Documentary soon on life in Qatar

Fatma al-Remaihi and QTA’s Saif al-Kuwari announcing the launch of Dari Qatar yesterday.

By Joey Aguilar/Staff ReporterA feature-length documentary film will be created to paint a bigger picture of daily life in Qatar and its rich culture and heritage with the participation of Qatar residents.“Dari Qatar (My Home Qatar) is our tribute to our leadership and our nation,” Doha Film Institute (DFI) CEO Fatma al-Remaihi said yesterday.“Film is the most powerful story-telling medium and with this new initiative, we are reaching out to the entire Qatari community to call the shots in sharing their story with the world,” she said.The initiative was launched by DFI and Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) at Katara - the Cultural Village. Dari Qatar, supported by Occidental Petroleum Corporation, The Pearl-Qatar and United Development Company, will run for nine months until September 30, 2016.Al-Remaihi urged residents - both amateurs and professionals - to film and share moments from their daily undertakings, experiences and activities in the country and submit it to the DFI. These include enjoying the desert dunes and beaches, getting stuck in traffic snarls on the way to office and feeding a cat on the street, among others.Participants may use mobile phones, digital cameras, state-of-the-art cameras or other gadgets such as GoPro in shooting videos. Al-Remaihi believes the initiative gives bloggers, Instagramers and those who are obsessed with social media a chance to showcase their talent.“From this footage we will create a panorama of life in Qatar covering six segments: family, change, joyful honesty, harmony, nature and beauty,” she said. “Dari Qatar will be the story of Qatar told by all of us.”DFI will also work with a team of professionals and filmmakers to build a storyline out of the video footages submitted by the participants. The final output is expected to premiere in late 2016.The project was launched ahead of Qatar National Day to give people the opportunity to enjoy and film the annual celebration “which brings many high points about life in Qatar.”Al-Remaihi called on residents to visit the DFI website (www.dohafilminstitute.com) to upload their videos, as well as get some tips on filmmaking and other technical details of the project such as criteria and qualifications. QTA’s international co-operation director Saif al-Kuwari said the initiative also forms part of their ‘National Tourism Sector Strategy’ to diversify their products and services which are rooted in Qatar’s culture and heritage.