‘Salam – The Cultural Bridge Day’ promotes intercultural dialogue through cinema

The seventh Dubai International Film Festival  will host its ‘Salam – The Cultural Bridge Day’ on Thursday, December 16 with the objective of promoting intercultural dialogue and reflecting the credo of the festival, ‘Bridging Cultures. Meeting Minds.’

‘Salam – The Cultural Bridge Day’ will open with the screening of Egyptian director Hesham Issawi’s Cairo Exit, a powerful account of life in contemporary Cairo about two star-crossed lovers.

‘Salam – The Cultural Bridge Day’ is a significant component of the festival, highlighting its commitment to promote universal harmony through intercultural dialogue. With over 200 nationalities, Dubai is uniquely positioned to foster dialogue, and Cultural Bridge Day is a perfect fit to the ethos of the city and the festival.

The new venue of DIFF, The Walk at JBR is hosting a series of colourful events to mark the ‘Salam – The Cultural Bridge Day.’ Global Village is presenting some of this season’s most exciting international street entertainment. The festivities start at 2pm and will conclude with the open air screening, free to the public, of ‘My Wife’s Husband’ a film by Niazi Mostafa and the concert of Lebanese classical Arabic singer Rima Khcheiche.

At the venue, visitors can also take part in the popular digital photo-booths set up by Fishfayce. 

A new addition this year is the Peace Wall hosted by Diff in partnership with The JamJar Gallery. The public can participate in ‘Salam – The Cultural Bridge Day’ by sending messages of peace that will be depicted on the ‘Peace Wall.’

‘Salam – The Cultural Bridge Day’ will screen a repertoire of thought-provoking movies at Cinestar, MoE, including, Ebhram Saeedi’s Mandoo (MoE 12, 12.30pm); Aamir Bashir’s Harud (Autumn) (MoE 11, 1.00pm); Kaouther Ben Hania’s Les Imams Vont A L’Ecole (Imams go to School) (MoE 6, 3.15pm); Daniel Rudi Haryanto’s Prison and Paradise (MoE 5, 3.30pm); Ricky Tognazzi’s Il Padre E Lo Straniero (The Father and The Foreigner) (MoE 11, 4.15pm); Leila Sansour’s Al Tareeq Ila Bait Lahem (The Road to Bethlehem) (MoE 9, 6.00pm); Pradeepan Raveendran’s Les Ombres Du Silence (Shadows of Silence) (MoE 10, 6.30pm); Alireza Davoodnejad’s Marham (Salve) (MoE 12, 7.00pm); Wi Ding Ho’s Pinoy Sunday (MoE 1, 9.30pm); and John Akomfrah’s The Nine Muses (MoE 5, 9.45pm).