QATAR: Qataris shoot the Middle East's first-ever 3D film

Record ID: 513492

  • Title: QATAR: Qataris shoot the Middle East's first-ever 3D film
  • Date: 20th July 2010
  • Summary: GRAPHIC DESIGNER WORKING IN FRONT OF THE COMPUTER SCREEN MORE OF GRAPHIC DESIGNER WORKING
  • Embargoed: 4th August 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Qatar
  • Country: Qatar
  • Reuters ID: LVA6IFRAX0PFDQP5K8H7C5I7F733
  • Story Text: Two young Qataris, Mohammed Abdul Rahman and Ahmed Al Baker, will create history by making the first-ever 3D film in the Middle East.
    Entitled ''The Package Volume 1'', the action-thriller is being shot in various locations in Qatar -- with new faces taking the lead roles.
    "The film takes place in the period from 1930-2022. We chose the year 2022 because a lot of events will happen in Qatar that year. Therefore we wanted to mention them. There are four main characters in the film. Each one of them is different from the other. This film carries a valuable message. We are looking to convey a message to the audience," said Mohammed Abdul Rahman, one of the film's producers and screen writers.
    A unique feature of the film is that all its actors and crew members are Qatari, except for the editor who is based in Hollywood.
    ''The film will be 100 percent Qatari. The actors and main characters are all Qatari, the characters in the background are residents of Qatar," Rahman told Reuters while working in his studio.
    The language of the film will not be classical Arabic, but the local Arabic spoken in Qatar. At the same time, English, French and Urdu will be used in different parts of the film.
    Ahmed Al Baker is co-producer and screen writer.
    ''Everything will be regular in our film but we will use HDV cameras. These are the techniques we are using. As for the final edit, we will introduce many colours and the new technique of 3D for the first time in the Middle East. Audiences will wear 3D glasses to watch the film. Some scenes will be done with camera movements and filming techniques used for the first time," he said.
    Al Baker also talked about the humble beginnings of what is set to be the Middle East's first 3D film.
    "When Mohammed and I first started, we were thinking: "Who will take the first step?" We all waited for this first step, and then decided to take it ourselves. This will be our achievement, our country's and the Arab world's first 3D film experience,'' he said.
    And in terms of budget, Al Baker said that it's still a work in progress.
    ''Currently, thank God we are able to fund our project. We will show our film in Qatar and the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region, but we hope to get support from the Ministry of Culture to show the film worldwide and document it as a 100% Qatari film."
    Nearly 40 percent of the film is complete, and the plan is for it to be finished within two months, in time for the Doha Tribeca Film Festival in October.
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