In my short documentary film #tirathuna  ( تراثنا #)

I follow a story of an Iraqi born art curator who shares her passion for collecting and archiving pre-oil national Emirati gowns while encountering Instagram pushback from some of the local followers who criticize her recent posts where young Emirati women are wearing more contemporary forms of abayas.

 

I was initially fascinated with this topic due to my personal interest to learn about the intersection between fashion and politics, as well as the subject of using national dress as a tool of sustaining and narrating the history behind the national identity.

 

Being one of the first art curators in the Emirates and the only woman publishing extensive research on the history and evolution of the traditional Emirati dress, Dr. Reem El Mutwalli is the main subject of this documentary for her passionate approach to preserving and celebrating the dress.

 

Beginning first as just an exploration of the history behind Emirati dress, in the process of making this film I also discovered my genuine interest in contributing to the discussion on looking at the national dress as a cultural artifact that mirrors country’s socio-economic progress.

 

It is my hope that #tirathuna presents a story that helps to facilitate a further public discussion on the dynamics of modernity vs. tradition and personal vs. national identity in the Arab world.

​