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 function documentary Paradise! Paradise!, which she wrote, directed, and dealt with the cinematography for, received the most effective digicam 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 house in Kurdistan as an funding. THR‘s review known as the doc an “partaking 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 received the jury award for finest brief. “Adnan is obsessive about going to his ex-wife’s housewarming occasion,” explains a plot description. “Sadly, he isn’t invited.”
Ayub’s fiction function 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 impartial, modern filmmakers.” The movie focuses on three feminine mates who determine to shoot a burqa music video “in a second of unusual insanity.” Ayub ended up profitable the best first feature award, picked from throughout all sections of the competition.
On Sunday, her sophomore fiction function Mond (Moon) can have its much-anticipated debut within the international competitors lineup of the 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival. Similar to her first fiction function, 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 ladies are reduce off from the surface world and below fixed surveillance. The game doesn’t appear to curiosity them. So why has Sarah been employed?”
In a director’s observe 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 would like 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 convey Mond to a prestigious competition like Locarno?
To be actually sincere, there’s some form of stress. 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 large 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 cope with this sort of stress. And I want I can sooner or later, possibly in a 12 months, say: Moon was good and every thing went completely.
Folks usually say that second options are laborious, proper?
It’s like a horror film. Everyone is saying the second is the toughest as a result of then you will need to show in case you actually are a filmmaker. With the primary movie, possibly 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 largely in Jordan. The casting process was very troublesome as a result of we went there and needed to solid totally different younger ladies and women. And each time after we informed them that we needed them for the movie, they ghosted us. It occurred quite a bit. So I found that they only got here for the castings and didn’t inform their dad and mom. After we selected them, they began to speak with their dad and mom to ask if they might take part in a film, however the dad and mom didn’t permit it.
Was that due to this particular film or movies usually?
No, it’s any film. Performing for ladies is for some not thought of honorable work.
‘Mond’ (‘Moon’)
Courtesy of Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion
So how did you find yourself discovering your great solid members?
I discovered them there. Andria Tayeh is a really well-known Netflix star in Jordan. She was the lead in AlRawabi School for Girls. She can also be a really large influencer. So after I go onto the road together with her, everyone acknowledges her. So, after we bought her, everyone needed 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 could 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 simply needed to reference?
There are additionally tales in Jordan. I believe essentially 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 plenty of tales are taking place, and it’s quite common to rent private trainers in case you’re a wealthy household. We had a make-up artist in our crew who additionally spent one 12 months within the Gulf. I additionally needed to have a rustic that’s actually liberal on the surface and likewise wealthy however nonetheless has these points.
I may see a few of your dialogue provoke debate. A few of the issues folks, resembling Sarah’s mates, say within the movie are usually not politically right. How essential is it for you that there’s this sort of chunk in your dialogue?
Sure, I needed to indicate the white chick going over there, and I wanted to have this lifelike method. It has to undergo your physique so that you can really feel it. What they are saying is what I informed them to say however how they are saying it and every thing is them. So it’s additionally improvisation, however I information them and inform them, “You must be extra incorrect.” I imply, I inform them what I want 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 totally different scenes and check out every thing, in order that I’m actually certain that they are usually not solely pure, but additionally good and imaginative.
You clearly know the tradition you might be writing about rather well. How a lot of your individual expertise do you pack into your films?
I suppose some components 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 quite a bit. Typically 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 determine whether or not to have a clear-cut finish or an open finish? [The next answer contains spoilers about the ending.]
I needed to depart it like this as a result of in actuality, it could be like this. When you’ve got only a glimpse of what you see or what you suppose you see, and can by no means actually discover out. I needed to indicate that. And Sarah is the right identification individual for my culturally white viewers. I notice that plenty of privileged white folks go see my arthouse films, so I assumed I wanted Sarah to information them. And I needed to have a white savior story however inform it in a really lifelike technique to inform the viewers: “It’s not straightforward to assist — you continue to prefer 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 primary purpose: telling the story to indicate this stereotype and present each side. This isn’t like within the films.
So the themes you needed to discover in Mond are…
Like I stated, it’s in regards to the lifelike 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 function in Mond as nicely…
The music is at all times crucial 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 fits 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 needed to indicate the totally different sorts of violence and the way characters are combating with it, and are for it or in opposition to it.
You could have carried out Sonne (Solar) and Mond (Moon). Ought to we anticipate 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 taking pictures it once more in Jordan, possibly in 2026. And I don’t know, possibly it’s the entire planetary system. I don’t wish to finish it. I used to be considering 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 related. It’s in regards to the escaping half however with one other constellation.
Your cinematic voice is sort of sarcastic and provocative. The place does that come from?
I bought very cynical in my life. I believe films have develop into very good currently usually. They attempt to be okay with everybody. And I don’t like that.
I wish to set off folks. As a result of everyone is scared to get triggered. However I had plenty 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 in case you see artwork or films or learn books, you are 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 talk about 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 dwell as much as that.
And I’ve very darkish humor. I like horror films additionally. I used to be a child after we fled Iraq throughout the Gulf Battle. However I suppose if you survive conflict, or the trauma of conflict, you may have this sort of very cynical humor.
‘Mond’ (‘Moon’)
Courtesy of Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion
Your movies function 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 in the long run, you may need to cope with 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 might be 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.
