image
InterviewPeopleArt

by Barbara Yakimchuk

Omar Almahri: “I Was Skipping Classes Just To Go Out And Shoot.”

20 Jun 2025

They say adults are supposed to make “grown-up” decisions — always asking “why?” and carefully weighing the pros and cons before taking the next step. But who said that is the only right way to live?
Omar is someone who could challenge that idea. He believed in his dream not because it made sense, but despite the fact it did not — at least not at first. He picked up a camera at the age of ten and started skipping university classes to go out and shoot.
And yes, throughout this interview, you will feel that spark — the energy of youth, the dizzying passion, and maybe even a touch of recklessness. But that is exactly what we call love for what you do. It is the kind of drive that inspires — and, as you will see, delivers results. Dive in and see for yourself.
image
— I read that you started videography at 10, when your sister gave you a camera and asked you to film the family. Is that really how it all began?
— Yes, that is true. That was the starting point. I didn't have money for gifts back then, so my way of showing love — especially for birthdays — was to make little video montages of my mom or my sisters and give that to them as a present. I think that is when I really fell in love with the idea of keeping memories through video.
— How did that filming go back then?
— A lot of trial and error! But that is what I loved about it! And I still try to keep that feeling, even now. No matter how many clients I have or how serious the work gets, I remind myself of where it started. That early excitement, that playful creativity — I hold on to it. It keeps me grounded and keeps the work honest.
— From everything I have seen and read, you seem really close to your family. How did they react when you told them you wanted film direction to be your career?
— I come from a family where everyone is either in education or engineering. My mom especially has an academic background, and all my sisters are engineers. So when I started down a creative path, I was kind of the black sheep of the family. I think they just saw it as a phase — like a hobby I would eventually grow out of.
For me, it was never just a hobby. Yes, it started that way, but I believed I could build something real from it. And in a strange way, their doubt gave me even more drive — a kind of hunger. If they hadn't questioned it, I might not have pushed as hard as I did.
But their reaction made sense to me — especially my mom’s. She came from nothing — we all did — so stability was everything. The creative path didno't look safe to her. She couldn't see how it would work out. Growing up and being exposed to different things, I have learned how important it is to understand where your parents are coming from — to try and balance your perspective with theirs. Just like it is fair to want to be understood, it is just as important to put in the effort to help them understand you.
image
— So what shifted their perspective?
— Over time, I proved it to them. And yeah, as much as I wish it were not about this, once the money started coming in, things changed. That is when they started to see it differently — like, “Okay, he is doing well.”
Now, they are really supportive. They still might not fully understand what I do, but they are trying — and that means a lot.
Just the other day, I was getting ready for a shoot. Normally, when I would tell my mom I was heading out, she would say something like, “Oh, again?” But this time, she just looked at me and said, “Best of luck.” I just stood there for a second. That moment — it meant everything to me.
— What profession would they have preferred you to pursue, back before things started working out?
— At first, it was cybersecurity. I even studied it at university. But after the first two semesters, all my motivation was gone — literally, all of it.
It got to the point where I was skipping classes just to go out and shoot. Sometimes I had gigs in Dubai, so I would leave from Abu Dhabi, go shoot, come back, and not tell anyone. I kept doing that until they eventually found out. And yeah, there was a lot of drama around that time.
But honestly, I am glad it all happened the way it did. That also helped them to realise how stubborn I am — that I will only ever do something I really love. That was the shift. They started seeing the good in it, and I showed them I was serious.
And before I ever try to prove anything to anyone — whether it is family or friends — I make sure I have proved it to myself first. As long as I know I am doing it for me, I am not scared of anything. Not even if it is my mom — as much as I love her — or someone really close to me. I just go for it. That is it.
image
image
image
— Let’s move on to your work. You are a film director — where does your inspiration come from?
— Honestly, it is mostly from things I have seen — things I grew up around.
