Kurdwin Ayub Locarno Film Festival 2024 Interview: ‘Mond,’ ‘Moon’

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 very best digital camera honor on the Diagonale – Pageant 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 evaluation 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 received the jury award for finest brief. “Adnan is obsessive about going to his ex-wife’s housewarming celebration,” explains a plot description. “Sadly, he isn’t invited.”

Ayub’s fiction function debut Sonne (Solar) world premiered on the 2022 Berlin Movie Pageant within the Encounters part, which desires “to foster aesthetically and structurally daring works from impartial, progressive filmmakers.” The movie focuses on three feminine associates who determine to shoot a burqa music video “in a second of abnormal insanity.” Ayub ended up successful the very best first function 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 worldwide competitors lineup of the 77th version of the Locarno Movie Pageant. 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 group 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 skin world and beneath 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, regardless of the place they arrive from, and about cages, regardless of the place they’re. Cages you wish to depart and people you would like you might 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 trustworthy, there’s some type of stress. Final week, I assumed that Sonne had a lot success, and I simply instantly 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 sort of stress. And I want I can at some point, possibly in a 12 months, say: Moon was good and all the things went completely.

Individuals typically say that second options are exhausting, proper?

It’s like a horror film. Everyone is saying the second is the toughest as a result of then you should show in the event you actually are a filmmaker. With the primary movie, possibly you bought fortunate or so. At movie festivals, they search for newcomers they usually wish to uncover somebody however with a second movie, they appear and assume twice.

Inform me a bit about the place you made Mond and the way you forged the movie.

We shot it largely in Jordan. The casting process was very tough as a result of we went there and needed to forged completely different younger ladies and ladies. And each time once we instructed them that we needed them for the movie, they ghosted us. It occurred so much. So I found that they only got here for the castings and didn’t inform their dad and mom. Once 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 typically?

No, it’s any film. Appearing for ladies is for some not thought-about honorable work.

So how did you find yourself discovering your fantastic forged members?

I discovered them there. Andria Tayeh is a really well-known Netflix star in Jordan. She was the lead in AlRawabi College for Ladies. She can be a really huge influencer. So once I go onto the road together with her, all people acknowledges her. So, once we obtained her, all people needed to be a part of it.

How did you forged 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 once 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 excellent. 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 feel 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 in the event 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 skin and in addition wealthy however nonetheless has these points.

I might see a few of your dialogue provoke debate. A number of the issues individuals, equivalent to Sarah’s associates, say within the movie are usually not politically appropriate. How necessary is it for you that there’s this sort of chew in your dialogue?

Sure, I needed to indicate the white chick going over there, and I wanted to have this lifelike strategy. 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 all the things is them. So it’s additionally improvisation, however I information them and inform them, “It is advisable 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 forged individuals, I do completely different scenes and check out all the things, 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 very well. How a lot of your individual expertise do you pack into your motion pictures?

I assume some elements of the characters and the films one way or the other 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 so much. Typically I really feel like a stranger, just like the Sarah determine, once 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 assume 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 go away it like this as a result of in actuality, it will be like this. When you’ve got only a glimpse of what you see or what you assume you see, and can by no means really discover out. I needed to indicate that. And Sarah is the right identification particular person for my culturally white viewers. I understand that a number of privileged white individuals go see my arthouse motion pictures, 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 method to inform the viewers: “It’s not straightforward to assist — you continue to prefer to?”

Kurdwin Ayub

Additionally, on the opposite aspect of this cliche and stereotype are the refugees who come right here and assume there’s assist. That was my primary purpose: telling the story to indicate this stereotype and present either side. This isn’t like within the motion pictures.

So the themes you needed to discover in Mond are…

Like I mentioned, it’s in regards to the lifelike strategy to the white savior. And it’s about violence and in addition 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 effectively…

The music is all the time 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 fits together with what is going on. The final tune is S&M by Rihanna. I assume 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 completely different sorts of violence and the way characters are preventing with it, and are for it or in opposition to it.

You’ve performed 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’ll 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 pondering it mustn’t finish with Stars. Perhaps it’s extra. Perhaps 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 kind of sarcastic and provocative. The place does that come from?

I obtained very cynical in my life. I feel motion pictures have grow to be very good currently typically. They attempt to be okay with everybody. And I don’t like that.

I wish to set off individuals. 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 important to know why you get triggered by one thing. And it’s important to give it some thought, and it’s important to undergo it, and it’s important to be taught. And in the event you see artwork or motion pictures or learn books, you are feeling after that have, you see your self and take into consideration your self. That’s nice.

I need individuals after a film to argue with one another and talk about issues and take into consideration how they’d react in these conditions as a result of it’s an necessary topic. It’s not a love story or comedy. Massive 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 assume if you survive conflict, or the trauma of conflict, you’ve got this sort of very cynical humor.

Your movies function robust feminine views. Do you consider your self as a feminist?

I feel each lady is a feminist, proper? I don’t know. I first consider myself as an artist, nevertheless 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 necessary 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, in fact, I present particular points. However in the long run, 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 might be from. However the movie is about there as a result of I additionally wish to provoke individuals and wish to present one thing to provide individuals one thing to debate.