Magic of Cinema opens doors in Dubai

The event is organized by the world renowned Magnum Photos agency and will take place at the Dubai Media City till 16th December 2007.

Speaking to reporters at the venue after the opening, HE Paoli said: "The staging of this event in Dubai underlines a significant move towards the strengthening of socio-cultural relations between France and the UAE."

Mr. Juma speaking on behalf of DIFF remarked, ""By embracing many of the world's cultures, Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) has anchored itself firmly in the world of international festivals. Home to over almost 200 nationalities, Dubai is a meeting point for people from around the world and this event is a classic example with photographs taken by the world's best photographers on display."

Magnum photographers have been involved in the documenting of world of cinema, working on film sets, photographing film directors, actors and actresses on and off the camera and documenting their lives. They have collectively covered the modern history of cinema.

Photographs in the exhibition include legendary names such as those of directors from America, France, Great Britain, Italy, India, and Egypt including Orson Welles, Jean Renoir, Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Alain Resnais, Alfred Hitchcock, Roberto Rossellini, Satyajit Ray and Youssef Chahine.

A large part of the glamour and charisma of cinema is owed to the actors and actresses who appear in the films. A handful of them from the 1950s and 1960s, have captured our hearts and minds and live on to become more than stars of the silver screen; Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor. Portraits of these stars will also be part of the exhibition.

'The Magic of Cinema' is presented by the French Embassy in the UAE and the Alliance Française de Doubaï in association with the 4th Dubai International Film Festival with co-sponsors, BNP Paribas and Baume & Mercier and Official Prints Sponsor, HP. The exhibition will be open to the public from 11 to 16 December 2007 at Dubai Media City. Exhibition opening hours are from 12 to 10pm except Sunday, 16 December, when the exhibition will be open from 12 to 5pm. Admission to the exhibition is free.