Doha: Bokra The Film, a feature length documentary on the evolution of the hit charity song and music video Tomorrow-Bokra, and the impact of the arts on the lives of disadvantaged youth, will make world premiere at Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) on the closing night on December 17 at Madinat Souk Theatre, Madinat Jumeirah Hotel.
Presented by Global Gumbo Group (G3), directed by Emirati Ahmed Abdulqader and co-produced by the multi-Grammy- winning music producer Quincy Jones, Emirati social entrepreneur Badr Jafar and Emirati director Ali F Mostafa, the English and Arabic documentary will take viewers on a journey across the Middle East from Morocco to Jordan with behind- the-scenes footage of the song’s creative process and inspiring stories that demonstrate the power the arts can play in the lives of disadvantaged youth and those in worn-torn nations.
“I am proud that the people of the Middle East and North Africa so warmly embraced the themes expressed in Tomorrow - Bokra and I can think of no better place to premiere the film on the making of the historic recording than DIFF. As with the recording of the Bokra song and music video, I know that the documentary will continue to prove my belief in the power of music and the arts to bring people together for the betterment of mankind,” said Jones.
Tomorrow-Bokra, an Arabic re-adaptation of Jones’ Grammy-award winning song Tomorrow (A Better You, A Better Me) was released in November 2011 debuting at No. 1 on the charts and went on to become one of the fastest-selling Arab songs of all time viewed over 11 million times on YouTube.
The charity single featured 24 artists from 16 nations in the Middle East and North Africa, singing in one voice for a better tomorrow. They included Majida El Roumi, Fahad Al Kubaisi, Kadim Al Saher, Marwan Khoury, Sherine Abdel Wahab, Tamer Hosny, Saber Rebai, Latifa, Fayez Al Saeed and others. International superstar Akon lent his voice to the track while Shakira, of Lebanese descent, recorded a special introduction to the video.
Proceeds from the song went to charities and initiatives for the region’s youth, with a focus on developing culture and arts. Beneficiaries included World Food Programme, Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation and Save the Children’s innovative HEART programme, which stands for Healing and Education through the arts. The film highlights HEART following its development into a programme that gives children an outlet for expression through art. HEART has supported 33 schools, 90 teachers and 4,000 children in Jordan and Palestine.
“It is an honour for Bokra The Film to debut in my home — the UAE — and at such an influential platform for the regional film industry. It is my hope that by showcasing the positive influence music and film can have on disadvantaged youth, more people will unite in the power of the arts to make a difference,” said Abdulqader.
“I have been close to the Tomorrow-Bokra project since it was an idea. To see what it has achieved from the beginning is incredible, and I knew when Badr asked for my thoughts on producing a documentary about the importance of art, that it was the ideal subject.
“It has been an honour working with Abdulqader in bringing Bokra The Film to its world premiere at DIFF,” said Mostafa.
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The Peninsula
