To mark the 15th anniversary of the Dubai Metro, the Road and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched a series of films highlighting the metro’s impact on daily life.
Real Lives, Real Journeys profiles three regular passengers: a nurse, a hotel manager and a gym enthusiast who is a person of determination.
Through their stories, the films, developed by Livingroom Dubai and produced by Boomtown Productions, aim to underscore how the metro plays a crucial role in Dubai’s success, embodying RTA’s commitment to ‘keep Dubai moving.’
The short film series also seeks to celebrate the resilience and contributions of individuals within the bustling crowd of daily metro users. It’s not just about the people themselves, but the broader story of how the metro has become a vital link for those whose often unseen efforts have helped shape Dubai’s communities.
By showcasing their hard work, the film underscores that they, too, are driving Dubai’s success. It concludes with the tagline: “Not all heroes fly. Some take the metro.”
“The documentary is a more raw and authentic approach to storytelling but ultimately more genuine and therefore more emotional,” said Seyoan Vela, Chief Creative Officer, Livingroom Dubai.
Vela explained to Campaign Middle East the creative and strategic direction his team took to achieve the most impactful form of storytelling.
“The big difference in making a documentary is authenticity. These are not actors reading a script. These are real people allowing us to glimpse their real journeys, literally and metaphorically.” he said.
“The challenge was to find the real people, willing to appear on film and allow us to see the reality of their lives, their daily struggles and accomplishments,” Vela continued.
He also explained that the idea of filming real stories in a documentary style format arose from the intent to “change the perception of the metro to non-metro users.”
“Therefore, a strategy of celebrating the everyday heroes who rely on the metro was taken,” he said.
Livingroom Dubai has also designed a special collectible edition of Dubai Metro stamps in partnership with Emirates Post to commemorate the milestone.
“It’s an honour to feature on a nation’s stamps and it shows the high regard the Metro is held in to receive such recognition,” Vela said.
The stamps feature a palette similar to the familiar colouring of the Dubai metro. Iconic landmarks and views that are often witnessed by metro users fill up the background of the stamps.
Credits for stamps:
Client: RTA and Emirates Post
Client RTA: Rasheed Almulla, Alia Falaknaz, Jyothi Pinto
Client Emirates Post: Khaled Abu Al Hayjaa, Humaid Alshami, Angelo Vassiliades.
Agency: Livingroom / LR DXB
Designer: Gibin George
Creative Head: Lara Bizri
CCO: Seyoan Vela
Account Lead: Mohamad Arnous
Credits for 15th Anniversary Films:
Client: RTA
Client RTA: Rasheed Almulla, Alia Falaknaz
Agency: Livingroom / LR DXB
CCO: Seyoan Vela
Creative Head: Lara Bizri
Copywriter: Seyoan Vela
Art Director: Lara Bizri
Account Team: Mohamad Arnous, Viviana Agudelo, Sarrah Enriquez, Dani Oneisse
Production House: Boomtown
Director: Ted Beagles
DOP: Matthew Macdonald
Executive Producer: Bruce Macdonald
Production Manager: Jonathan Piercy
Sound: Chris Clark
Editor: Harry Starkey-Midha
