The Brain That Sings

Directed By Amal Al-Agroobi

The Brain that Sings follows the lives of six year old Khalifa and eighteen year old Mohammed, two boys with autism in the United Arab Emirates through 3 months of music therapy.

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A rare look into the lives of two autistic boys both living in the UAE who engage in 3 months of music therapy in the hopes that their families might witness some type of behavioural changes. Mohammed Al-Tamimi is the eldest and most volatile, sometimes displaying mood swings and aggression. Aged 19, he resides with his family in the bustling city of Abu Dhabi, living a mundane life, eating and trying his best to communicate with a world that doesn’t understand him. Khalifa Al-Ali, age 6, recently lost his father. His mother, who needs to cater to his financial needs cannot always be at home, but hopes this novel technique of ‘music therapy’, which uses the melody, beat and rhythm of music, can help Khalifa sort through his emotional responses to his father’s loss. A music therapist gives both boys music therapy to see if it may help their behaviours.

Amal Al-Agroobi is a filmmaker from the UAE with a passion for social-based and human-interest stories. Her themes are often Arab-centric, reflecting her identity and heritage. She started her career in 2012 in documentaries, winning multiple competitions worldwide before transitioning into genre cinema. She now writes and direct sci-fi, horror and fantasy. Amal also writes for television.


Dubai Film Festival (2013)

Giffoni Film Festival (2014)

Docutah film festival (2014)

Al Jazeera film festival (2014)

Dubai film festival (2013) People's Choice Award

Giffoni Film Festival (2014) Golden prize of Regional Council