A lot of what inspires me are those small, human moments we all experienced growing up here in the UAE. Things that were never really talked about, but we all felt — those quiet little interactions between brothers, sisters, friends… the kind of moments that slowly fade over time.
And when you bring those moments into a visual form now, people connect. Not just people here — even those from outside. It makes them feel something. And that is what I want to keep creating — those nostalgic moments that remind us what it means to be human.
One creative practice I love — and I always tell my close friends to try it — is this: I put on film scores in my headphones for 10 minutes straight. I grab a notebook and a pen, and for those 10 minutes, I am not allowed to stop writing. No editing, no overthinking — just write whatever comes out.
Later, I went back and read it. I always find little gems — ideas I can build on. That is how I start shaping concepts, and sometimes even full scripts. Just in the past three weeks, I have written three visual treatments that way.
image
— You have done a lot of video shoots — for adidas, New Balance, Gucci, and others. Which one has been your favorite so far?
— Definitely the Pharrell shoot. That project really opened my eyes — it showed me how far this path could go, and how real it could actually get.
It was a campaign I did for Humanrace and adidas Originals, for a new sneaker Pharrell had designed. I handled the entire campaign — videos, photos, everything.
What made it really special was the casting — the main face of the shoot was my actual brother. I love this guy so much. And beyond that, it was powerful because it represented my culture — he was wearing a kandora. But it wasn't done in a stereotypical or surface-level way. It wasn't disrespectful to our culture or our religion — that is something I am always very mindful of. It wasn't the usual “Emirati culture aesthetic,” which, to be honest, often doesn't show the depth of our culture. I added my own twist to it — something that stayed authentic and true to our traditions and values.
— You mentioned your approach is deeply rooted in your culture. Can you explain that a bit more? What do you mean by respecting and disrespecting the culture?
— What I mean is that our culture — our clothes, our traditions, our way of life — all of it carries meaning. For example, the kandora isn't just a look or a trend. It represents something deeper: our identity, our values, our upbringing.
But a lot of people — whether from here or abroad — treat it like a costume. They wear it for attention, for clicks. You will see things like a guy in a kandora surrounded by half-naked women — and yeah, it might go viral. But to me, that has nothing to do with creativity. That is just disrespectful.
I feel these things deserve to be shown with pride and care. And honestly, there are so many beautiful, powerful sides to our culture that have not even been told yet. I just do not understand why some people keep choosing the shallow version when there is so much depth to share.
image
image
image
— You have said once that people are often surprised when they find out you are an Emirati film director. Does that still happen? Why do you think it catches them off guard?
— Yes, it still happens and, honestly, if I put myself in their shoes, I might be surprised too. A lot of people still carry certain stereotypes — when they picture an Emirati, they either imagine someone in the desert with camels, or driving a Bugatti down Sheikh Zayed Road. So I get where it comes from.
But I would love to see more people like me — Emiratis — stepping into the creative world, putting ourselves out there. And things are shifting. I want to be part of that change, not just sitting on the sidelines watching it happen.
The way I see it, we are still a young country. And because of that, a lot of us didn't grow up with mentors in the arts — there wasn't really a path to follow. But now it is our turn. Our generation has a chance to build that space — to inspire, to guide, and to show others what is possible.
— What has been the most difficult shoot you have done? What happened, and how did you handle it?
— Oh, that one was wild. We were working on a short film we had planned to shoot in Oman.
Honestly, I felt like Kanye West in that Netflix documentary — I had the whole treatment printed out, the script, the pitch deck — everything. I was going into government offices, pitching the idea.
When no one backed us, I just thought, “Alright, you want to play this game? I will play it.” So I started saving, and my friends and I pulled together a crew. Everyone came in for the love of it — pure passion. We put all our money into the production.
We drove from Dubai to Oman and shot for four days straight — from early morning until late into the night. I honestly do not know how we pulled it off, but we did. And we made it — my first ever short film. Everyone wanted this idea to come to life, and having around 20 or more people all aligning around one vision — that felt really powerful to me. I still think, how did we even pull that off? But we did. And it was beautiful.
