Director Ali Mostafa in person!

A crossroads between East and West, traditional ways and contemporary lifestyles, Dubai is truly the star of this pioneering first feature film by London-trained Ali F. Mostafa. The pampered son of a wealthy family bristles under the expectations of his parents; a former Romanian ballet dancer (Youth Without Youth star Alexandra Maria Lara) seeks to create a new life far away from her homeland; an Indian cabdriver with an uncanny resemblance to a Bollywood star tries to not let dreams take over his reality. These and other stories together create a kaleidoscope of contemporary Dubai; the action moves from chic restaurants to humble workers’ quarters, tracing the diverse experiences for both natives and expats is a city that’s constantly reinventing itself.  Mostafa ably juggles all is various plots, allowing each of them equal time as a way of perhaps pointing out the many ways that Dubai can be experienced.