| Disk |
Title(s) |
Description |
Quality |
Running Time |
| One |
Eden: The
Inside Story |
“Eden: The inside story is just that – a unique ‘behind
the scenes’ record of the birth of one of the world’s mot remarkable projects.
Over 2000 hours of film have been edited to the 135 minutes you’ll find
on this DVD. Its all here – from construction against the odds during some
of Cornwall’s worst ever weather, to the sourcing, nurturing and planting
of over 120,000 plants from across the world – all against the clock.” |
very good |
135 min. |
| Two |
Al Ain |
The “story” of Al Ain with emphasis on the copper smelting
industry. Features Dr. Walid and finds at Hili. This is the English-language
version of the film that was always on display at the Al Ain Museum. Most
of the sequences were filmed in and around Al Ain including the Jebel Hafit
tombs, Wadi Jizzi copper smelters and forts in the city. |
good to very good |
40 min. |
| Al Ain |
As above, in Arabic. |
good to very good |
40 min. |
| Three |
Al Ain 1964 |
Given the age and copying methods employed, the video is,
at times, very poor but the voice-over is good to very good. Dr. Longjohn,
one of the original doctors at Al Ain Oasis Hospital, brought a Super 8
film camera along when he brought his family to Al Ain. These clips begin
with the family flying from Bahrain , over Qatar and into the old Sharjah
airport in 1964. The original film footage is very interesting and includes
Sh. Zayed and a very different downtown Al Ain. |
poor |
|
| Al Ain
(English) |
(as Disk Two) |
good to very good |
40 min. |
| Al Ain
(Arabic) |
(as Disk Two) |
good to very good |
40 min. |
| Traveller’s Tales:
Arabian Sands |
Copied from television, this is an episode of the series
‘Traveller’s Tales’ and features the story of Thesiger’s first trip across
the Empty Quarter. This is a modern version of the original film of the
same name. This film includes interviews with the men who accompanied Thesiger. |
poor to good |
|
| Farewell Arabia
(Parts I and II) |
This is a film made in the 1970’s profiling Sh. Zayed and
the emerging oil industry. Lots of very good film footage of Sh. Zayed and
life as the oil industry was being established. The film was a joint production
of several organizations including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
(ABC) and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). |
good to very good |
|
| Four |
|
As a part of its presentation to judges in the Nations
In Bloom competition, the city of Al Ain had two short films prepared; copies
of those films are here along with a film review of the first Al Ain Flower
Festival. There are two versions of the film produced for the city of the
first Al Ain Flower Show and Festival in 2000. There is no commentary of
the two films produced for the city. ENHG members will recognize several
individuals in the film clips including Geoff Sanderson, Brigitte Howarth,
Hasan al Naboodah, and Abdulla Al Kuwaiti. The Flower Festival films run
with no commentary (musical accompaniment). ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ (Nations
in Bloom profile of Al Ain) is eight minutes long while The Nations In Bloom
2000 submission is 10 minutes in duration; both have English commentary.
|
|
|
| A Magic Carpet
Ride |
An eight-minute film produced to support the city’s nomination
for the Nations In Bloom competition. |
good |
8 min. |
| Nations In Bloom
2000 |
A ten-minute film produced to support the city’s nomination
for the Nations In Bloom competition in 2000. |
good |
10 min. |
| Al Ain Show and
Flower Festival 2001 |
The short version of the film produced for HQ Creative
summarizing the events and highlights of the Festival. |
good |
|
| Al Ain Show and
Flower Festival 2001 |
The long version of the Festival. |
very good |
32 min. |
| Five |
Arabia Sand,
Sea and Sky |
The popular film on Arabia. The copy in the ENHG library
was a copy of the original videotape. |
poor to good |
52 min. |
| Six |
Discovery Channel
profile of UAE |
This is the episode on the UAE that appeared as part of
the Discovery series several years ago. The host visited the UAE during
Ramadan. It is a very tourist-oriented presentation of life in the UAE. |
taped from the satellite broadcast; good to very good |
28 min. |
| Seven |
Abu
Dhabi Eight Million Years
Ago (total four films) |
Hot Fossils (English) |
good to very good |
5:27 min. |
| Missing Link (English) |
|
28:47 min. |
| These films were produced after the discovery of fossil
remains in the western region of Abu Dhabi emirate. Four of the five links
work with two items available in English or Arabic. ‘Hot Fossils’ documents
the fossil remains while ‘Missing Link’ is a longer discussion of paleontology
in the UAE. |
|
|
| Eight |
National Geographic
Centennial |
“For a century National Geographic has participated in
and chronicled many of the world’s greatest explorations – unlocking the
secrets of the oceans, lifting men into the stratosphere, and mapping the
very boundaries of the earth, sea and sky. Now you can relive some of the
most significant expeditions in history. Follow Robert E. Perry to the North
Pole . . . join Jane Goodall for her pioneering work with chimpanzees .
