As the year slowly stretches out its legs, so can you, but at the plush red sofas at Cinema Akil. It’s a new month, and our favourite independent cinema platform in the UAE is back to fill up our calendars, with a lineup of films that invite reflection and conversation.
From urgent contemporary stories to beloved classics you’ll want to see on the big screen (again), both Cinema Akil at Alserkal Avenue and its cosy outpost at 25hours Hotel are serving us cinematic escapism in all the right doses.
Here’s what’s taking up the screens this January.
📍Cinema Akil, Alserkal Avenue
The Voice of Hind Rajab
A powerful real-time documentary following Red Crescent volunteers as they respond to an emergency call from a six-year-old girl trapped inside a car under fire in Gaza, capturing the urgency and devastating reality of rescue under impossible conditions.
When: Now until Jan 8
Baab
Follows Wahida as she uncovers cassette tapes hidden behind a green door, setting her on a haunting journey to uncover the truth behind her twin sister’s death, where grief, memory, and suppressed truths collide.
When: Jan 16th – 22nd
No Other Choice
The movie centres on a veteran paper mill manager pushed to the edge after being laid off and publicly humiliated, offering a stark portrait of economic precarity and a desperate struggle to reclaim dignity.
When: Jan 9th – 22nd
Divine Comedy
Follows a Turkish-Azeri filmmaker and his producer as they attempt to stage an underground screening after repeated rejections in Iran, navigating censorship, bureaucracy, and the cost of creative resistance.
When: Jan 9th – 21st
📍Cinema Akil, 25hours Hotel
Microphone
A musical comedy by Ahmed Abdallah that follows Khaled as he returns to Egypt after years abroad, navigating love, family, and the pull of home in a warm, bittersweet reflection on identity and reconciliation.
When: Now until Jan 29th
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Wes Anderson’s whimsical comedy-adventure set in a legendary European hotel, tracing the bond between a young lobby boy and his eccentric mentor against a rapidly changing world.
When: Now until Jan 30th
Dog Day Afternoon
Directed by Sidney Lumet, this gripping crime thriller inspired by true events sees a simple bank robbery spiral into chaos under mounting pressure, media attention, and unexpected revelations.
When: Now until Jan 30th
You can get your tickets here, at cinemaakil.com.
For the rest of the month, check out more Cosmo-approved ways to fill in your calendar.