2017 Winners & Shortlists

Brief Explanation

We chronicle the true life story of the regions most renowned astronomer, Dr. Saleh Al Ojairi of Kuwait, through his 60 year journey from humble beginnings to becoming a master in the science of astronomy. His Story began as a child in the deserts of late 1920's Kuwait, where both the fear and mysteries of the night skies fuelled his thirst for knowledge about the world and its existence. This pursuit of knowledge took him far and wide, from Cairo universities after WWII to Switzerland in the 1980's, with the dream and ultimate goal of creating the largest planetarium in the region in Kuwait, which he finally did in 1986. And during this time he had forged a reputation as one of the most well read and respected scholars of his time. In Kuwaiti society today, the term "The word of Ojairi" is synonymous with the word of trust.

Execution

Many of the scenes filmed either depicted real life moments detailed in his biographies or replicated known photographs and footage. The details of everything from costumes to props and environments was achieved through multiple sit downs with Dr. Saleh himself, including character traits such as the constant taking of and putting of his eyeglasses. This authenticity was necessary since the targeted audiences knew him very well. Depicting a storyline that spanned 60 years required the movie trailer vignettes method. The director wanted to highlight his isolated struggles and focus more on his personal journey, rather than creating a crowded environment that audiences are used to seeing him in such as grand ceremonies. The use of the Rhymeing VO is reminiscent of old Kuwaiti culture storytelling when talking about this era, and also paying tribute to Dr Saleh's brief stage acting career in his youth at local street theatres.