Butheina Kazim, founder of Cinema Akil, describes her journey into the world of film exhibition as anything but conventional. “It wasn’t a very linear process, as most creative enterprises are in this region. I don’t have this romantic story of growing up in a cinema behind the projector tower,” she explains. Yet, her passion for storytelling has been unwavering. “I think I have always been interested in stories and stories as life. Cinema is the closest thing to that.”
Butheina’s passion and hard work led Cinema Akil to progress from being a nomadic film company in 2014 to finding a permanent home in Dubai’s cultural hub, Alserkal Avenue, four years later. In conversation with MOJEH, Kazim goes into the world of film curation and the story behind her cinematic enterprise.
As the GCC’s pioneering arthouse cinema, Cinema Akil is dedicated to presenting narratives from both local and international filmmakers. It serves as a hub for cinephiles, offering a curated selection of films often overlooked by mainstream multiplexes, enabling discussion and community among its consumers. “We have a point of view and a bias towards presenting perspectives from the region as much as possible, and as much as is available and accessible, which is not always the case,” Kazim tells MOJEH.
This vision extends beyond the Middle East, encompassing a broader community. “When I say this region, it’s not just the Arab world. It’s not only the Middle East, it’s not only Southwest Asia and Africa. I think there’s a commonality in the Global South or the global majority. That is very interesting to us as a viewpoint that is underserved.”
A feminist and social justice component also underpins Cinema Akil’s programming. We often see its curations include works that are created by female filmmakers, whether they work on-screen or off-screen. “There is a strong feminist take that we try to bring to, as much as possible, a lot of our programming. So whenever I can privilege works by a female filmmaker, in front of or behind the camera, I think that’s very interesting to me,” says Kazim.
She discusses the challenges of her work, noting that much of it is far from glamorous. “Most of it is 70% work that’s bureaucratic, administrative like field memos, legal documents and so on. Only 30% is the curatorial and the artistic and poetic.” One significant hurdle is the preservation and access to classic films from the region. “It is a much harder job to get classics from the region, because of restoration, lack of institutional support for preservation efforts and producers or distributor disputes that also include hoarding of films.” The ultimate casualty, she expresses, is the audience not being able to access the films.
As we further discuss the process of screening films from all around the world, Kazim mentions financial barriers as a constant struggle, particularly compared to other regions. “In our market, we’re trying to introduce something, but the fees are the fees, right? So it becomes really difficult. And that does become a barrier financially because we don’t have the same subsidy structures that exist in Europe. We have to find other ways of financing these efforts.”
Despite these difficulties, Cinema Akil is driven by a distinct purpose. “The thing that I think is different is that it’s not meant exclusively to generate commercial success.” This commitment allows it to champion films that might not find a home in mainstream cinemas. “So a film like Balomania, that nobody else in any of the multiplexes in the UAE is going to show, we’re going to have to give a bit more TLC.”
Butheina Kazim believes in the transformative power of cinema for all and it remains one of the primary reasons she continues to work in the industry. “Cinema is for everyone. And whether you walked in here because we’re a highly Instagrammable establishment and you took some cool pictures with our wallpaper, if you ultimately watched the film, you watched the film. You don’t walk into a film and out of it the same person. Ever.”
She emphasises that even a negative experience leaves an imprint. “Whether you liked it or not, you could walk out of it hating every minute, but those images will sometimes creep up on you. And I think that’s enough for me.” This is particularly resonant in Dubai, where “we have so many stories that are untold. We have so many people, with so many histories and so many journeys that we never really get to hear.”
Looking ahead, Cinema Akil is developing new initiatives, including a South Asian independent film festival. “We’re putting together the list of this festival… It’s called Mitti, meaning Earth.” The festival, named by Punam Luhar, project manager at Cinema Akil, aims to initially focus on India with plans for expansion to South Asia. Having curated a range of successful film festivals in the region, including an Anime and Palestine focus, cinephiles eagerly await the announcement of the next. Learn more
