BY MAHA MAJZOUB (Oasis Magazine issue 19)
Inside Nadine Labaki’s humble abode, expect to be dealt a couple of surprises. The first is around 85 centimeters tall, cloaked in a buffed up Spiderman suit. This is her favorite project to date, one that took nine arduous months to deliver. Say hello to three-year-old Walid. He will show you his stellar dance moves and musical proficiency, performing to perfection the icebreaker role ahead of meeting and greeting the young starlet. Perhaps equally surprising is Labaki’s grounded demeanor, given the fact than in recent months she has ascended to superstar status. Disappearing in an oversized pullover and loose fitting jogging pants, the director-actress is effortlessly stunning– there is no sign of the $500 hairdo or the showy Christian Louboutin stilettos closely associated with such stardom.
Not much has changed in the Mouzannar residence since Labaki garnered further international attention and piled up the accolades for her second long feature film “Where Do We Go Now?”, save for some fresh images of her and the crew at several film festivals. “I live in a bubble. I don’t go out much; I’m at home most of the time. So when I’m at a restaurant and people come up to me, and start taking pictures with me, I’m surprised. I didn’t essentially change anything about my life since the exposure. But I get the picture when I go out and see how people are reacting to me. And it hits me that it’s big. But when I get back home, I wonder what to cook for Walid the next day, or worry about having to wake up early to drive him to school,” she explains. “I don’t let it get to my head and I don’t think it ever will.” But what did get to her head, long before the fame and before anything at all, was dreaming, particularly pie-in-the-sky dreams.
“All along, I kept dreaming and I wasn’t scared of dreaming big, although I wasn’t sure it was possible to reach my goals. I started not fully knowing what I was doing. I didn’t have a lot of experience when I did my first film. I created my own way of working – directing and acting at the same time and working with nonprofessional actors, which is not ideal but it is my way and it works for me,” she adds. Those pipe dreams and that unusual way of working is why Nadine Labaki merits a big mention in our Visionaries issue.
You’re currently the toast of the town. What are you happiest about?
I’m happy that I created something that is connecting so well to people…When someone comes up to you and says we’re proud to be Lebanese because of you, this is an amazing feeling. And that’s something I hear on a daily basis, when I meet people on the street, when I’m in a public place, or I receive such comments by mail or on facebook. It is really fulfilling that the essence of what I wanted to say through “Where Do We Go Now?” reached people, even if the quality wasn’t that great in my view.
What don’t you like about the film?
I did not completely fulfill my vision. In some of the scenes I did, but in others I did not due to limited time and other constraints… I wanted the film to be more real. I didn’t have enough time with my cinematographer. He was only there a month before we started shooting and he didn’t dream the film with me. Most of the scenes were done on the spot. So I ended up doing a lot of concessions, which was not what my initial vision was for some of the shoots and the lighting.
There were high hopes that “Where Do We Go Now?” would be shortlisted for this year’s Academy Awards. Why do you think that didn’t happen?
I honestly can’t tell you. We were too close. Maybe it was a political reason. When we won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival, things took a different turn and we were told that the film is the number one Oscar contender in the foreign film category. I’m not sure if it had to do with the fact that the film was not released in the U.S. before the Oscars, or maybe it’s the fact that I’m a young director who has done only two films.
How has that affected your psyche and how will you do things differently with your upcoming projects?
It was a big blow not just to me, but also to the Lebanese in general; particularly that producers and people in the industry at several festivals including the Critics’ Choice Awards told us that it’s a sure thing. I think next time we should start planning it ahead…My hope now is for the film to be released in the West and to have an impact on people there.
What is the film festival that catapulted you to the next level?
The Toronto Film Festival, where “Where Do We Go Now?” won the People’s Choice Award. There were over 300 films – all of the best films of the year. For a film from Lebanon, a small country with no cinema industry, and a film with non-actors to win such a prestigious prize is something. After watching the film, people stood up, started applauding, shouting, crying, dancing… It was overwhelming.
What is the best film you’ve seen lately?
Maïwenn Le Besco’s “Polisse”. It is one of those films that makes you think about what is happening in the world. It is not merely entertaining but touches you on a deeper level; it awakens you.
Growing up did you have a vision about doing something outstanding and being an international filmmaker?
No, because I thought it wasn’t possible. I always took one step at a time. It was important for me to be happy. There was a specific moment in time when I thought that I am bored. I was around 23, having dinner with some friends when I felt this is not the kind of life I wanted, this is not who I am, and these are not the people I wanted to be around. I told myself that I have a different mission in life…It was an epiphany, which I was blessed to have… Since that day, I decided to be happy and not to be bored again. So I started pursuing everything that made me happy. I understood that I needed to express myself, maybe take dancing classes, travel, and generally do the things that made me happy and filmmaking was one of them. So the goal wasn’t about being an international filmmaker but the importance of expressing myself.
What else do you have in store for us?
I want to keep pursuing this path, where I want to keep making films that can impact people emotionally and not only entertain them. I want to make my films ever more real but at the same time not bore people. I have a lot of themes I want to explore and it always has to do with the fact that you want to change things. The world is not doing that great and I feel responsible both as a woman and mother. Maybe that is a little naïve and idealistic.
So you always believed that you would enact some change?
Well, I have a sense of justice, I don’t just accept things for the way they are and carry on with my life. Little by little, I started understanding that through whatever I was doing – whether through videos, ads, or films – that I could change something and that I could make people think, whether about a theme, subject, situation. For me, the most powerful, non-violent way to trigger change is cinema.
What is your vision for the cinema industry in Lebanon and how do you think we can build an industry?
I think what can save us is having more and more films go abroad, because the Lebanese market unfortunately is not enough. So to have a structure and for people to start believing in Lebanese cinema as well as invest in it, we have to sell abroad and we have to have films that can become international and not create films solely for the local market … I am not with this wave of Lebanese filmmakers who do films only for themselves. I’m not against films with an intellectual approach but if we continue making films like these, we will never have an industry. We need to produce more films that are accessible. “Where Do We Go Now?” is making history, it is a box office hit, tipping 350,000 views, which is unheard of in Lebanon. Also some Lebanese filmmakers think that it is shameful for a Lebanese film to be commercially successful, as though it is a commercial. But my films have gone to very prestigious festivals that are not commercial at all, such as the Sundance Festival. I believe in this artistic yet very accessible cinema that can make money. Now there are many young people who are starting to believe in Lebanese cinema and invest in it. That is how it’s going to grow.
What is the best piece of advice you would give young directors?
Every director has his/her own way of working, but I tell people who are really passionate about what they do that everything is possible. I tell them not to overcomplicate things in their heads because it sounds too big and farfetched to dream of making a film…Also it isn’t about the experience. I believe you can either tell a story or you can’t. You either have it in you or you don’t. That is not something you can learn. It is about feeling. And it also has to be a need, like a burning urge inside you to express yourself.
What are you working on now?
I will start writing my next film in the coming two months when everything gets calmer. I also have a few proposals to act. I love being on a film set, where I feel I belong, and acting allows me to experiment and explore my different natures.
View more images of Nadine Labaki in the digital version of Oasis Magazine: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/358379
No comments:
Post a Comment