[email protected] SUNDAY 12 APRIL 2015 • www.thepeninsulaqatar.com • 4455 7741 COLOURING FRITTATAS:FRITTAT ULTIMATE VARIOUS RISKRISK CONTEST WEEKWEEKNIGHTN DINNER FACTORS WINNERS FOR CARDIO-IO- HONOURED VASCULARR DISEASE P | 4 P | 7 P | 9 Every year Thimun Qatar Northwestern Film Festival invites high school students from around the world to submit a four to eight minute documentary on a social issue. A short film on cyber bullying won the Best Picture award this year. P | 3 | SUNDAY 12 APRIL 2015 | 02 CULTURE BY YASIN ABU TAQIU n a society troubled by religious extremism, an Arab woman is using art to promote religious Itolerance. Majd Ramadan has showcased her work in more than 100 exhibitions in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. Born in Qatar to Lebanese parents, she divides her time between Doha and Beirut. “From childhood I have liked drawing and painting, and this helped nurture me as a professional artist,” she says. Majd’s art seeks out the similarities between religions in a bid to promote tolerance. In 2012, she painted an icon in which she expressed the similarities between Islam and Christianity. The icon was well received in Europe and the Middle East, and in 2012 it was presented to Pope Benedict XVI in Vatican. The Pope awarded Majd a gold medal in acknowledgement of her works. “As we arrived in Vatican City, the offi- cials told me I was the first Muslim to present an icon to the Vatican and that the Pope was happy with my work to bridge the gap between religions using art,” she said. “I was also in the company of then Qatar-based artist paints Lebanese president Michel Suleiman and the event is a big highlight of my entire career.” to highlight various causes Majd, who is in her late forties, is a mother of two — a boy and a girl, both pursuing their postgraduate degrees. children in Qatar to develop their “My response was that these are pic- Khalifa Al Thani at the fire station build- Mohammed Ramadan, the elder talents.” tures of Arab people whose countries ing will help women develop their artistic child, said his mother was still pursu- Majd also seeks to present through are being torn apart by war, and why careers. ing her artistic career out of a burning art the Arab people’s perspective would you expect them to be smiling The ‘Artist in Residence’ pro- desire to communicate and shed light of conflicts that have denied them when thousands of their own people are gramme is scheduled to commence on social and religious issues. happiness. being killed day and night in Syria, Iraq, in September 2015 and run for nine “I am proud to be born to a mother She recalled that at an exhibition in Libya, Palestine and others?” months. The programme will include with a talent and one who does not sit Brussels the organisers remarked that The response struck the organisers 20 artists from a range of different dis- on her talent but goes out to help the the works she was showing were full and they announced that they would ciplines, including art, photography, community,” he said. of people in bright colours supposedly take my collections to the Grand Palais design, architecture and other fields. “The most inspiring part of her work attending entertainments, but with no in Paris, the top destination for any art- Twenty studios will be open to artists is that she works with special needs smiles on their faces. ist’s collections, she said. selected for the residency, while four will Majd’s works also speak for female be reserved for visiting artists. empowerment, with expressions of In Qatar, Majd is helping foster artistic Arab femininity in most of her collec- talent in children at Dhreima, the Qatar tions. According to her, Arab women Orphan Foundation. Majd Ramadan are good artists who have always taken She said she had discovered how with her medals. a leading role in designing their homes, children were good at telling stories the look of the kitchen and the deco- through art. Once, she had asked ration of sitting rooms and bedrooms. the children to paint something that This talent was for long confined to their revealed a secret, and one of the girls homes, but recently Arab women have painted a picture of a pregnant woman. begun to express themselves in public She wrote ‘boy’ on her belly and painted through art. She said she had worked two girls standing around the woman, with several Arab women artists and crying. been inspired by their brilliance and abil- “When I asked her the meaning, she ity to give context to art. told me that their mother was expect- Majd has also painted an icon show- ing a baby boy and she, with her other ing H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser as female sibling, would soon be ignored a champion of women’s