Abu Dhabi: The second day of the Global Media Congress (GMC 2024) hosted a session on “The Art of Storytelling,” exploring impactful storytelling techniques. Emirati photographer Alya bin Sultan, known as Alya Al Joker, shared her experience of photographing senior citizens, whom she described as symbols of generosity and as patriotic as the younger generations. She emphasized that senior citizens are the foundation of the nation, and showing them respect is a duty.
According to Emirates News Agency, Alya began her photography journey in 2021, just four days before the Hope Probe reached Mars. Her first project involved photographing Emirati mothers-who preferred to stay out of the limelight-holding banners that read, ‘We’ve reached Mars.’ Through her work, Alya has highlighted the contributions of senior citizens, integrated them into the community, and empowered them to engage with modern technology.
Filmmaker Mohamed Attal highlighted his storytelling approach, blending emotion, surprise, and purpose. Hi
s current project celebrates the UAE’s Union Day and the legacy of the UAE’s Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Ahmed Khaleeji, known as Ahmed Al Sini on social media, shared strategies for content creators, stressing the importance of capturing the audience’s attention within the first three seconds. He advised on the need for consistency in content creation, originality, and effective communication in the audience’s language to build a loyal following.