Jodari Meno
Fall Grants 2020 - Production Stage
Jamal Al-Khanji, David Ochoa / Feature Documentary / Qatar, Italy, Zanzibar / Original Language: English / Interests: Action, Sports, Creative Documentary, Adventure
Synopsis
Born and raised in Qatar—a small middle eastern country that developed from a fishing village that depended on pearl diving—into an international powerhouse with an ambition to be at the forefront of international politics, health, education, and sport. Those hopes and aspirations brought about many challenges and unique circumstances that tested the country’s capabilities and perseverance. The lead character talks about his homeland, the culture, its ambition and reflects on how this has shaped his life starting from his passion for the ocean where his ancestors made their living, to his pursuit of self-improvement and ability to overcome significant challenges. The sport of spearfishing is one of the most dangerous extreme sports in the world and the “Jodari Meno” is its most valued prize. Along the way, he sheds light on the spearfishing lifestyle and the amazing community of mentors and friends that helped him along his journey. He travels to different countries pursuing the wisdom and knowledge of the sports’ legends and goes on to create his own epic story.
Credits
- Director
- Jamal Al-Khanji, David Ochoa
- Screenwriter
- Ricardo A. Nascimento
- Producer
- David Ochoa
- Production Company
- Al-Khanji Enterprises W.L.L
About the Director
Dr. Jamal Rashid Al-Khanji is a physician and entrepreneur, as well as an adventurer that has travelled the globe in the pursuit of his passion for spearfishing. He created the first accredited spearfishing academy in the world with courses taught across five continents and hundreds of graduates from all nationalities. He is passionate about underwater videography, and his Instagram account is followed by thousands of spearfishing enthusiasts. He is considered one of the best middle eastern Spearos, constantly in pursuit of the dogtooth tuna (Jodari Meno) the most sought-after game fish in the sport with his current personal best of 75.9 kg considered the 2nd best Arabic record for that fish and broken only by another Qatari. He is a graduate of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and holds a Master of Business Administration and a Juris Doctor law degree from Hamad Bin Khalifa University. He was contracted to film a national day documentary by AlKASS sports channel in 2018 which aired on all Qatari TV Channels.
David Ochoa is a director specialising in underwater sports and wildlife. David started diving at a very young age in the Azores Islands and naturally throughout the years he developed the skills needed to capture amazing images when freediving, allowing him to travel around the world shooting underwater in the most challenging scenarios. David is currently directing documentaries for TV stations in different parts of the globe while shooting branded content.