empowerment and the boy will get all their parents’ in the Arab world, and said that she attention and love. The girl was portray- wanted all Arab women to embrace her ing the common phenomenon of Arab as their role model. parents preferring boys to girls.” She said that the ‘Artist in Residence’ Majd has also authored a collection programme launched recently by H E of children’s stories titled Al Yaqouti. Sheikha Al Mayasa bint Hamad bin THE PENINSULA | SUNDAY 12 APRIL 2015 | FILM 03 The filmmakers Films on cyber bullying, dangerous driving win big at Thimun film festival Best Cinematography: he short film Cyber Bullying documentaries addressed the sub- way, and to advocate for change. The Blind Owl won the Best Picture award at ject of dangerous driving, a pressing submissions this year were very high by Ibrahim Furkan the 6th annual Thimun Qatar problem in Qatar and other gulf coun- quality; they are a glimpse into the way TNorthwestern Film Festival tries. Qatar’s Sana Al Ansari won Best young people see our world, and I Best Editing: held in Doha last weekend. The docu- National Picture for If They Only Knew, encourage everyone to watch them.” Safe Driving Saves Lives mentary by Barnaby Duffy of Singapore about the culture of dangerous driving Three international submissions won by Charlie Cracknell is a compelling animated short that among young Qatari men. The Best for Best Story, Best Junior Picture and outlines the origins, ramifications and Editing award went to Charlie Cracknell Best Cinematography: Hands of a Best Sound: potential solutions to the cyber bully- of the UAE for Safe Driving Saves Lives. Woman, by Ecuador’s Miguel Andrade; The Tipping Point ing problem. The film was among 55 Rounding out the winners from the Ek Kahaani by Mahima Singh, and Blind by Dulshan Jayasekera submissions from high school students Middle East, Doha student Dulshan Owl, an experimental film by Istanbul’s worldwide. Jayasekara won Best Sound for The Ibrahim Furqan. Best Story: The annual event is a collabora- Tipping Point, a film about the pressures The winners were announced at the Hands of a Woman by Miguel Andrade tion between Thimun Qatar and and anxieties teens face. Gala Awards Night on April 4, 2015. All Northwestern University in Qatar. Each Lisa Martin, head of THIMUN Qatar, of the winning submissions, as well as Best National Picture: year, high school students from around said: “The film festival is an opportu- the nominated films, are available on the If They Only Knew the world are invited to submit a four to nity for students to communicate their Thimun Qatar YouTube channel. by Sana Al-Ansari eight minute documentary on a social thoughts in a compelling and persuasive The Peninsula issue. The films are judged by a panel of Best Picture: NU-Q faculty members who are experts Cyber Bullying in media and communication, film stud- by Barnaby Duffy ies and the making of documentaries. “The film festival is an opportunity for Best Junior Film: students to spread their creative wings,” Ek Kahaani by Mahima says Everette E Dennis, dean and CEO Singh & Sneha Srinivasan of NU-Q. “Further, it shows young peo- People’s Choice Award: ple how filmmaking can give voice to Sincerely Bahadur by the issues they find important. The film Best Picture Mohammed Ali Faisal festival received some very compelling award winner submissions this year, as the seven receiving his Best Poster: award-winning films demonstrate.” cash prize. What Do I Desire? Two of the award-winning by Naseh Jrab | SUNDAY 12 APRIL 2015 | 04 CAMPUS Colouring contest winners honoured alarvadi children organisation honoured MES students with the over- the winners of third colouring contest all champions trophy. winners in a special ceremony held at MMES Indian School KG auditorium. Malarvadi Qatar chapter in association with Malabar Gold & Diamonds conducted the colouring contest for children studying in KG to grade 7 in Indian Schools across Qatar as part of Indian Republic Day celebration. Around 7,500 children participated in the event mak- ing it one of biggest such event in the region. 112 children from Kids, Sub Junior, Junior and Denior category were honoured. First three winners in each category got a gold medal, memento and certificates. First three place winners are, Kids: Haseen Ubaid (DPS-MIS), Anushka Girish Pillai (DPS-MIS), Ivailyn Johnly (MES), Sub Junior: Thaseem Subair (MES), Aaryan Vinod Prabhu (DPS-MIS), Harshith Guptha (DIMS), Junior: Huda Said (MES), Adithya Biju (Birla), For the picture story writing competition Savitha PM, Youth Forum President Firoz S A and Program Vice Nidhi Noronha (DPS-MIS), Senior: Amina Mansoor Madhu Nair, Jaseena Shahanas and Jino George won Chairman N P Ashraf distributed the prizes.