It is difficult to convey, via the printed word, the sights and sounds of living in the UAE.

Public photography here is actively discouraged and sometimes illegal. And conveying a sound … that is difficult in print.

Thus, a video of Emiratis interacting would be a handy thing, for those of you who wonder what that might look like and sound like.

Luckily, we have one.

The biggest telecom in the country, Etisalat, has produced a video (to promote its DVR-like service) that gives a fairly accurate sense of a theater-going experience.

The video, entitled two locals fighting in the cinema, has gone viral, with more than 250,000 views.

A reporter at The National picked up on the video, and produced this story, which has the video embedded and explains what the commercial is about.

By the way … talking in theaters is at least as bad here as in the U.S., and might be worse. Taking calls on cell phones is not uncommon. So the video is fairly accurate in that regard.

Note the final paragraph in the story: “They didn’t need an actor, this happens every time I go to the cinema,” said one viewer. Another said: “Funny ad, but how annoying. It happens all the time in the cinema except no one pauses the film.”

I should note, however, that I have never seen two Emiratis arguing in a movie house over this. And never have I seen an argument go on as long as the staged argument in the video.

So, the sights and sounds of the UAE. As they perhaps could happen.