Al Sidr Environmental Film Festival Returns to Abu Dhabi with a Focus on Restoration and Renewal

Cinema cannot save the environment, but it can change the way we see it. That is the guiding philosophy behind the Al Sidr Environmental Film Festival, which has returned to Abu Dhabi for its fifth iteration with a programme examining humanity's relationship with nature and the ways it can be repaired.

Running from Friday to Sunday at NYU Abu Dhabi and organised in collaboration with Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, the festival features the theme Mend, derived from the Arabic verb rammim, which means to repair or restore something of value.

Artistic director Nezar Andary explains that the theme reflects a philosophy that has guided the event since 2020. Rather than overwhelming audiences with alarming statistics or strict instructions, the festival aims to foster curiosity through creative and artistic documentaries that create a sense of intimacy and questioning.

Since its inception, Al Sidr has welcomed more than 5,000 attendees and engaged 2,000 students across Abu Dhabi. This year's lineup approaches ecology through scientific exploration, cultural heritage, and conservation, featuring prominent screenings such as Werner Herzog's Ghost Elephants, Sara Dosa's Fire of Love, and Dosa's documentary Time and Water.

The diverse programme also includes Fungi: Web of Life narrated by Bjork, Evgenia Arbugaeva’s short film Chuuraa, and a restored 4K edition of Shyam Benegal's 1976 Indian film Manthan. Closer to home, the festival will premiere episodes of Conservation Diaries, a five-part documentary series produced by Connect with Nature, highlighting local biodiversity efforts across the UAE's wadis, mangroves, and coastlines.

Alongside film screenings, the three-day event features panel discussions on ecological restoration, water, and fungi, as well as family programmes highlighting international animated shorts. Through these offerings, Andary hopes to encourage audiences to rethink their connections to the natural world, noting that while cinema cannot heal the environment directly, it can spark conversations that extend far beyond the screen.