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Never mind splashy screenings for the likes of Baby Mama and Speed Racer. Tribeca '08 will largely be a forum for the Little Films That Can. And many won't. Some projects may have the money for a reasonably slick marketing push; some won't have enough coin to fly the director's family out for the premiere. Regardless of the camp into which they fall, we thought it only fair to allow the people in charge of these films, the directors, to appeal to our readers themselves.
We posed the same five questions to every filmmaker accepted into the festival and offered them the chance to reply. Below are the responses we've received, virtually unedited. (We've made a few snips for clarity; that's it.)
Yousry Nasrallah, director of The Aquarium
1 Why should someone watch your movie, in 100 words or less? (Don't just paste in your marketing blurb. Persuade our readers.)
The Aquarium is a film about modern Cairo and how the universal fear-mongering (fear of politics, bird-flu, love, sex, human contact, fundamentalism and religious discrimination) ruins people’s lives. It features outstanding performances by some of Egypt’s best actors. Its singular dreamlike narrative style, rich soundtrack and cinematography should attract film goers curious about other peoples’ lives and ways of expression. Besides, how many Egyptian films have you watched recently?
2 Without spoiling your plot, describe a scene in your film that audiences will love.
Laila (Hend Sabri), the radio speaker, tells Zakki (Bassem Samra), the sound engineer, the story of a princess in love with a pigeon, who is in fact a prince who has been bewitched. One day he asks her to tell everyone she's in love with a bird, so he'll become human again. But she's scared people will think she's crazy. Zakki sees himself as the bewitched prince, and Laila as the scared princess and the result is a small black-and-white silent movie that might remind you of something.
3 If your protagonist were an animal, what would he/she be and why?
They would all be fish in an Aquarium. Gaudy, seemingly free, but in fact kept apart from other fish by glass-walls.
4 What will surprise me about this movie?
In a film that deals with repression (both political and emotional) and characters hiding behind glass walls, you’ll be surprised by how free this film is.
5 How would describe your filmmaking style or philosophy? How is that reflected in this project?
My films have always portrayed individuals trying to define themselves as such and not merely as victims of a broader historical, political, social or economic realities. The question of the individual’s accountability for his or her actions is central to all my films. I do not impose a predefined style to my films, but the style I opt for is always dictated by the story I tell. The main concern I have when tackling any project, is what form will allow me a maximum of freedom.
The nocturnal, dream-like atmosphere of political and sexual repression depicted in The Aquarium has allowed me to experiment with different narrative styles that vary from straightforward story-telling, black and white silent sequences and semi-documentary interview sequences.
