Director Tom Lowe has worked with Dubai Film to build several pieces of custom-made camera equipment and robotics.
Internationally acclaimed timelapse movie Awaken, backed by production house Dubai Film, is now available on Apple TV in the UAE and the Middle East.
Awaken, which was previously released in the United States and Europe on Apple TV, explores humanity’s relationship with technology and the natural world. Shot entirely in 4K over five years in more than 30 countries including Dubai, the film pioneers state-of-the-art timelapse, slow motion, underwater, and aerial cinematography techniques to give audiences new eyes with which to see the planet.
Hollywood actress Liv Tyler, best known for films such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Armageddon, serves as a narrator on the project, while Terrence Malick (Tree of Life) and Godfrey Reggio (QATSI documentary series) serve as executive producers.
Abdulla Binhabtoor, Chief Portfolio Management Officer, Shamal Holding said: “Shamal is a catalyst for long-term value creation wherever we operate. Dubai Film is one such reflection of our commitment to the extraordinary. It is one of our many investments strategically chosen to nurture talent and enrich people’s lives at home and abroad. The release of Dubai Film’s Awaken is a testament to this long-term strategy. It is a groundbreaking production which mirrors the city of Dubai’s spirit and energy in so many ways, and we are thrilled to have been able to play a part in nurturing film production here in the UAE. We will continue playing a role in Dubai’s vital role as the region’s film-making hub.”
With an 83-minute runtime, director Tom Lowe, who has pioneered timelapse photography techniques and has previously been named Astronomy Photographer of the Year by the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, also spoke about the efforts that went into making the film. “One of our early goals for Awaken was to make a film that could compete visually, on a spectacle level, against blockbusters like Avengers or Star Wars, but to shoot everything ‘in camera’, with no visual effects or compositing. ‘Awaken’ is an exploration of the Earth, a celebration of existence and an ode to the cosmos,” he said in a statement.
To achieve the vision of Awaken, Lowe worked closely with Dubai Film, a Shamal portfolio company, to conceive and build several pieces of custom-made camera equipment and bespoke robotics.
Omar Obaid Eisa, General Manager, Dubai Film, stated: “Dubai Film is one of the largest production companies in the Middle East and since our launch in 2012, we have won multiple awards in the fields of photography and production. Awaken is a mesmerising and deeply thought-provoking production that captures the spirit of the natural world in all its forms.”
