Al Sidr Environmental Film Festival Concludes Fifth Edition with Celebration of Restoration and Stewardship
The prestigious environmental cinema festival brought together acclaimed documentary and feature films from the world's most celebrated festivals, alongside compelling local narratives, to inspire deeper engagement with planetary conservation.
Abu Dhabi’s Al Sidr Environmental Film Festival concluded its fifth edition on 11 October, having captivated audiences across three of Saadiyat Island’s most distinguished cultural institutions: Zayed National Museum, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi and The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi. The festival, organised in collaboration with the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, presented a meticulously curated programme united by the theme Mend, exploring restoration, renewal and humanity’s relationship with the natural world.
The artistic vision behind the festival reflects a sophisticated understanding of environmental consciousness. Dr. Nezar Andary, the festival’s Artistic Director, articulated a philosophy extending beyond mere awareness. “This is not a festival of reassurance,” he remarked. “Intimacy makes you answerable to it. You do not mend what you know about; you mend what you are close to.” This compelling framework positioned cinema as a catalyst for genuine emotional connection rather than passive information consumption.
The programme demonstrated remarkable curatorial breadth, assembling Oscar-nominated works and prestigious premieres alongside culturally significant restorations. Werner Herzog’s Ghost Elephants received its Gulf premiere, having premiered at Venice where Herzog received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. Sara Dosa anchored the programme with Fire of Love, the Oscar-nominated exploration of two volcanologists, and Time and Water, her meditative study of Iceland’s vanishing glaciers. Shyam Benegal’s landmark 1976 film Manthan, India’s pioneering crowdfunded cinema, returned in its acclaimed 4K restoration from Cannes Classics 2024.
The closing evening centred on water, reflecting the festival’s thematic foundations. Dr. Ahmed Yaqoub AlMaazmi, Assistant Professor of History at NYU Abu Dhabi, illuminated water’s profound influence upon the region’s historical and contemporary identity, whilst the Oscar-nominated Ice Merchants and Time and Water provided visual meditations on these essential themes.
Beyond the screening programme, the festival cultivated substantive engagement through masterclasses, scholarly discourse and community dialogue. Sara Dosa led an intensive masterclass, whilst conservation experts, including Arabella Willing, Head of Conservation Outreach at Emirates Nature–WWF, participated in final-day discussions examining the specific conservation priorities facing the UAE. An installation by founder Dima Al Srouri of MycoSphere, featuring living fungal yarn, created an immersive dimensional experience complementing the cinematic programme.
The festival’s expansion into educational spheres reflects its institutional significance. A selection of films and activities will travel to schools throughout Abu Dhabi, continuing the festival’s commitment to engaging younger audiences. Since its inaugural edition in 2020, Al Sidr has welcomed more than 5,000 attendees and engaged approximately 2,000 students from more than 20 schools across the emirate, demonstrating its growing cultural resonance.
Source: WAM