Author and director Kurdwin Ayub was born in Iraq, however her household got here to Austria as refugees when she was nonetheless a child. Now, she is 34 and has been making a reputation for herself within the movie world as an auteur.
Her 2016 characteristic documentary Paradise! Paradise!, which she wrote, directed, and dealt with the cinematography for, gained the most effective digital camera honor on the Diagonale – Competition of Austrian Movie. It follows Omar, the daddy of a household that has lived in Austria since 1991. Now, he plans to purchase an condominium in Kurdistan as an funding. THR‘s evaluate known as the doc an “participating intersection of the home and the geo-political.”
Her fiction brief Boomerang premiered on the Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis in Saarbrücken, Germany in 2019 and gained the jury award for greatest brief. “Adnan is obsessive about going to his ex-wife’s housewarming social gathering,” explains a plot description. “Sadly, he isn’t invited.”
Ayub’s fiction characteristic debut Sonne (Solar) world premiered on the 2022 Berlin Movie Competition within the Encounters part, which desires “to foster aesthetically and structurally daring works from unbiased, progressive filmmakers.” The movie focuses on three feminine buddies who resolve to shoot a burqa music video “in a second of extraordinary insanity.” Ayub ended up profitable the greatest first characteristic award, picked from throughout all sections of the competition.
On Sunday, her sophomore fiction characteristic Mond (Moon) may have its much-anticipated debut within the worldwide competitors lineup of the 77th version of the Locarno Movie Competition. Similar to her first fiction characteristic, it was produced by Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion, with Austrian administrators Ulrich Seidel and Veronika Franz as producer and affiliate producer, respectively, amongst different crew members on the movie.
“Former martial artist Sarah leaves Austria to coach three sisters from a rich Jordanian household,” says a plot description on the Locarno web site. “What initially seems like a dream job quickly turns into unsettling: the younger girls are lower off from the skin world and underneath fixed surveillance. The game doesn’t appear to curiosity them. So why has Sarah been employed?”
In a director’s word on the web site, Aybu explains: “It’s all about sisters, irrespective of the place they arrive from, and about cages, irrespective of the place they’re. Cages you wish to go away and people you want you could possibly return to.”
Ayub talked to THR about her new movie, the significance of music, why she likes to impress audiences, and what’s subsequent for her.
How thrilling is it so that you can deliver Mond to a prestigious competition like Locarno?
To be actually sincere, there’s some form of strain. Final week, I assumed that Sonne had a lot success, and I simply out of the blue realized that it’s not regular to get this huge first movie award on the Berlinale. After I realized it, I assumed: “Oh my god, Moon has to additionally achieve success.” However I’ve to take care of this type of strain. And I want I can at some point, perhaps in a yr, say: Moon was good and every part went completely.
Individuals usually say that second options are arduous, proper?
It’s like a horror film. All people is saying the second is the toughest as a result of then you have to show should you actually are a filmmaker. With the primary movie, perhaps you bought fortunate or so. At movie festivals, they search for newcomers and so they wish to uncover somebody however with a second movie, they appear and suppose twice.
Inform me a bit about the place you made Mond and the way you solid the movie.
We shot it principally in Jordan. The casting process was very tough as a result of we went there and wished to solid completely different younger girls and ladies. And each time once we instructed them that we wished them for the movie, they ghosted us. It occurred loads. So I found that they simply got here for the castings and didn’t inform their mother and father. Once we selected them, they began to speak with their mother and father to ask if they might take part in a film, however the mother and father didn’t permit it.
Was that due to this particular film or movies basically?
No, it’s any film. Performing for ladies is for some not thought-about honorable work.
‘Mond’ (‘Moon’)
Courtesy of Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion
So how did you find yourself discovering your fantastic solid members?
I discovered them there. Andria Tayeh is a really well-known Netflix star in Jordan. She was the lead in AlRawabi Faculty for Women. She can also be a really huge influencer. So after I go onto the road along with her, all people acknowledges her. So, once we received her, all people wished to be a part of it.
How did you solid Florentina Holzinger? I do know she is well-known within the Austrian dance and efficiency scene, and you’re employed within the broader cultural sphere. Do you know one another earlier than?
Sure, she’s additionally from Austria and I knew that she did martial arts earlier. So after I wrote the story, I knew from the start that she can be the lead.
I felt she brings nice depth to the character of Sarah…
Sure, she’s superb. In each take, she was very pure and nice.
Why did you select Jordan? Have been there any real-life tales that occurred there or within the broader area that you just wished to reference?
There are additionally tales in Jordan. I believe probably the most well-known story is in regards to the sister of the king, who’s Jordanian and was married to the ruler of Dubai and went away to England. However a number of tales are taking place, and it’s quite common to rent private trainers should you’re a wealthy household. We had a make-up artist in our crew who additionally spent one yr within the Gulf. I additionally wished to have a rustic that’s actually liberal on the skin and likewise wealthy however nonetheless has these points.
I may see a few of your dialogue provoke debate. A few of the issues folks, equivalent to Sarah’s buddies, say within the movie should not politically right. How essential is it for you that there’s this type of chunk in your dialogue?
