Directors, Olivier Coussemacq (L’Enfance du Mal), Zeina Durra (The Imperialists
Are Still Alive!), Laura Amelia Guzman & Israel Cardenas (Jean Gentil), Zacharias Mavroidis (The Guide) and Marian Crisan (Morgen) participated in the fifth meeting of the “Just Talking” forum for discussion and communication that took place on Wednesday, December 9th at the Electra Palace Hotel. The confrontations the central characters face, the communication between the artist and this audience and the process through which the script takes its final form were the main issues that dominated the conversation.
Olivier Coussemacq described his film L’Enfance du Mal as a tale of manipulation in which, a teenager manages to upset the balance of a prim and proper family by raising issues of justice and morality.
The film of Laura Amelia Guzman & Israel Cardenas revolves around the social integration problems the Haitian immigrants face in the Dominican Republic, by focusing on the life of such an immigrant, Jean Gentil. “Many Haitian immigrants come to Mexico and find a job mainly as construction workers. They speak their own language, form closed communities and to Mexican people, it is as if they do not exist. I decided to learn their language in order to get close to them. My teacher is the protagonist of the film”, stressed Laura Amelia Guzman.
The central character in the film The Guide, directed by Zacharias Mavroidis, is in pursuit of his identity. At the same time, the film portrays in a comic way the view foreign people have on our county. “My central character works as the guide of a group of foreign architecture students. As he tries to show them around Athens, he finds himself face to face with personal impasse”, explained the director.
On her part, Zeina Durra, director of the film The Imperialists Are Still Alive!, pointed out that her film depicts everyday joy and sorrow, while it questions stereotyped views on the Middle East and the Arab world. “The central character lives in a world of luxury and opulence in New York. At some point, she is informed that CIA has abducted her childhood friend somewhere in the Middle East. At first, she tries to get to the bottom of this mess, but then she falls in love and moves on, because this is how life works”, stressed Zeina Durra.
A tale of humanity between two strangers, who seemingly have nothing in common, is the theme of the film Morgen directed by Marian Crisan, who brings up the issue of immigration in Salonta, a Romanian town – getaway to Western Europe. “The movie is closely related to the genre of political comedy. It is the combination of stories I heard or saw myself happening during the years I spent in Salonta”, remarked the director.
The directors went on to give their views on the confrontations the main characters in their films face. Zeina Durra explained that: “I did not want to make a movie where my central character would be sad all the time, as she waited the news from back home. I wanted to show how real life is. As days go by, you fall in love, you have a cup of coffee every morning, you live and at the same, you bear your own cross. I illustrate an unconventional confrontation.”
“The confrontation my central character faces in the movie is to find a reason to continue living. It is a story of universal meanings”, pointed out the director Israel Cardenas. He added that: “Jean Gentil is an educated and pious immigrant, who constantly tries to find a job so that he could build a family, but it is all in vain. He tries to connect with people, but the doors are always shut”
In his film The Guide, the central character is forced to fight two battles, explained the director, Zacharias Mavroidis. First of all, against himself. Moreover, against the picture Greeks paint of their country, in relation to the one foreign people have of Greeks. “I have always been interested in identity issues. Being Greeks, we have a glorious past and an uncertain future, as well as unresolved conflicts with most of our neighbor countries. All the above-mentioned reasons, in interaction with the inner anxieties of the guide, produce a comedy”, underlined the director.
When asked whether his intention was to be provocative through his film, Olivier Coussemacq mentioned that his goal was to give the audience a cause of concern over the values of justice and morality. “I will avoid saying that one character is good and the other is bad. Each and every one of us has a bright, as well as a dark side, which fight each other on a daily basis”, he stressed.
As he referred to the communication between the artist and the audience, Marian Crisan pointed out that his film is, in a way, a series of mementos of the place where he grew up, as well as of the people he loved. “I wanted to show my homeland, the place I know and love. As we were shooting the film, we enjoyed every moment of it and I think we give this impression to the audience, too”, noted the director.
When asked to choose between “a script with strict rules and a script that emanates from instinct”, Zeina Durra admitted that she usually follows her instinct, even though she might rewrite her first draft time and time again. “When I have an inspiration, I get down to work, finish the script in 12 hours and then review it. In New York, when my film was screened, a producer asked me this question: “How come you achieved such a good result, despite ignoring my advice on how to write a solid script?” There isn’t a clear answer. If you feel that what lies in front of you is what you wanted, you waste no more time”, she said. Being on the same wavelength, Israel Cardenas pointed out that the plot of the film, as well as the actors each director works with, are the most important factors, as far as he is concerned. “Nevertheless, it is useful to learn first how to move by the rules and then proceed to what truly inspires you”, added Olivier Coussemacq.
