“Do you remember who you were before people told you who you had to be?”

The question opens Bvlgari’s latest short film for Emirati Women’s Day, setting the tone for a story about identity, belonging and the process of becoming comfortable with who you are. At a little over 90 seconds, كل ما تتمنين (The Girl I Needed) follows a young Emirati woman named Mariam from childhood through adolescence and into adulthood.

Developed in partnership with Emirati cultural visionary and Cinema Akil founder Butheina Kazim, the film marks the sixth consecutive year that Bvlgari has used storytelling to commemorate Emirati Women’s Day and celebrate the achievements and legacy of Emirati women across the region.

The Girl I Needed treats empowerment as a process rather than something simply achieved. Mariam moves through different stages of her life, with each one bringing questions of selfhood, courage and authenticity. The film uses minimal dialogue to follow that progression, allowing the story to unfold through fragments of her youth, adolescence and adulthood.

The story eventually brings Mariam into an intimate conversation with an older relative, turning the film towards the women whose experiences shape us and the wisdom that passes between generations. At its centre is the idea that strength is not always something dramatic or immediately visible. It can take the form of guidance, resilience, memory and the knowledge passed from one woman to another.

This year’s film follows the official Emirati Women’s Day theme, “Together, We Rise Stronger and Better,” announced by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak. The theme reflects the collective journey of Emirati women and their continued role in shaping society across generations.

Bvlgari places the film within its wider mission to elevate life by revealing magnificent beauty, using the occasion to look at the heritage and stories that have shaped the region while recognising the contributions that continue to influence generations to come.

The film becomes a reflection on identity, memory and belonging, while paying tribute to the strength, grace and collective ancestral wisdom of Emirati women. Their influence is presented not only through individual stories, but through the role they play as anchors of society and builders of generations.

Written and directed by Taqwa Bint Ali, the film draws on her approach to storytelling rooted in human experience, with a focus on emotion, identity and culture. It was produced in collaboration with Studio HARAKA, a multidisciplinary studio rooted in movement and the cultural rhythms of the Gulf, bringing its own visual language and regional perspective to the story.

The creative team behind the film includes Executive Producer Butheina Kazim, Producer Osama Mutasem, Director of Photography Anas Alkassim and lead actress Mariam Shamma.

Through Mariam’s journey from childhood to adulthood, The Girl I Needed looks at the ways identity is formed over time, and at the women whose guidance, strength and experiences become part of what is carried forward.