Sure, I wished to point out the white chick going over there, and I wanted to have this life like method. It has to undergo your physique so that you can really feel it. What they are saying is what I instructed them to say however how they are saying it and every part is them. So it’s additionally improvisation, however I information them and inform them, “It’s essential to be extra incorrect.” I imply, I inform them what I would like from the scene and the way it ends and information them. The most important half is the casting process although. After I solid folks, I do completely different scenes and check out every part, in order that I’m actually certain that they should not solely pure, but in addition good and imaginative.
You clearly know the tradition you’re writing about very well. How a lot of your personal expertise do you pack into your motion pictures?
I suppose some elements of the characters and the flicks in some way are myself as a result of I wrote them. How Sarah, the character in Austria, generally feels, I additionally really feel. And the way the ladies in Jordan on this particular household felt, I additionally generally really feel myself. The sisters on this household and their characters are impressed by cousins of mine.
When did you progress to Austria, and the way a lot did you go go to household again in Iraq?
I got here as a child however I went to Iraq loads. Generally I really feel like a stranger, just like the Sarah determine, after I go to Iraq. So I’m in the course of these cultures. I’ve each of them, and I don’t have any of them. I don’t suppose in identities or borders or international locations anymore.
What was your thought course of behind the ending of the movie? How did you resolve whether or not to have a clear-cut finish or an open finish? [The next answer contains spoilers about the ending.]
I wished to go away it like this as a result of in actuality, it will be like this. When you have only a glimpse of what you see or what you suppose you see, and can by no means actually discover out. I wished to point out that. And Sarah is the right identification particular person for my culturally white viewers. I understand that a number of privileged white folks go see my arthouse motion pictures, so I assumed I wanted Sarah to information them. And I wished to have a white savior story however inform it in a really life like method to inform the viewers: “It’s not simple to assist — you continue to wish to?”
Courtesy of Neven Allgeier
Kurdwin Ayub
Additionally, on the opposite aspect of this cliche and stereotype are the refugees who come right here and suppose there’s assist. That was my essential purpose: telling the story to point out this stereotype and present each side. This isn’t like within the motion pictures.
So the themes you wished to discover in Mond are…
Like I stated, it’s in regards to the life like method to the white savior. And it’s about violence and likewise cages. Sarah is a cage fighter in a cage. And the ladies are in a cage of wealth.
I wish to ask you about the way you select music. As a result of music does play a key position in Mond as properly…
The music is at all times essential for me. And particularly for this film, each piece of music in each scene, I selected for that scene. The music ought to add a particular feeling to the scene, which matches together with what is occurring. The final tune is S&M by Rihanna. I suppose I selected this tune as a result of Sarah selected violence for her work however she shies away from it in actuality. So I wished to point out the completely different sorts of violence and the way characters are preventing with it, and are for it or towards it.
You will have carried out Sonne (Solar) and Mond (Moon). Ought to we count on a trilogy ending with Sterne (Stars) or what’s subsequent for you?
I have already got the story. I’m writing it. We are going to hopefully be capturing it once more in Jordan, perhaps in 2026. And I don’t know, perhaps it’s the entire planetary system. I don’t wish to finish it. I used to be pondering it mustn’t finish with Stars. Possibly it’s extra. Possibly it’s Mars.
Something you may share in regards to the subsequent story?
It’s comparable. It’s in regards to the escaping half however with one other constellation.
Your cinematic voice is kind of sarcastic and provocative. The place does that come from?
I received very cynical in my life. I believe motion pictures have turn out to be very good these days basically. They attempt to be okay with everybody. And I don’t like that.
I wish to set off folks. As a result of all people is scared to get triggered. However I had a number of remedy in my life, and I discovered that it’s a must to know why you get triggered by one thing. And it’s a must to give it some thought, and it’s a must to undergo it, and it’s a must to study. And should you see artwork or motion pictures or learn books, you’re feeling after that have, you see your self and take into consideration your self. That’s nice.
I would like folks after a film to argue with one another and focus on issues and take into consideration how they might react in these conditions as a result of it’s an essential topic. It’s not a love story or comedy. Large issues are taking place there, so the movie ought to stay as much as that.
And I’ve very darkish humor. I like horror motion pictures additionally. I used to be a child once we fled Iraq through the Gulf Warfare. However I suppose while you survive warfare, or the trauma of warfare, you’ve this type of very cynical humor.
‘Mond’ (‘Moon’)
Courtesy of Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion
Your movies characteristic sturdy feminine views. Do you consider your self as a feminist?
I believe each girl is a feminist, proper? I don’t know. I first consider myself as an artist, however it comes very naturally to me to direct and write these topic issues as a result of I additionally fought for my rights in my household. It’s essential to see this film, for everybody, and for my household, too.
Anything you wish to spotlight?
I wish to spotlight that these characters within the film are particular and, after all, I present particular points. However ultimately, you may should take care of sexism or being in a cage wherever you reside. If it’s Baghdad or Amman or Vienna or one other metropolis. It doesn’t matter the place you reside or the place you’re from. However the movie is ready there as a result of I additionally wish to provoke folks and wish to present one thing to offer folks one thing to debate.