CinemaMAS Weekend day one

An afternoon of films, some full-length and some shorts, for a single price (AED 50) as part of the sixth edition of the Manarat’s CinemaMAS film festival. (Individual films on weekdays are AED 30 per head, and there’s an all-inclusive ticket at AED 150 that includes the weekends.)

3pm Butterfly Tale dir Sophie Roy (2023, 82 mins)

This delightful full-length Canadian animation is based on the real-life migration of monarch butterflies. The plot follows a young butterfly who is unable to fly but who dreams of joining his friends and family on the great butterfly migration over North America … So with two friends he embarks on an adventure full of obstacles that will force him to face his own fears, embrace his uniqueness, and triumph over adversity.

4.25pm Helena dir Ayarush Paudel (2021, 10 mins)

Helena is working in the UAE as a waitress. Her son in Nepal has been asking for a laptop for the last four months; finally, when she’s saved enough money to buy one, she finds out that she’s lost some of the cash. In between the pressure from work and from her family, how will she get through this? Hindi with English subtitles

4.35pm Simo dir Aziz Zoromba (2022, 23 mins)

To impress his older brother, Simo sneakily takes over Emad’s online gaming channel. His actions take a dangerous turn that may seriously impact the future of their family. Arabic and French with English subtitles.

4.50pm Metabolism dir Misho Antadze (2023, 12 mins)

A strangely serene portrait of the intimate relationship between robots and living beings, all in the service of human consumption. Robots are the protagonists here and with close observation their personalities start to shine through.

5.05pm Les Chenilles dir Michelle Keserwany, Noel Keserwany (2023, 29 mins)

Asma and Sarah, two women from the Levant, find themselves working in the same restaurant in Lyon. Initially wary of each other, they gradually discover a common thread that binds them — one that dates back to when the Silk Road connected Lyon to their home countries. Arabic and French with English subtitles

6pm The Key dir Rakan Mayasi (2023, 18 mins)

A psychological thriller based around the Palestinian right of return. Young Edina is frequently kept awake by a mysterious sound in the middle of the night. What will her parents do when the sound creeps in further? Hebrew with English subtitles

7pm Monster dir Hirokazu Kore-eda (2023, 81 mins: still above)

After discovering that a teacher is responsible for her young son’s sudden change of behaviour, the mother storms into the school demanding to know what’s going on. As the story unfolds through the eyes of the mother, teacher and child, the truth gradually emerges. Japanese with English subtitles

9pm LYD dir Sarah Ema Friedland & Rami Younis (2023, 78 mins)

This feature-length “sci-fi documentary” shares multiple pasts, presents, and futures of the city of Lyd in Palestine/Israel. From the perspective of the city herself, the viewer is taken on a journey through the lifespan of a 5,000-year-old city and its residents. A story of a city that once connected Palestine to the world – what it once was, what it is now, and what it could have become. Arabic with English subtitles