37th Annual VIRGINIA FILM FESTIVAL Oct 30-Nov 3, 2024

37th Annual VIRGINIA FILM FESTIVAL October 30-November 3, 2024

The Challenge

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Amid dune bashing contests, Lamborghinis, and private jets, director Yuri Ancarani treks across the Persian Gulf as he joins a falconer competing in a tournament in Qatar. The practice of falconry, though disappearing from many areas of the world, continues in contemporary Arab culture. Despite the predominantly urban lifestyle, falconers set out for the glaring desert for an intense weekend full of sweeping flight lines and lures. The passion and extravagance of these falconers characterizes the ambiance of this long-lived practice. This gorgeous documentary, which screened at the Locarno and SXSW Film Festivals, achieves an aesthetic somewhere between a music video and art installation.

Supported by Vibethink

Date

Saturday, November 11

Time

4:30 PM

Location

UVA : Culbreth Theatre

Film Info

Director: Yuri Ancarani

Runtime: 69 min.

Genre: Documentaries

Year: 2016

Country: France/Italy

Accessibility: Subtitles

Featuring: Khaled Al-Kaja, Nasser Al-Kaabi, Soul Riders Qatar, Khaled Al-Hammadi, Osama Yacoub.