In the Middle East advertising landscape, the portrayal and participation of men and women are not just reflections of cultural norms, they have become catalysts for change. Just as the saying goes, “Culture is to humans as water is to fish”, we often swim in strong currents of societal norms without realising their pull. It’s only when someone spots a shark in the water that we start to identify the implicit bias or stereotypes that have gone unattended.
Today, the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) narrative has created many such eye-opening conversations within the industry. In the coming days, we welcome you to delve into the insights of industry leaders, who call a spade a spade. They have come to a consensus that while significant strides have been made, there’s still a long way to go. The industry faces the challenge of not just acknowledging the gaps but actively addressing them. The hope is to herald a future where DE&I is so ingrained in our culture that the changes we request today are foregone conclusions.
The needle has definitely moved, but a sense of equity and normalcy hasn’t quite settled in. Read what the leaders had to say:
Dania Quaglio, Founder and Executive Producer, Camouflage Production
How have you found the strength, resilience, and courage to take on the world?
During this past year, I have been dealing with cancer. I’m facing it with the resilience I learnt in my professional life. I firmly believe that the film industry has taught me how to adapt and survive.
Drawing parallels to producing a movie or a commercial with the most demanding clients, problematic budgets, and tough directors, life has taught me that with just a bit of hard work, it will all eventually settle down.
For instance, through my career I’ve been involved in various encounters that required planning, problem solving, and ego management skills. This genuinely shaped my character and developed me to become the woman I am today.
Over the past year, I have been navigating my life between Camouflage Productions and my health, and I happily succeeded in fulfilling all my duties and responsibilities towards my clients, company, and employees. The passion and dedication I hold to my craft and clients drove me to succeed in my last shoot, making sure that everything was in place and, thus, repaying the trust they placed in me.
During this time, I was also honoured as a Global Power Leader in this year’s edition of the Global Business Conclave at the House of Lords in the UK Parliament. I was also selected as a jury member for Berlin Commercial. Nothing is impossible even in the hardest of times.
Currently, I have decided to put Camouflage on hold and shift my full focus to my health and family. I have been humbled by the emotional support of my clients, friends, and colleagues. Their wishes and words have been overwhelmingly warm and means the world to me.
I always repeat the phrase, nothing is impossible, this has been the slogan of every shoot I produced.
What steps would you advise to prevent “DE&I washing” within the industry?
It is very important to maintain the right level of ethics and integrity in any workspace to prevent any DE&I washing.
While it is very attractive to have a diverse team on the surface, it is important to offer the right amount of support, mentorship, and attention. It is paramount for people to feel understood regardless of their backgrounds or genders.
With open conversations and understanding, diversity in the workspace can create its own standalone culture, shaping up the identity of the company and the quality of work it produces.
What would an ideal world in the coming years look like?
More nurtured talent and more adventures to explore with progression of the global industry. I would love to see more daring and original creative concepts. I’d also like to see a standard of filmmaking across the industry that resonates with high quality work regardless of the budget.
How in your opinion can collaborative campaigns – and their visible, tangible impact – further the cause for DE&I in the industry?
The industry in the UAE has made huge efforts and steps towards DE&I, especially over the past decade, though I still think there will always be room for improvement.
Our industry relies on big international campaigns and interacting with the international community will always improve our understanding of global cultures. Our market is on a very promising trajectory, and interacting with all these international productions from global markets will teach us something new, add to our professional understanding, and enhance our experiences, whether we gain it on a commercial or a feature film set.
If there’s one barrier you would break down, what would it be and why?
It is no secret that the Middle East is a male dominant region. However, I can testify that huge progressive steps have been taken – particularly in the UAE – to address this gender gap across all aspects of life.
As a woman, I am able to achieve what any man within the industry has been able to achieve – both within my career and as an owner of my own company. Gender inequality was always a barrier and breaking it makes me proud.
I would also take this opportunity to recognise and celebrate other great women who have helped shape our industry. There are many women who have opened their own production houses and others who have climbed to even greater heights. My achievement is simply being one of them.
What words of wisdom would you share with women new to the industry and/or the Middle East region?
Embrace your womanhood, be yourself, be receptive to your surroundings, work hard, stay strong, and always fight for your dream. No hard work will ever go unnoticed.
Our market is already loaded with great mentors that have been resilient. Like all other industries, there is a new generation working up the production and creative ladders, who have learnt from their own experiences and are being mentored by great professionals.
We should not let any constraints stand in the way of the quality we aspire to produce. We should always remember our younger enthusiastic selves when we first held a camera and dreamt of making a film. Never compromise on what made you fall in love with cinema. Always look for the best story to tell in the best way. Every aspect of every film is important, and we need to give it all our attention and care.
