Nujoom Alghanem () (born 24 October 1962) is an
Emirati poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...
,
artist
An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...
and
film director
A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...
. She has published eight poetry collections and has directed more than twenty films. Alghanem is active in her community and is considered a well established writer and filmmaker in the Arab world.
Her achievements in the arts have been recognized both nationally and internationally. She is the cofounder of Nahar Productions, a film production company based in Dubai. Currently she works as a professional mentor in filmmaking and creative writing, as well as a cultural and media consultant.
She was one of the founding members of the Emirates Writers' Union in 1984 and used to be a board member of Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage. In 2019, she was the solo artist of the UAE National Pavilion at the
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale ( ; ) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy. There are two main components of the festival, known as the Art Biennale () and the Venice Biennale of Architecture, Architecture Biennale (), ...
. Additionally, along with four other artists, she took part in the UAE National Pavilion in 2017. She is the recipient of the Pride of the UAE Medal through the Mohammed bin Rashid Government Excellence Award in 2018.
Early life and education
Alghanem was born in
Dubai
Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
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 ...
and was raised there, being the fourth child out of eleven siblings. As a young adult, she enjoyed reading about mysticism, theology, philosophy, and poetry. Later on, she was able to get access to her reading through the
Sharjah International Book Fair
Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) is a major annual literary and publishing event held in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. As one of the world's largest book fairs, it hosted 2,033 exhibitors from 109 countries in 2023 and featured a broad ...
. Arabic poetry inspired her when she was a girl, later causing her to write her own poetry.
She also enjoyed painting because her aunt was a painter, as well as a photographer.
Before her professional writing career, her work was published in local newspapers and magazines.
After her high school graduation, Alghanem decided that she wanted to attend a university in London. Although her father supported her pursuit of the arts, he did not want her to be alone in a different country.
After completing one semester at
United Arab Emirates University
United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) () is a public research university located in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1976 by the country's first President, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, it is the oldest university in the United ...
in
Al Ain
Al Ain () is a city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and the seat of the administrative division of the Al Ain Region. The city is Oman–United Arab Emirates border, bordered to the east by the Omani town of Al-Buraimi. Al A ...
, she became tired of the nature of university life in Al Ain, so she decided to go back to working full-time. She said of her schooling, "I felt like I couldn't breathe. I didn't like life in a dormitory. Every time I was in my dorm I thought of ways to escape."
Later, she became the Head of Culture and Art Department For Dubai and Northern Emirates. In terms of work experience, Alghanem started her professional career early in 1980 when she worked as a journalist for more than ten years. After getting married, becoming a mother, and starting a career as a journalist, Alghanem decided to travel to Ohio to study with her husband. She received a bachelor's degree in Video Production from
Ohio University
Ohio University (Ohio or OU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Athens, Ohio, United States. The university was first conceived in the 1787 contract between the United States Department of the Treasury#Re ...
in 1996 and later received a master's degree in Film Production from
Griffith University
Griffith University is a public university, public research university in South East Queensland on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of Australia. The university was founded in 1971, but was not officially opened until 1975. Griffith ...
in Australia in 1999.
Alghanem said, "Opportunities are not free. You have always to work hard. You have to read, to teach yourself, to learn about the world and to be very sensible about what you publish".
Poetry
Alghanem has published the following eight poetry collections:
# ''Masaa Al-Janah (Evening of Heaven)'', 1989.
# ''Al-Jarair (The Consequences)'', 1991.
# ''Rawahel (Journeyings)'', 1996.
# ''Manazel Al-Jilnaar (Homes of Pomegranate Blossoms)'', 2000.
# ''La Wasf Lima Ana Feeh (No Description for What I Am In)'', 2005.
# ''Malaikat Al-Ashwaaq Al-Baeeda (Angels of Distant Longing)'', 2008.
# ''Laylon Thaqeelon 3la Alayel (A Heavy Night on the Night)'', 2010.
# ''Asqoto fi Nafsi (I Fall into Myself)'', 2012.
''Masa’a Al Jannah (The Night of Heaven)'' was Alghanem's first book of poetry, which was published in 1989. ''The Night of Heaven'' presented her to the Arab world as a professional writer.
Alghanem was inspired by other Arab poets such as the Syrian poet,
Saniyah Saleh the Lebanese poet,
Nadia Tueni
Nadia Mohammad Ali Hamade (July 8, 1935 – June 20, 1983) was a Lebanese Francophone poet, who authored numerous volumes of poetry.
