May 11: Nayla Al Khaja, the first woman filmmaker from the United Arab Emirates, is teaming up with renowned Oscar, BAFTA and Grammy winning Indian musician A.R Rahman for her upcoming film “Baab”.
The film, written by Al Khaja and Masoud Amralla Al Ali, follows a woman named Wahida, who is unable to make head or tails of her twin sister’s mysterious death and is plagued by a haunting rhythm in her ears. She discovers hidden cassette tapes and in her relentless pursuit of the truth she begins to unwind unresolved fabrics of her own great sorrow compelling her to journey deep into the mountains to unravel and comprehend the varied complexities of the human soul.
The film will begin shooting in March 2023 in the northern Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, which will provide the film’s backdrop of dramatic vistas of the Jais mountains and will cast indigenous people from the region for authenticity. Regarding the film Al Khaja said: “My grandmother came from the mountains, they have never been captured in a feature before, the sheer access to the indigenous people of Ras Al Khaimah and the soulful script is an untold story that I am eager to tell.
With A.R. Rahman on board, we will live a very immersive journey that is authentic, haunting and real.” Rahman added: “I’m delighted to be working with Nayla on her feature film ‘Baab,’ she’s a passionate and promising filmmaker and an important creative voice within the Gulf region. The script is enigmatic, thought-provoking and promises to be both visually and emotionally engaging for universal audiences. I’m looking forward to the journey.” Rahman recently set up the Firdaus Studio as part of Expo 2020 Dubai and mentored the Firdaus Orchestra, an all-woman ensemble of 50 musicians from 23 Arab countries.
Khaja is known for her five short films “Once” (2009),” Malal” (2010), “The Neighbor” (2013), “Animal” (2016), and “The Shadow” (2019). She is making her feature debut with “Three,” which is scheduled to go into production during later this year. She is also attached to the position of executive production and a potential director for the episodes of “The Alexandria Killings.”
