Written by Tarek Abu Esber, New Media, DFI

Film: ‘The Philosopher’
Year: 2010
Director: Abdulla Al Kaabi
Genre: Short
Cast: Jean Reno, Cyrille Thouvenin

Thousands of filmmakers make their first short film before they’ve turned 25, but few can persuade a big-name actor to star in it. Yet, that’s exactly what Emirati director Abdulla Al Kaabi managed to do when he cast legendary French actor Jean Reno as the lead role in his debut short, ‘The Philosopher’.

Based on ‘Baggio’s Story’ , the film follows a nameless protagonist (Jean Reno) who has lived a successful life but is burdened with the desire to be remembered as a philosopher. To achieve this he embarks on a series of misguided decisions, starting by relinquishing himself of all his possessions – including his clothes! He then decides that he must surrender his free will if his mind is to truly be free.

After a lot of searching, he finally finds someone who is willing to make all his decisions for him: a striking young man named Leo (Cyrille Thouvenin). Rid of all responsibility, Jean Reno’s character sets about obeying all Leo’s commands – from watching TV for 8 hours straight to eating the food that he is told to eat.

His mundane routine, and his ‘masters’ apparent indifference to the responsibility he has been given, soon leads to misgivings and confrontation – will his aimlessness lead him to his true purpose? This certainly does not look like a student’s first film as Al Kaabi manages to quickly engross us in the philosopher’s world with beautifully shot scenes and light pacing.

The small cast is well chosen with French film and theatre actor Cyrille Thouvenin holding his own opposite his renowned French counterpart. Reno, meanwhile, plays his role with the ease and care of a seasoned actor and really makes you care about his character’s fate.

What is unusual about this short by an Arab director is that it is told in English and is set in an undefined, yet very European, setting. This is not an Arab story that an audience is used to seeing. ‘The Philosopher’ is a story of loneliness and friendship: universal themes in a universal setting.

It’s refreshing to see a young Arab director who isn’t getting caught up in trying to tell what some would perceive as an Arab narrative. The filmmaker found a tale he was passionate about and made it his own, and the result is a film that demonstrates his ability as a director.

After premiering at the 2010 Dubai International Film Festival last December, ‘The Philosopher’ has been doing the rounds on the festival circuit, and has picked up 3 awards at the Los Angeles Cinema Festival, Hollywood. This month, it will also screen in New York as part of the shorts programme at the 10th Tribeca Film Festival.

video#1

But Al Kaabi isn’t resting on his laurels. Instead of sitting back and enjoying his time spent travelling with the film, he is already in pre-production for his debut feature. The romantic comedy, which will be set in Dubai, will again star Jean Reno, this time alongside French starlet Virginie Ledoyen. Clearly, there is a lot more to see from this young Khaleeji director.