Film Background & Context:
I’ve always felt that Ramadan campaigns in the UAE, especially for local banks and brands, tend to stay within a very familiar frame. Emirati families, expected dynamics, expected stories. With this film, I wanted to challenge that comfort zone and reflect a reality I see every day, but one that’s rarely shown collectively on screen.

My vision was to create something rarely done during Ramadan: showing how the Emirati community genuinely interacts with expats in everyday life. From welcoming families of different backgrounds of expats like Chinese, Indians or Westerners, into an Emirati home for Iftar, to shared moments that mirror school runs, neighborhood exchanges, and daily rituals. These interactions exist, but they’re seldom brought together in one narrative.

Thanks to a client who saw the challenge and appreciated the opportunity, trusting that authenticity and inclusivity, when portrayed honestly, could create something truly distinctive. The film is underscored by a song that carries the emotion of these moments rather than explaining them. Written by Harvey George and performed by Rashed Alnuami, an Emirati artist, the music grounds the film in local soul while allowing the visuals to quietly reveal a more inclusive, contemporary portrait of Ramadan in the UAE.