By Najwa Najjar
Oct 29th, 2009 is the launch of the first Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF). Countries and cities in the region where cinema was not a common concept a few years ago, are now showcasing and premiering films from around the world, and the Arab World in particular…a reflection of the growing numbers of films emerging from this region and telling their stories in their own voices.
Pomegranates and Myrrh, which was certainly a real challenge to make, will be shown for the first time in Qatar at DTFF. Looking back to the days on set there’s something very special about showing your first film at the inauguration of a film festival.
October 22, 2007: "Another sleepless night. everyone was on set. The foreign crew, with the exception of the director of photography, had just arrived, and the Palestinian crew was not familiar with each other - and there was no budget for mistakes."
In that month of October I had no idea where the film would go. I just knew that I had to prepare, be very persistent, have a tremendous amount of patience…and seriously hope for the best…after all, everything is a gamble.
It all begins with an idea, followed by research. The story is built. Characters start to have life. Arguments begin between you, as the writer, and the characters on the screen. You win some, they win some, and the story takes on another tangent. More research, writer’s block, scripts torn up. Deep breath; start again and again until you have your story.
If you follow the footsteps of most filmmakers - you want that story to be read by producers - preferably ones with funds to make your movie. You send your story out and wait. And wait and wait. Bouts of insecurity, sleepless nights, and moments of depression.
Finally three years ago when I was ready to start; the political situation in the country worsened. Unable to move between Ramallah and Jerusalem, followed by the death of one of our co-producers, forced us to stop production of
Pomegranates and Myrrh. We plummeted into debt, and this time there was no way to avoid the depression that followed.
As I was seriously reconsidering filmmaking, the European Film Academy chose six filmmakers to make two-minute pieces for its awards ceremony.
Being one of the six, I found myself back with a story and characters. And then the money that I had previously applied for a short film, “Yasmine Tughani”, came through. Once complete the 20-minute short travelled the festival circuit, and with the travel came renewed interest in “Pomegranates and Myrrh”.
This time around we decided that being a producer is essential to ensure that production goes according to our plan. Our company, Ustura Films, managed to bring in money for the local production budget. Further investments from the Arab World and Europe helped make us “official” producers.
However, financing even a low-budget film takes time. Using the travel and invites to festivals - we called for auditions. After 100 casting auditions from New York to Paris to Amman and all over Palestine for 13 roles, renowned names were on board.
Actors, crew, and locations were finalized before the budget was finished. Long nights were spent poring over details; trying to find where we could minimize expenses; making decisions to cut shooting schedules from six to five weeks; finding more affordable accommodations and catering.
Finally the first AD passed out our shooting schedule. The relatively small crew of 30 was ready - first call sheet was distributed, production meeting set, drivers with their lists of pick-ups.
Our local crew, which numbered 23, was a mixture of residents of Jerusalem, Nazareth, Haifa, West Bank, and Gaza in addition to the six-member European crew members. Managing the different colored ID for Palestinians cards and passports was a logistic nightmare which kept us on our toes until we reached each set.
As did other issues. On the last day of our shoot – we were about to celebrate - four jeeps filled with Israeli soldiers were waiting for us as we exited our set at 1am. At first we weren’t allowed out, and then we were ordered to get out. In addition to worrying about the crew and their safety, there was a real concern for the rolls of film that had been shot. Confiscation or destruction of the rolls of film would definitely put a damper on the end of the shoot.
At the end of the five weeks we knew that the best days are those that start early. Long drives to locations are not advisable as they end up consuming your 12-hour day - which starts the minute you leave your hotel or home. A two-hour limit, set by the crew for lights and camera setup, and for hair and makeup, counts as part of the 12-hour day; add another hour for lunch and breaks - and you are left with a seven-hour day to shoot three to five scenes.
A low-budget film like ours can impose even more scenes. We ended up shooting 140 scenes in 42 locations in 31 days!
A hectic schedule but well worth it. For me bringing together Palestinians from the Diaspora and throughout the country, and working with a foreign crew and local crew to make a film in a land still under occupation; to bring to life in five weeks what was written on paper; and to enjoy the ride along the way … is what cinema is all about!
So yes, making a feature film anywhere is a gamble - it’s months and months of preparation before taking a deep breath and jumping … and then waiting to see if you come out on the other end …
Photos by Shourq Harb