— What was the idea behind the film?
— The film is called "Jamra". It was made up of two parts: "Aby", which means “father,” and "Amal", which means “hope.”
"Aby" tells the story of a father returning to his child’s life after being absent for most of it. It explores the emotional struggle the child faces in letting him back in — the tension, the resistance, and everything unsaid beneath the surface.
"Amal" is about a young girl who has lost her mother and lives alone. Her aunt steps in and helps her begin to open up — to understand and express the emotions she has been holding inside.
Since the very beginning of my journey, I have always focused on stories that touch on sensitive topics — but I never want to show pain just for the sake of it. I always ask: even in the hardest moments, what good can come from this? What can we take away from it? That is the message I try to carry in my work.
— You sometimes work with non-professional actors. But most of your stories are emotional and nuanced. How do you guide them into those roles?
— It really depends on the person and the situation. Sometimes, you need to talk it through — explain what the scene needs and what is expected. Other times, it is more about building trust and helping them feel comfortable on set. I will give you two examples.
One was when we were shooting "Sun & Rain". We had a young boy playing the lead, and his character had to have this serious, straight-faced energy. But when he showed up, he was all smiles — even his eyes were smiling.
So I took it slow, just building trust. We had these little one-on-one chats away from the crew. At one point, I told him, “Be mad at me.” He looked at me like, “What?” I said, “Imagine I did something wrong. What would you do?” He would laugh, then try to act angry — and I would give him this serious stare, like, “Now. Be serious.” And suddenly, he switched. The smile dropped, and he just got it. I don't even know how, but it worked.
The second one was with "Jamra", with Tanya. There was a scene where she had to cry — but it just wasn't happening with everyone around. So we cleared the room. Only the essentials stayed — me, the DOP. She just needed that quiet space, and once she had it, she nailed it.
That is the key, really — making sure the person never feels like they are a burden or holding things up. You don't push them. You give them room, support, and time — and let them get there on their own. Putting someone under that kind of spotlight just makes it harder for them to connect to the scene. Tanya, thankfully, knows how to access that emotion — she is really good at it. It was pure magic. I was impressed — with her, with myself, with the whole moment. Crying on camera is no joke. It is tough.
image
— Would you be able to cry on camera?
— No, I don't think so. I have a hard time crying in general — not trying to sound like an “alpha male” or anything, I just genuinely struggle with it. Something really major has to happen for me to break like that. That is actually one of the reasons I got into listening to film scores, that I mentioned before.
— So, you aren't the kind of person who would cry over a film, then?
— I don't think so. I mean, when I was around 14, I watched "Interstellar", and I remember getting that lump in my throat. That was probably the closest I have come to crying over a film.
image
image
image
— How do you see yourself in 10 years?
— In ten years? First of all, I see myself starting a family. I have always been a big family guy. I want to grow up with my kids — be present in their lives. I don't want to be the kind of dad who is 50 and just lazing around the house. I want to be out there with them, playing sports, making memories.
At the same time, I see myself with at least two — hopefully more — feature films under my belt. I want to be more established here in the UAE, and tell stories that represent this place — not just on a local level, but globally. I want to be a voice that doesn't just tell a story, but tells the right story.
— And the last one — say you have a day off — what are your top three spots in Dubai or Abu Dhabi to spend your free time?
— Just yesterday I took my mum to this place in Dubai called Mama'esh. It is a really good Palestinian spot. Me and my mum bond over food — we are basically the same person when it comes to that. So that place is definitely up there — super fresh, delicious.
Then there is Saadiyat Beach in Abu Dhabi. Especially now in summer, it is perfect. Honestly, beaches in Abu Dhabi feel different from Dubai’s — calmer, I think.
And third… I would say To the Moon and Back in Jumeirah. It is a cosy spot — I love taking my laptop, working from there. It has just got the right vibe.