Early life
Nadia Mohammad Ali Hamadeh was born in Beirut in 1935, to a Lebanese Druze father, Mohammed Ali Hama ...
, the Palestinian poet
Mahmoud Darwish
Mahmoud Darwish (; 13 March 1941 – 9 August 2008) was a Palestinians, Palestinian poet and author who was regarded as Palestine's national poet.
In 1988 Darwish wrote the Palestinian Declaration of Independence, which was the formal declarat ...
, the Syrian poet,
Nizar Qabbani
Nizar Tawfiq Qabbani (, , ; 21 March 1923 – 30 April 1998) was a Syrian poet. He is considered to be Syria's National Poet. His poetic style combines simplicity and elegance in exploring themes of love, eroticism, religion, and Arab empowermen ...
, the Iraqi poet
Badr Shakir al-Sayyab
Badr Shakir al-Sayyab () (December 24, 1926 in Jaykur, Basra – December 24, 1964 in Kuwait) was an Iraqi poet, regarded as one of the most important contemporary Arab poets. Alongside Nazik Al Malaika, he is considered one of the founders of A ...
. She said, "The majority of poets in our world are male, but quantity does not mean quality".
There are recurring themes in her poetry including longing, solitude, death, human suffering, loss and the hardships that one goes through each day.
She is on the board of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction and is a regular participant in the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature.
In 2019 she was a contributor to ''A New Divan: A Lyrical Dialogue Between East and West'' (Gingko Library).
Films
# "Ice Cream", 1997, short fiction.
# "The Park", 1997, short fiction.
# "Between Two Banks", 1999, short documentary.
# "Al Mureed", 2008, feature documentary.
# "Hamama", 2010, feature documentary.
# "Amal", 2011, feature documentary.
# "Salma's Dinner", 2011, short fiction.
# "Red, Blue, Yellow", 2013, feature documentary.
# "The Young Fighter", 2013, short documentary.
# "Sounds of the Sea", 2015, feature documentary.
# "Nearby Sky", 2015, feature documentary.
# "Dancing with Shadows", 2016, short experimentational film.
# "Honey, Rain, & Dust", 2016–2017, feature documentary.
# "Sharp Tools", 2017, feature documentary.
# "Writer's Room", 2018, video art.
# "Rain on my Skin", 2018, video art.
# "Forest Under the Sea", 2018, video art.
# "Passage", 2019, video art.
Alghanem's 2015 film ''Nearby Sky'' is a documentary about
Fatima Ali Alhameli, the first Emirati women to have her camels be a part of local auctions and beauty pageants. According to Alghanem, it was simple to convince Alhameli to join the film project. Both ''Nearby Sky'' and her earlier film ''Sounds Of The Sea'' have to do with an aging generation being nostalgic about their past. ''Nearby Sky'' won Best Non-Fiction Film at the Eleventh Dubai International Film Festival.
The films ''Sounds of the Sea'', ''The Young Fighter'', and ''Amal and Hamama'' have also won awards. Her films have won local, regional, and international awards. Her films are based on people's lives and their emotions, but she is more focused on women as both characters and subjects. Alghanem said, "People greatly inspire me: their world, stories, frustrations, hesitation, confusion, sadness, happiness, pain, passion" and "I search for those characters, learn about them and from them; I live with them and always try to enter their unknown world, explore the unspoken and find out about their special moments."
She believes that film-making is a passion that brings change to society.
She is a film consultant and film instructor for
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 ...
organizations and institutions, as well as a cultural consultant.
Film Awards
Sharp Tools:
* Award of Outstanding Excellence: Original Score, Docs Without Borders Film Festival, DE, US, 2018.
* Award of Outstanding Excellence: Editing, Docs Without Borders Film Festival, DE, US, 2018.
* Award of Outstanding Excellence: Viewer Impact: Motivational/Inspirational, Docs Without Borders Film Festival, DE, US, 2018.
* Best Feature Documentary of April, Los Angeles Film Awards, 2018.
* Best Experimental Feature Documentary, Portoviejo Film Festival, Ecuador, 2018.
* Special Mention, Oran International Arabic Film Festival, Oran, Algeria, 2018.
* Award of Merit, Impact Docs Awards, LA, US, 2018.
