Written by the Sultan of Sharjah, this is his personal view of characters and events which differs very much from historical truth. For one, Alfonso de Albuquerque was the founder of Goa and therefore Portuguese India. He fought many battles, this being one of the least significant. He was much more keen on ruling Ormus, which he succeeded to conquer in 1515 through a mixture of intrigue and intimidation.
Khorfakkan changed hands many times throughout the 16th century, the Portuguese even built a fort there which was razed by Persians a few decades later. They were driven away by the climate which they could not adjust to. The Portuguese consider Albuquerque one of their most important military leaders and one of the biggest squares in Lisbon is named after him. So this film is pretty far off the mark although resistance against colonial rule was of course fully justified.
While there are a few good films from Saudi, Jordan and Qatar (well, they put their money in a few good ones), Emirati films disappoint. They've got the money, they've got the stories, but they don't have the imagination to bring anything convincing to the screen. So this film, like all films from there, feels lifeless, artificial and empty. I wish this wasn't the case, but the Emirates really have to try harder.
Khorfakkan changed hands many times throughout the 16th century, the Portuguese even built a fort there which was razed by Persians a few decades later. They were driven away by the climate which they could not adjust to. The Portuguese consider Albuquerque one of their most important military leaders and one of the biggest squares in Lisbon is named after him. So this film is pretty far off the mark although resistance against colonial rule was of course fully justified.
While there are a few good films from Saudi, Jordan and Qatar (well, they put their money in a few good ones), Emirati films disappoint. They've got the money, they've got the stories, but they don't have the imagination to bring anything convincing to the screen. So this film, like all films from there, feels lifeless, artificial and empty. I wish this wasn't the case, but the Emirates really have to try harder.
