''Dubai'' is a 2005 Filipino drama film directed by

Rory B. Quintos Rory B. Quintos (born October 31, 1962) is a Filipinos, Filipino former television and film director. She graduated from the University of the Philippines UP Diliman, major in broadcasting. She began a career in television where she successivel ...

from a screenplay written by Ricardo Lee, Shaira Mella Salvador, and John Paul Abellera, based on a story concept and research by Lee. Shot in the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

, it tells the story of three

overseas Filipino workers Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) is a term often used to refer to Filipino migrant workers, people with Filipino citizenship who reside in another country for a limited period of employment. The number of these workers was roughly 1.77 million ...

who unexpectedly become connected by friendship and love. The film stars

Aga Muhlach Ariel Aquino Muhlach"Aga Muchlach biography"
''IMDB''. Retrieved June 13, 2014. (; born August ...

and

John Lloyd Cruz John Lloyd Espidol Cruz (born June 24, 1983) is a Filipino actor. Regarded as the "''King of Contemporary Cinema''" by the media, Cruz has top-billed several box-office successes. He has more than ten films with box office grosses of ₱100 mill ...

, who play brothers, and

Claudine Barretto Claudine Margaret Castelo Barretto (; born July 20, 1979) is a Filipino actress, who made her screen debut on the youth-oriented variety show, '' Ang TV''. She became a mainstay in several sitcoms, including ''Home Along Da Riles'', ''Oki Dok ...

, who plays the woman with whom the two men fall in love at the same time. Produced and distributed by

Star Cinema ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc., trade name, doing business as Star Cinema and also known as ABS-CBN Films (since 2018), is a Philippines, Philippine film studio, film, television production company, production and distribution (marketing), di ...

, the film was theatrically released in the Philippines on September 28, 2005

Plot summary

Raffy and Andrew were orphaned as kids and had only each other to depend on. Raffy has spent the last nine years of his life working in Dubai. His ultimate goal is to fulfill a lifelong dream: to eventually move to Canada with his younger brother, Andrew. The Alvarez brothers are finally united when Andrew goes to Dubai. In Dubai, Andrew meets Faye, one of Raffy's many girlfriends. They hit it off well in spite of their age difference. She becomes his guide, comforter and lover. Seeing the two together, Raffy realizes that he still really loves Faye. When Andrew discovers that Raffy still loves Faye, conflict arises between the brothers, almost severing the ties that bind them. In the end, what they choose and achieve is not as planned, but their experiences in Dubai lead to new beginnings in their lives.

Cast and characters

Main cast

Aga Muhlach Ariel Aquino Muhlach"Aga Muchlach biography"
''IMDB''. Retrieved June 13, 2014. (; born August ...

as Raffy *

as Andrew/Kismot *

as Faye

Supporting cast

Michael de Mesa Michael Edward Gil Eigenmann (; born May 24, 1960), known professionally as Michael de Mesa (), is a Filipino actor and director. Early life Born as Michael Edward Gil Eigenmann to performer Eddie Mesa and actress Rosemarie Gil, he and his si ...

as Basi *

Pokwang Marietta Tan Subong (born August 27, 1972), known professionally as Pokwang, is a Filipinos, Filipino comedian, actress, television host and singer. She started in a reality show on ABS-CBN and subsequently appeared in dramas and sitcoms of t ...

as Cookie *

Dimples Romana Dianne Marie Romana Ahmee (born November 13, 1984) known professionally as Dimples Romana, is a Filipino actress. Noted for her acclaimed performances in film and television, she made her first screen appearance through the series '' Esperanza'' ...

as Clarice *

Ana Capri Ynfane Avanica (born April 24, 1979), known professionally as Ana Capri, is a Filipino actress. Career In 1996, Capri made her screen debut in ''Virgin People 2'', directed by Celso Ad. Castillo, where she acted alongside Sunshine Cruz, Sharma ...

as Lenny * Mico Aytona as young Raffy *

John Manalo John Vladimir Cruz Manalo (born September 6, 1995), popularly known by his stage name John Manalo, is a Filipino actor who is formerly a member of ABS-CBN's circle of homegrown talents named Star Magic. He is a multi-awarded child actor. He ...

as young Andrew *

Phoemela Baranda Phoemela Baranda (; born October 1, 1980) is a Filipina model and actress who served as the ''Star Patrol'' segment anchor of ABS-CBN's weekday flagship news broadcast ''TV Patrol'' from November 22, 2004 to November 5, 2010. She is a former of ...

as Melba *Mymy Davao as Lita *Gino Paul Guzman as Nilo *Ivan Camacho as Pol *Quay Eva

*Jinkee Buzon-Castillo

Production

Pre-production

In February 2004, scriptwriter Ricky Lee, along with co-writer Shaira Mella Salvador, director Rory Quintos, and producer Tess Fuentes, flew to Dubai in the

to conduct research for the film and interview various

Overseas Filipino Workers Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) is a term often used to refer to Filipino migrant workers, people with Filipino citizenship who reside in another country for a limited period of employment. The number of these workers was roughly 1.77 million ...

in the emirate. The interviews would serve as a composite for the film.

Development

Two months after the production teams visited Dubai, director Quintos, along with the three main cast, and a skeleton crew composed of 13 people, went to Dubai to shoot the movie. Among the shooting locations were the

Dubai International Airport Dubai International Airport () is the primary international airport serving Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is the world's busiest airport by international passenger traffic as of 2024. It is also the busiest airport in the Middle East as ...

, Burj Al-Arab,

Dubai Creek Dubai Creek () is a natural Seawater, saltwater creek (tidal), creek in Dubai. It extends about inwards and forms a natural port that has traditionally been used for trade and transport. The creek ranges from in width while the average depth ...

and

Sheikh Zayed Road E 11 () is a highway in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The longest road in the Emirates, it stretches from the Al Batha border crossing at the Saudi Arabia–United Arab Emirates border, Saudi Arabia–UAE border in Sila, Abu Dhabi, al-Silah in th ...

. Scenes were also shot in a shopping mall, a

bazaar A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...

(souq), and in the

desert A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one-third of the la ...

. Scriptwriter Lee remarks about the reason for making the film ten years later, in 2015: “While I don’t remember much about making Dubai, I do remember that what we wanted to show was that no matter where a Filipino is, wherever he is in the world, he will remain a Filipino,” Lee says. “That being a Filipino is not about where you are, it’s something ingrained in the heart.”

Release

The film premiered in Philippine cinemas on September 28, 2005. In October 2005, the film was screened in the United Arab Emirates for three days at the Al Nasr Cinema in Dubai.

Soundtrack

*"Ikaw Lamang" *:Composed by

Ogie Alcasid Herminio Jose Lualhati "Ogie" Alcasid Jr. (born August 27, 1967) is a Filipino actor, singer, songwriter, comedian, director and producer. He is best known for his songwriting and collaboration with other musical artists. He has appeared in fi ...

*:Performed By

Gary Valenciano Edgardo Jose "Gary" Santiago Valenciano (born August 6, 1964) is a Filipino singer and actor. Known for his musical versatility and performances, he is a recipient of various accolades, including 12 Awit Awards, 3 FAMAS Awards and the Myx ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dubai (2005 Film) 2005 films 2000s Arabic-language films 2000s Tagalog-language films Films set in Dubai Films set in the United Arab Emirates Films shot in the United Arab Emirates 2005 romantic drama films Star Cinema films Philippine romantic drama films Films directed by Rory Quintos Films with screenplays by Ricky Lee Films with screenplays by Shaira Mella Salvador Films produced by Charo Santos-Concio Films scored by Jessie Q. Lasaten Films about migrant workers