Experiencing Interruptions?

It Ain't Where You From / The Main Circle 7.83

What do you do when you grow up without a family or a homeland, with a different vibe and a different tribe? You have to create your own path. This is the story of It Ain't Where You From. A Love letter to Hip Hop

Dubai based filmmaker, poet, producer and Bboy Philip Jamal Rachid (aka Soultrotter) has assembled the primary talent of the burgeoning, young Gulf Hip Hop scene in a first-time collaboration with some of its key figures.

Dance, music, spoken word, graphics and street art collide in this powerful film portrait of a thriving scene. Shot in outdoor and studio locations, imbued with saturated colours, stylish fashion and backed by a pulsating soundtrack, It Ain’t Where You From captures the melting pot of Gulf cities

Each artist has a personal history, each is struggling to find their way. We get to know what it takes to follow their passions, what role the UAE plays in shaping the scene and how Hip Hop gives voice to a third culture generation.

This is part of the bigger Transmedia project "The Main Circle 7.83"
Where dance, film, and spoken word fuse to create a groundbreaking hip-hop experience.

Commissioned by The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi & Shubbak Festival London.

  • Philip Rachid
    Director
    She, The Moonlight Rider, Hoody Man, It Ain't Where you From
  • Philip Rachid
    Writer
    She, The Moonlight Rider, Hoody Man, t Ain't Where you From
  • Tiece Edwards
    Producer
  • Philip Rachid
    Producer
    She, The Moonlight Rider, Hoody Man, t Ain't Where you From
  • Abdulla Alhayaki
    Key Cast
    "Dust"
  • Lana Ramadan
    Key Cast
  • Feraz
    Key Cast
  • Jawhar Zitouni
    Key Cast
  • Mohammed Al Khafaji
    Key Cast
    "Spiky"
  • Maitha Alawadi
    Montage
  • Philip Jamal Rachid
    Cinematography
    She, The Moonlight Rider, Hoody Man
  • Tarek Merhi
    Cinematography
  • Taha Ibraheem
    Cinematography
  • Mohamed Salman
    Cinematography
  • Ian D. Murphy
    Cinematography
  • Mohamed Araki
    Credit SOng
  • Tac
    Credit SOng
  • Keys
    Credit SOng
  • Sam B Green
    Creative Consultant
    32 sounds, A thousand Thoughts, The Weather Underground
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental
  • Runtime:
    50 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    November 14, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    55,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United Arab Emirates
  • Country of Filming:
    Bahrain, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates
  • Language:
    Arabic, Bulgarian, English, Kurdish
  • Shooting Format:
    4k Eva1 Panasonic
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Shubbak Festival 2021
    London
    United Kingdom
    July 17, 2021
    Uk Premiere
  • Smithsonian FEstival
    Washington DC
    United States
    July 29, 2022
  • hiphop cine fest
    Rome
    Italy
    May 15, 2023
    Winner Best Experimental film
  • Duhok International Film Festival
    Duhok
    Iraq
    Winner International Documentary
  • Steinhardt NYU
    New York
    United States
  • American Arab Museum
    Washington
    United States
  • Silver Futurism Award for Performing Arts -Dubai Culture
    Dubai
    United Arab Emirates
    December 10, 2023
    Silver Futurism Award for Performing Arts -Dubai Culture
Director Biography - Philip Rachid

Philip J. Rachid IS AN INTERNATIONAL AWARDED IRAQI KURDISH FILM MAKER, WHO IS BORN IN SOFIA, BULGAIRA AND RAISED IN AMSTERDAM. CURRENTLY PHILIP IS BASED IN THE UAE
AND IS PROFESSIONALLY ACTIVE IN THE INTERNATIONAL FILM INDUSTRY FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS AND IS PROUD TO HAVE WORKED WITH OSCAR & EMMY AWARD WINNING PROFESSIONALS.

IN 1997 HIS CAREER TOOK OFF AS BEING THE FIRST MIDDLE EASTERN LOOKING LEAD ACTOR IN THE TV AND FILM INDUSTRY IN THE NETHERLANDS, HE FOUNDED SOULTROTTER TO DEDICATE HIMSELF INTO CHANGING THE NARRATIVE OF THE STEREOTYPING OF THE ARAB WORLD IN THE GLOBAL INDUSTRY.

HE HAS WRITTEN / PRODUCED & DIRECTED FORMATS FOR ENDEMOL, MTV & VPRO TV IN THE NETHERLANDS. AND WITH HIS SHORT FILMS PHILIP HAS BEEN AWARDED 12 TIMES.

WITH AN EDGY, AND DYNAMIC STYLE DESIGNED TO CAPTIVATE THE EYES AND EARS, WHILE DEFYING
EXPECTATIONS AND PUSHING THE TRADITIONAL BOUNDARIES OF GENRE. HE IS KNOWN FOR MESHING HIGH-END CINEMATIC VISUALS WITH COMPELLING MOTIVES NARRATIVE STORYTELLING,
BREAKING THE STATUS QUO AND BRINGING SOMETHING NEW TO THE INDUSTRY.

VIA 2454, IMAGINATION, NYU-AD AND SAE INSTITUTE HE HAS MENTORED THE NEW GENERATION OF FILM MAKERS IN THE UAE FOR THE PAST 7 YEARS, PHILIP J. RACHID EATS, SLEEPS AND BREATHES VISUAL STORYTELLING AND ALWAYS THRIVES TO
CREATE MEANINGFUL CONTENT THAT WILL INSPIRE.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0412073/

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Director Statement

Through live dance, live music, spoken word and film, the immersive piece welcomes the audience into the world of a Bboy
as we celebrate the history of art, self-empowerment, resilience, family and collaboration. It's time to remove the
taboo of street dance and acknowledge it as an art form that has shaped many lives. It is time to connect the
generations, time to connect traditional with contemporary pop art . We invite you to join this movement."