Talk to her: Arab women unveil taboos

Three film industry women talk mental health and violence. ‘Mamsous- Deranged’ is a short film about mental health and well-being through the story of three people, who share their experiences with clinical depression and panic attacks. It was directed by Shatha Masoud, an Emarati filmmaker who started her own advertising and video production business. Mamsous won the best ‘Muhr Emarati short film award’ in Dubai International Film Festival in 2016. Amal Alharbi who features in 'Mamsous' is a Saudi author whose first book about mental health based on her own experience will be released in 2018. ‘Animal- Haywan’ is a short Emarati film about a seven-year-old child who grows up in a home of contradictions – a father, who is a “sociopath and narcissist”, a weak, but ambitious mother and a flamboyant cook? It was directed by Nayla Al Khaja, the CEO of Nayla Al Khaja Films and the founder of The Scene Club, Dubai’s first licensed film club. ANIMAL won Best Short Fiction (Italian Movie Award 2017). She won the Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 at the Gulf Business Awards. More information on The Medical HUmanities blog: http://blogs.bmj.com/medical-humanities/2017/01/02/film-review-dubai-international-film-festival/.

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