* Best Female Director, London Independent Film Awards, London, 2018.
* Best Feature Documentary, Ismailia International Film Festival, Egypt, 2018.
* Best Feature Documentary, Dubai International Film Festival, Emirati Muhr, Dubai, 2017.
Honey, Rain and Dust:
* First Prize, Al Owais Creative Award, The Cultural & Scientific Association, Dubai, 2017.
Sounds of the Sea:
* Special Jury Prize, Alexandria Mediterranean Countries Film Festival, Egypt, 2015. NEARBY SKY:
* Best Non-Fiction Film, Dubai International Film Festival, Dubai, 2014.
* Best Documentary, GCC Film Festival, Abu Dhabi, 2016.
The Young Fighter:
* Best Short Documentary, Al Owais Creative Award, The Cultural & Scientific Association, Dubai, 2014. AMAL:
* First Prize, GCC Film Festival, Kuwait, 2013.
* Special Jury Prize, from Beirut International Film Festival, 2012.
* Second Prize, Documentary Competition, Gulf Film Festival, 2012.
* First Prize, Dubai International Film Festival, 2011.
Hamama:
* Best Director, GCC Film Festival, Doha, Qatar, 2012.
* First Prize, Baghdad International Film Festival, Arab Women Directors' Competition, Baghdad, Iraq, 2011.
* First Prize, Malmo Film Festival, Sweden, 2011.
* First Prize, Gulf Film Festival, Dubai, 2011.
* Special Jury Prize, Dubai International Film Festival, 2010.
Almureed:
* Best Feature Documentary in the Gulf, Emirates Film Competition from Abu Dhabi International Film Festival, 2008.
* Most Promising UAE Film Maker, Dubai International Film Festival, 2008.
* Special Mention from Gulf Film Festival, Dubai, 2008.
Recognitions
* Received the Medal for the Pride of the UAE - Mohammed bin Rashid Government Excellence Award – UAE, 2019.
* Honored by Effat University for taking an active part in the Gulf Cinema – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2016.
* Won Sayidaty magazine's Award for Excellence and Innovation - 2016.
* Selected as the Personality of the Month by Emaratalyoum Newspaper – Dubai, 2015.
* Recognized with other 11 women from around the Middle East for being unstoppable - Femina Middle East magazine - 2015.
* Recognized for her distinguished role in film production in the UAE, Watani, Filmi Program - 2014.
* Recognized for her contribution in filmmaking in the Gulf Region by the GCC Film Festival – 2013, Kuwait.
* Honored by Filmi, part of Watani Al Emarat initiative, for her contribution in the film movement in the UAE - 2013.
* L’Officiel Woman of the Year Award in Literature - 2010.
* Received Rashid Award for Scientific Outstanding, 2002.
* Received Nantes Mayer's Medal on her contribution in filmmaking, the Three Continents’ Film Festival – Nantes, France, 2001.
Dr. Omnia Amin, a professor at
Zayed University
Zayed University (ZU; ) is a public university in the United Arab Emirates. It has campuses in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
History
Zayed University was founded in 1998 to provide technical education for women. The school is named after Sheikh Zayed ...
in Dubai, says this about Alghanem's poetry and work,"Nujoom Alghanem is one of the strongest modern Emirati poets who rose in the early 1980s in the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
region. Her language is such that it permeates the soul with a rich and flavoured life experience that goes beyond the five senses".
Co-founder of the United Arab Emirates branch of Women in Film and Television,
Michelle Nickelson, said, "Nujoom could be considered a UAE national treasure. Her films have a lovely feature style to them."
Alghanem won the Best Emirati Female Filmmaker Award at the Fifth
Dubai International Film Festival
The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF, ) was the largest film festival in the Arab world, Arab region. With particular emphasis on showcasing Arab cinema, Arab, Asian cinema, Asian, and African cinema, it also helped to develop industry a ...
for her film ''Al Mureed''.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghanem, Nujoom
1962 births
Living people
Ohio University alumni
20th-century Emirati poets
Emirati film directors
Emirati women film directors
Emirati documentary filmmakers
People from Dubai
Arabic-language film directors
Griffith University alumni
21st-century Emirati writers
21st-century Emirati women writers
20th-century Emirati writers
20th-century Emirati women writers
Women documentary filmmakers
21st-century Emirati poets
Emirati women poets