Her latest project also happens to be the first ever escape room series in the whole world, Specter: Black Out
Tell us a little bit of yourself
I am Zenofar Fathima. I am a filmmaker, director, and movie producer hailing from India but based in the United Arab Emirates. I am an indie filmmaker who strives to showcase engaging stories with a hint of social awareness on screen.
My latest project also happens to be the first ever escape room series in the whole world, Specter: Black Out, a psychological thriller that tells the tale of an ensemble of strangers who are brought together under the mysterious circumstances of a casting call held in an escape room.
Season one of the series is now available to stream on Zee5Global. Season two is also currently in development.
Amid projects like Specter, other OTT projects are also in the pipeline, including a paranormal anthology series titled Ouija that is also in development.
How and when did you move here, and what inspired the move?
I migrated to Dubai at the tender age of 15, when my dad had gotten posted to the UAE. From then on, I had completed my primary and secondary schooling, as well as college and higher studies
In a way, Dubai has always been my home and will continue to be as well. It is where I had my childhood, and where I started my career.
How has living in Dubai shaped your sense of belonging and community?
I think what’s fascinating about Dubai is the amalgamation of different cultures and diverse backgrounds of life that people come from.
I feel like I’m connected to the whole world whilst living in a single nation, there are no barriers between me and other people.
Can you tell us about a particular person in Dubai who has had a significant impact on your life and why?
I think it would be Sheikha Hend Bint Faisal Al Qasimi, who is a close friend since I had come back to Dubai after living for a brief period in Malaysia.
Sheikha is an established author Emirati royal, and a very dear friend who has been supporting my endeavours ever since I started my indie film career with Zen Film Productions in 2018.
She has attended every single movie premiere of mine, and she truly embodies what it means to be a beacon of hope and support.
Even when she’s not in town, she makes it a point to send a video byte to showcase her support for my projects.
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What is your favourite thing about the emirate and why?
I think it would be the value of tolerance. It is the beauty of how tolerance is a way of life, the acceptance of different values, cultures and people that make this place such a peaceful environment to live in.
A myth about Dubai that you would like to bust
Dubai is not a country! It is a state. A city. I’m always hearing of people online branding it a country.
Could you share a memorable moment when you felt the genuine warmth and hospitality of the Dubai community in your own life?
There was a time in my life that was very traumatic for myself and my family. There was an attempted robbery that had occurred at my parent’s place.
However, the heroes that were Dubai Police had caught the suspect in a matter of hours, whilst also offering a means of support for us, personally at our home.
It was a magnificent show of solidarity at such a difficult time that makes such an emotional memory.
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