A screencap from the documentary “Amer: An Arabian Legend” helmed by Qatari filmmaker Jassim Al Rumaihi.
Ajyal-winning documentary “Amer: An Arabian Legend” helmed by Qatari director Jassim Al Rumaihi is the featured film in the second instalment of “Short of the Week” online series presented by the Doha Film Institute (DFI).
Winner of Best Documentary at the Made in Qatar section of the 2016 Ajyal Film Festival, the 22-minute film traces the fascinating story of the most influential stallion in Arabian horse racing history named Amer. It serves as a fitting tribute to the desert horse that changed the face of Arabian horseracing and made an indelible mark in the field of horseracing in the world.
The film, which had been screened in several international festivals, follows Amer’s story through conversations with some of the people whom Amer deeply touched over the course of his career. Amer is a beautiful purebred grey Arabian horse.
He raced like the wind, but racing opportunities were curtailed while doubts about his pedigree were settled. Eventually, Amer proved himself to be a leader of his breed winning many races. He has fathered hundreds of the best Arabian racehorses of today.
Al-Rumaihi has worked as a reporter at Al Jazeera News channel, and joined the Supreme Legacy for Delivery and Projects, the body responsible for hosting the 2022 World Cup, as a Media Relations Specialist.
At Northwestern University in Qatar, he took several classes in film production. In 2015, his first documentary film ‘The Palm Tree’ won Best Documentary at the Made in Qatar section of the Ajyal Film Festival, the same award won by “Amer: An Arabian Legend” the following year.
Announced through DFI’s social media channels last week, the “Short of the Week” series brings the very best of DFI-supported films for movie buffs to enjoy in the comfort of their own homes via DFI’s YouTube channel every Thursday.
The series has been launched to encourage people to stay home amid COVID-19 outbreak as well as show support to Qatari films and Arab cinema. It kicked off the other Thursday with the short narrative “Al Johara” directed by Qatari filmmaker Nora Al-Subai and is about a Qatari take on the classic Cinderella fairytale accentuating Arabic traditions with a modern twist.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, DFI has already launched a number of online initiatives such as the first online youth animation workshop and the inaugural online screenwriting lab for beginners, among others.
It also had successfully organised the adapted online mentorship and support program for the 2020 edition of Qumra, its annual talent incubation event which marked its first virtual format as part of preventive measures against the spread of the pandemic.
