With filming wrapped for Imagenation Abu Dhabi’s supernatural thriller Djinn, the final editing process is now being completed. Abu Dhabi Week caught up with producer Daniela Tully and sat down with the film’s young Arab stars to find out what audiences can expect from the capital’s first horror movie.
Directed by veteran master of suspense, Tobe Hooper – think Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist – Djinn promises to be like nothing horror fans have seen before. Well known for breaking new ground and setting trends rather than following them, Hooper’s latest masterpiece tells the nightmarish story of a young Emirati couple who return home from the United States to discover that their new apartment in a luxury high-rise, built on the site of an abandoned fishing village, is also home to malevolent beings known as the djinn.
“The story that we tell here in this movie could only be found and told here in the UAE, nowhere else in the world,” said Imagenation’s Tully. “This is a very original subject matter and nothing has really been done like this before.
“We always knew that we wanted to develop a story on djinn. Then we found Jazirat Al Hamra in Ras Al Khaimah, which is one of the most well known places here in the UAE connected to djinn. The people still believe that all the inhabitants of village left because it was frequented by these beings.
“We wanted to be as authentic as possible and once you dig deeper into djinn, which are really known by every Arab and every Muslim, you realise that it’s not just part of religion, but a part of everyday life for many people. We tried to treat these beliefs with the utmost respect.
“We met a lot of researchers and had cultural consultants on board, like Mohammed Al-Otaiba (see box out). We worked with people who had dealt with exorcism and djinn, and we researched the subject matter for over a year before we even started filming.
“We were inspired by people who spoke of actual sightings. I don’t want to reveal too much, but the visuals I think people will find really exciting,” said Tully.
With strict rules on set, including a ban on the D-word, the cast of young Arab actors had an interesting few days at Al Hamra, and there were a few spooky moments.
“We even went as far as taping out the name of the movie on the director’s chair,” said Tully. “We also had someone out on set for the three days of filming at Al Hamra who blessed the set for us. It didn’t matter whether you were a believer or a non-believer, it definitely gave everyone involved peace of mind.”
Leading man Khalid Laith (Khaled in the film) seemed at ease when he spoke to us, but was keen to stress the power of the atmosphere on set.
“For a man who makes films that scare people, Tobe is one of the gentlest men I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting,” said Laith.
“Rather than being an outright horror film, the script plays out more as a supernatural thriller.”
Originally from the island of Bahrain, Laith has lived and worked between the Middle East, the UK and the United States. He trained as an actor at Central School of Speech and Drama in London and has appeared in The Devil’s Double, which was recently screened at The Sundance Film Festival and The Berlin Film Festival, and will go on public release in the autumn.
“I think an actor – wherever he might come from – is an actor because he/she is a storyteller who wants to express something important about human behaviour and relationships, and the world he lives in,” said Laith. “And the djinn are a fascinating subject matter. I believe there is more to this world than our human bodies and minds can easily comprehend.
“The constant paradigm shifts taking place in science, especially that in the field of quantum physics, make the science fiction of our imagination a possibility at least. The supernatural is only such because it is as yet inexplicable.”
There were certainly some inexplicable occurrences on set, according to Tully: “We had several incidents before we even started shooting. One example is that people believe that djinn can drain the energy out of things. We went out there to film with three fully charged batteries, which all discharged within ten minutes. Our cinematographer said he’d never seen anything like this before.”
Leading lady, Lebanese born Razane Jammal (Salama), was oblivious to all this drama at first.
“Before taking on this movie, I never heard about the djinn, but as time passed, I was doing a lot of research for the role, especially by hearing personal stories of everyone on set,” she said.
“I had a very tough time sleeping at night and sometimes I was even afraid to get out of bed!”
Jammal, who started acting at the age of six at school, has since attended many workshops at the Cours Florent in Paris, The RADA in London and the NYFA in New York. In July 2009, Razane appeared in her first feature film, Carlos, directed by Olivier Assayas.
“My experiences working on Djinn and Carlos were different in many ways. Given Tobe’s experience in this field, he knows exactly what he wants.
“I will never forget the day we were filming the last scene of the movie, and when I looked at Tobe, we were both very sad that it was all going to be over, but at the same time felt so confident that Djinn is going to be a great film.”
Excited by all that we’d heard, we asked Tully if this movie could go as far as creating a new djinn genre?
“I think if it’s well received it has the potential to become a franchise. We might look at a sequel or a prequel. If you look at the djinn stories out there, there’s certainly no lack of material.”
Djinn is due for release early next year, with the premiere to be held here in the UAE.
Megan Wynes
Behind the camera
Imagenation is committed to encouraging the growth of Emirati filmmakers, and by doing the production for Djinn in the UAE it is helping to build the country’s cinematic infrastructure.
It introduced a programme last summer called Mawaheb, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Film Commission, which supports developing talent in the movie industry, and several individuals from that programme were found on location with Djinn or acting as Emirati dialogue coaches for the cast.
Imagenation also set up a cultural advisory within the assistant director’s department which saw young filmmakers working directly with Tobe Hooper on Djinn.
“It’s fantastic for them to be learning from someone who has been in the movie industry for decades,” said Tully. “This is one of the paramount roles of providing a training ground for them to emerge as filmmakers in their own right.”
More than tradition
Djinn’s cultural advisor Mohammed Al-Otaiba explains a little more about the traditions surrounding djinn.
What is a djinn?
Djinn (plural of djinni) are intelligent beings that exist in a parallel world to ours. They are created from smokeless fire and are invisible to humans. The Arabic root word for djinn means to ‘conceal’. They are formidable creatures that posses powers beyond human physical abilities. They can change shape and can manifest themselves in any form they desire – usually human or animal.
They inhabit the earth, the sky (and space) and the seas, and live longer then humans do – sometimes longer. Like humans they live in communities, have families and adhere to social mores, and like us, djinn possess free will and make choices in life. They can be good or bad and may practice established religions.
How did you go about respecting local traditions on set?
We all asked questions when something was not clear. We respected the local people and their homes, making sure that nothing was touched and if anything had to be moved for the film it was later returned to its original place once the shoot was over.
As we were filming in a location reputedly inhabited by djinn, we knew from the start that we were their guests, and guests can’t overstay their welcome.
Will a non-Arabic audience learn a lot about Emirati culture from this movie?
Definitely. Viewers will learn a lot about the Emirati culture and, in this case, they’ll learn about local folklore and beliefs. Also they’ll learn a bit about its history, language and religious practices. Moreover, what might be immediately evident is how deeply entrenched in the local culture is the belief in the existence of djinn and how people deal with them.
Can you tell us about any other Emirati legends?
There are stories that revolve around witches and sorcerers, others talk about the use of the dark force and black magic, flying and clairvoyance. Other legends are shared with and are part of the larger Arab world. You’ll find them in the adventures of Sindbad and the 1001 Arabian Nights. Even the story of Solomon and Queen of Sheba involved the djinn; Solomon had power over them.
