After the international success of the meta-spiritual short film, Ayah in association with Firdaus Studio by A.R. Rahman, film director, and producer Zenofar Fathima is now prepared to venture into new cinematic territory with her first ever feature film after producing and directing over 10 short films during her career spanning five years. To date, Fathima has tackled societal issues of cyber extortion, depression, domestic violence and even the Dark Web with her short films that she touts as “mini lessons to society”.
Fathima disclosed various details of the new film, titled Beyond the Limit, at a private twilight screening of Ayah for media, dignitaries, and socialites last Friday evening. “Beyond the Limit is a coming-of-age sports drama that will see the fall and rise of an up-and-coming athlete who loses his legs in a traumatic accident at infancy,” said Fathima. “With this film, I aim to showcase an inspirational journey of perseverance, straight from childhood to the mature years of adulthood, which will hopefully encourage the masses to achieve beyond their limits, whether it be personally or professionally”.
Though Fathima has yet to announce the cast and crew associated with the film, she had managed to give guests a sneak peek of the unique pre-production process, which entails undergoing a stringent fitness regime of her own. “Unlike my past films, Beyond the Limit requires me to step out of my comfort zone and empathize with someone whose life is very different from my own,” Fathima stated. “As a result, I need to be able to vicariously experience that individual’s life, even if it is just one percent. Although it has been a challenge, it is one that is enjoyable. Fitness has now become a central part of my everyday life.”
Binous1 Gym, an official shooting location for Beyond the Limit and the biggest gym in Dubai with over 500 focus areas for legs, upper body and cardio, plays a key role in facilitating Fathima’s fitness regime and thus her pre production process that involves research, analysis and the eventual synthesis of the film’s script. “In order to get inside the mind of my protagonist, I began my fitness journey in Binous1, which is now like a second home to me- having met so many amazing people and learnt so much about pushing my own limits, physically and psychologically,” stated Fathima. The Al Quoz located gym is laid out in a massive warehouse, featuring facilities such as a VIP Gym area, restaurants, protein shops, a massage center, salon and more for its members.
With Beyond the Limit, Fathima and her corporate brainchild Zen Film Productions are not only journeying into the arena of features, but also a sub-genre she has yet to experience: sports dramas. “I’ve always been doing short films because I think that in a world overwhelmed by sensory overload, it’s important to create content that is easy to understand whilst also offering a message to audiences before they part with the film,” Fathima explained. “However, as a seasoned short filmmaker, I am now ready to dive into features which is an art form in itself. It requires a certain degree of zest and attention to detail that I am very excited to explore. They are challenging as they are rewarding, but most importantly, I believe the subject matter of Beyond the Limit warrants a feature length film.”