Emirati film 'Mountain Boy' to debut in GCC, celebrates autism

Photo : Abu Dhabi Media Office

A new Emirati movie called Mountain Boy will come to cinemas in the UAE and GCC on 17 April 2025. The movie is supported by Abu Dhabi Film Commission, which is part of the Creative Media Authority. It is made by Desert Rose Films and Fujairah Films, and it will be shared in cinemas by The Plot Pictures.

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The movie will first be shown in a special event on 15 April at CinemaCity, Al Qana in Abu Dhabi. The full movie team will be there, along with kids and teachers from the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Special Education. That is where they found the movie’s main actor, Naser Salah, a young boy with autism.

The movie tells the story of a young Emirati boy named Suhail, who has autism. His father doesn’t understand him, so Suhail runs away to the mountains in Fujairah. There, he starts a long journey with his new friend Barakah, a kind desert dog. Suhail travels to Abu Dhabi to find his mother’s family. Along the way, he learns about family, love, and being accepted.

The film has 32 Emirati team members, including the director Zainab Shaheen, writer Raihana Al Hashimi, and actor Naser Salah, who is also autistic in real life. The story is based on a book called The Boy Who Knew the Mountains written by Michele Ziolkowski, a citizen of the UAE.

The movie was filmed only in the UAE. Places include Samaliyah Island, Abu Dhabi mangroves, Dibba Mountain, and Telal Hotel in Al Ain. It took 35 days to film and had 232 crew members, with 70% of them being women.

Nancy Paton, the film’s producer, said they searched a lot to find the right actor to play Suhail. Just when they were about to stop looking, Naser Salah and his sister Reem came to try out. Nancy said they knew right away that they were perfect for the movie.

The music in the film is played by Firdaus Orchestra, a music group made only of women living in the UAE. This group was started by Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy.

Director Zainab Shaheen, who studied at Higher Colleges of Technology, said this is her first movie. She is very proud to share a story about her country’s culture, places, and people. She said telling this story with pictures and emotions is what she loves most about being a director.

Since the movie was finished, the team showed it at 38 film festivals around the world and won 22 awards. Some of these awards are Best Young Actor, Best Director, and Best Movie from festivals in the USA, Venezuela, and Australia.

Pratixa Shah, from The Plot Pictures, said that this movie shares the heart of the region with the world. She said it helps people understand neurodiversity, which means how different people think and feel.

Mountain Boy is one of 180 big projects supported by the Abu Dhabi Film Commission. The team used help from UAE’s many beautiful places, local film workers, and a special money-back plan to support the movie.