Freej’s wisest character Um Saeed is an ode to his grandmother, while Um Saloom, Um Allawi and Um Khammas make for an interesting combination of colourful personalities.

Dubai-born Harib, who is the chairman of Lammtara Pictures that he established around nine years ago, talked about the several hurdles he faced for more than three years before he could get Freej funded, and how Freej was only the beginning of his longer journey that now includes everything from wedding production and music production to photography, films and events.

“When I was a child, I watched movies like the Lion King, and when I started working on Freej (in 2006), I worked with the director of Lion King, Roger Allers,” Harib said. Interestingly, Harib is currently working on the animated feature The Prophet with Roger Allers. Recently, he also directed Freej Folklore, a grand Arabic theatrical production.

Addressing the graduates, Harib, who had studied General Arts and Animation at Northeastern University in Boston, said, “Qatar is hosting the World Cup. It needs your contribution, the region needs you. Dubai is hosting the World Expo and I hope many of you will make great contributions to both.”

The 62 new VCU-Q graduates are now set to join the band of 411 alumni who are pursuing careers within the government, non-profit and private entities in Qatar and around the world, or have established their own businesses.

Among many interesting observations made by the speakers, VCU-Q Dean Allyson Vanstone’s message to the graduating students summed up the mood of the ceremony: “You are educated citizens who will enrich the lives of those you touch. As critical artists, designers, and scholars, you will build bridges of understanding between cultures through your work. There are significant challenges in our world that need your attention and passion. You have the knowledge, skills and abilities to approach any challenge with creative experimentation, collaboration and commitment.”

 


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SUPERWOMEN: Freej follows the lives of four Emirati grandmothers, who live in a secluded neighbourhood of the fast-changing 21st Century Dubai.