Project Description

Considered one of the pioneers of the social documentary, Kamran Shirdel had almost all of his films banned from screening and distribution in Iran by 1975. He left the country exploring nearby Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the nascent United Arab Emirates. He directed documentaries on Kuwait, Fujairah and Dubai, the first two of which were not completed. In Dubai 1975, Shirdel observes and narrates the growth of the emirate, interviews the ruler at the time, Sheikh Rashed al- Maktoum and the current ruler Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed. Today, the film is an astounding document of a city that has witnessed superlative growth at dizzying speed.

Director: Kamran Shirdel, Voiceover Text: Ismael Nooriala, Director of Photography: Fereidoun Raypour and Kamran Shirdel, Sound: Ahmad Khanzadi, Editor: Kamran Shirdel. Produced by the General Office for Film Production, Ministry of Culture and Art, Iran.

April 2011