. . climb Mount Everest on the first American ascent. Marvel at 100 years
of exploration in the Society’s official centennial presentation.” |
good |
90 min. |
| Nine |
Petra |
A made-for-video/TV production of the ruins at Petra. |
good |
35 min. |
| Ten |
The March to
Progress |
March to Progress is an old film and the sound is poor. |
|
39 min. |
| United Arab Emirates:
A Great Development |
Emirates, A Great Development, is a film with music and
commentary with better quality of video and sound. |
|
33 min. |
| |
‘The March to Progress’ is a film produced in 1982 by Abu
Dhabi Television (Ministry of Information) featuring a young Peter Hellyer
as narrator. ‘The Emirates A Great Development’ was produced a few years
later and contains footage of the Jebel Hafit road after it first opened,
UAE University in early days and other developments. The dates for the two
films are 1982 and 1989 respectively. |
|
|
| Eleven |
Empty Quarter |
A copy of the original Thesiger film. It appears the videotape
was made during a public screening of the film so the quality is poor. This
is the original Empty Quarter film and not the more recent movie which includes
footage of the Omanis who traveled with Thesiger. This movie features Thesiger
himself. |
poor to good |
62 min. |
| Twelve (flash) |
|
Mixed media. This contains a number of books, films and
other resources.
Books:
UAE Yearbook 2008 (English,
Arabic and French)
UAE At A Glance (English,
Arabic)
The Emirates, A Natural History
Films: Abu Dhabi:
Home of the Legendary Mammals (film about the Dugong)
Creative Energy – Shaping the Emirates (story of the way
energy has shaped the history of the UAE in English, Arabic and French)
Sheba’s Greatest Treasure (story of a dam built to create
a lake in the desert in English and Arabic)
Dubai profile
Sharjah profile
Fujairah profile
Masdar profile (Masdar is the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company)
Screensavers
Wallpaper
Quiz
Abu Dhabi Interactive Map |
very good |
|
| Thirteen |
The Little (Book
and) DVD of Dubai (four languages) |
Released by Motivate Publishing, this is a promotional
film which includes some footage from 1950. The film highlights the celebrities
who have participated in concerts and sporting events and touches on all
of the tourist attractions (malls, desert drives etc). |
very good |
30 min. |
| Fourteen |
Feast of Dates
(Arabic) |
|
very good |
|
| Fifteen -- Eighteen |
Land
of the Emirates |
13 episodes each approximately 60 minutes. The film series
Land of the Emirates was produced in the 1980’s and was available on videotape
for many years. The films, produced by Dubai TV, feature Shirley Kay as
host and are an exceptional snapshot of the UAE at that time. Many of the
sites presented over the thirteen episodes are now gone. There were publications
based on the series though most of the titles are now out of print. |
good |
|
| Disk Fifteen
(episodes 1-4) |
|
|
| Disk Sixteen
(episodes 5-7) |
|
|
| Disk Seventeen
(episodes 8-9) |
|
|
| Disk Eighteen
(episodes 10-13) |
|
|
| Nineteen (CD) (computer only) |
United Arab Emirates
2002 |
Mixed media. Contains many articles on an inter-active
CD. Includes 2002 Yearbook in Arabic, English and French, inter-active map
of the UAE, introduction to birds of the UAE, three-dimensional view of
traditional jewelry and much more. There are no films. |
very good |
|
| Twenty (interactive DVD – computer preference) |
|
Mixed media, film running times noted. |
very good |
|
| United Arab Emirates
2004 |
Books:
Yearbook in Arabic, English and French
United Arab Emirates – A New Perspective
Feast of Dates (45 pages PDF format)
Sir Bani Yas – An Arabian Ark
Ancient Magan – The Secrets of Tel Abraq
Archaeology Conference Papers
Films:
Feast of Dates (Arabic and English) This well-produced film covers the history
of dates and is the movie accompanying Dan Potts’ book of the same name.
Lethal Legacy (Arabic and English) This film documents the work of the UAE
in southern Lebanon to clear unexploded ordinance, especially land mines.
Length: (English) 28:24 minutes (Arabic) 30:22 minutes
Sheba’s Greatest Treasure |
|
|
| Twenty-one (interactive DVD – computer preference) |
|
Mixed media |
very good |
|
| UAE 2007
(3 films only) |
Creative Energy (English) This film reflects
on the changes in the UAE with interviews of men who can remember the UAE
before oil wealth. Pearl diving footage as well as early color film of oil
development. Several examples of comparing life in the past with modern
life.
|
|
26 min. |
| |
Pearl Diving in the UAE (Arabic) This
film shows how the men and women experienced the annual pearl diving season.
Some remarkable footage of community life and life on the pearl boats, including
the lashing of a less-than-enthusiastic man to the mast of one of the boats.
|
|
1 hour, 23 min |
| |
Abu Dhabi 1974 A remarkable
snapshot of the UAE in 1974. |
|
25 min. |
| Twenty-two (interactive DVD – computer preference) |
UAE 2007
(complete contents) |
Mixed media. Note: this DVD will automatically adjust your
screen resolution. Do not be alarmed; as soon as you close the program, your
original screen resolution will return.
Films: as listed above
plus Lethal Legacy and Feast of Dates
Books:
UAE Yearbook 2007
The Emirates – A Natural History
Feast of Dates
UAE at a Glance
Also:
Online index with Internet
links to “comprehensive and up-to-date information on the UAE”.
Shopping for books and DVDs
Interactive: quiz on the UAE |
very good |
|
| Twenty-three (interactive CD – computer) |
UAE 2000 |
Mixed media. The first interactive CD published with articles,
maps, links |
very good. |
|
| Twenty-four (CD) |
Land of the Nimr |
A film produced by the Arabian Leopard Trust and sponsored
by Shell. The film talks about the decline in leopard populations as the
animals were hunted almost to extinction. |
good |
18 min. |