" Yallah! Underground " premiered at the Dubai International Film Festival and has received great reviews as it highlights the importance of the underground culture in the Middle East.
The film observes some of the most prominent underground Arab artists and tells of their impact within the underground culture. The film shares their stories, hopes and dreams, and their fears in the ever-changing region.
"Yallah! Underground" is seen as a real-life portrait of the marginalized youth in a region full of tension as it documents the struggles of young Arab artists who are unable to express themselves out of fear of prejudice, censorship and oppression.
"During the Arab Spring, like many others of this new generation, local artists had high hopes for the future and took part in the protests," the film's website says.
"However, after years of turmoil and instability, young Arabs now have to challenge both old and new problems, being torn between feelings of disillusion and a vague hope for a better future."
The film, which was directed by Farid Eslam, took four years to be shot. From 2009 to 2013, Eslam and crew of eight followed artists from all over the region before, during, and after the Arab uprising.
Featured artists include Tamer Abu Ghazaleh, Donia Massoud, Mai Waleed Yassin, Bruno Cruz, Marc Codsi, among others.
The film also aims to shatter biased views about the region, especially the younger generation. Speaking to The National, Farid said that despite his Afghani heritage, he too had common misconceptions about the Middle East.
"As a second-generation immigrant kid in Germany, it was shocking that even my perception was biased – it was what most Westerners think of the region, an image very related to violence, aggression and fanaticism," he said.
“My main intention was to show a Western audience a different image of contemporary young Arab culture. A lot of people just don’t know the difference between a Muslim and an Islamist."