Toronto Premiere

After a year and a half on the festival circuit, To Rest in Peace will finally have its Toronto premiere!

Screening at the Toronto Beaches Film Festival, on Saturday June 30th at 11:30AM. We are screening before the feature documentary, If I Should Fall.

It's been a good run. We've screened all over the world, including Cannes, Kuwait, Dubai, London, New York and Los Angeles, and won awards for writing, directing, cinematography, editing, music, audience choice, and best short film.

But this screening holds a special significance. The seed for To Rest in Peace was planted in Toronto, in 2005. Producer Josh Clavir and I had just finished our second collaboration, Her Music Led, an adaptation of John Keats' La Belle Dame Sans Merci. We sat talking about the adventure of making that small film in the woods of Caledon in the dead of winter, hauling HMIs with a wheelbarrow down a slippery slope, and standing for twelve hours in a foot of snow with the water seeping in to our cold, cold toes. It was during this meeting that we started sharing stories that had inspired us, that we thought would make great films 'one day.'

I told Josh about my uncle Malek, and his heroics during the Occupation of Kuwait, including how he buried two dead strangers by the side of the road. Years later, while doing my masters in film production at USC, I wrote a script, and that script became a thesis film. Josh flew down from Toronto, and spent a semester with me in Los Angeles, getting the movie made.

That 'one day' had arrived, To Rest in Peace was finished, and now, as we travelled the festival circuit and worked on other projects, we talked about premiering the film in Toronto 'one day.' Now that new 'one day' has arrived. It's June 30th. We hope to see you there.

Atlas Shrugged Documentary

Over the last year, I've been working on a documentary about the novel Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I started off as an Assistant Editor, and eventually became an Associate Producer. Today, almost a year after I started, we are having our big premier at the ArcLight Hollywood! The film is also playing in over sixty theaters throughout the United States, and it's on the front page of Apple Trailers.


Ayn Rand & the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged is directed by Chris Mortensen, who describes the film as "a biography of a book and an idea." We had some great interviews, including Albert S. Ruddy, producer of The Godfather & Million Dollar Baby. You can see an excerpt from his interview here:

This was a great project to be a part of. I read Atlas Shrugged when I was in high school, recommended to it by my biology teacher, Mr. Bramwell. The novel was breathtaking. I couldn't put it down. It's such a great mystery, such a great love story, and the ideas in it were challenging and engaging. I eventually read all of Ayn Rand's novels, and through her, discovered my favourite novelist, Victor Hugo, and my favourite playwright, Friedrich Schiller. I have three dream projects to adapt and direct one day. Hugo's The Man Who Laughs, Schiller's Don Carlos, and Ayn Rand's We the Living.

Unfortunately, Ayn Rand has become an icon for political campaigns, often used by people she would have disagreed with. Her ideas are constantly being misrepresented and mischaracterized. Recently, the founder of Lululemon Athletica, a yoga clothing company, put a quote from Atlas Shrugged on the company's shopping bags. "Who is John Galt?" To him, this represented the company's vision to "elevate the world from mediocrity to greatness." The public outcry, though, was astounding. People came out calling the quote "offensive," and readily admitting they had never read the novel!

I'm hoping this documentary helps present a more objective view of who Ayn Rand was, and what Atlas Shrugged is all about. We interviewed biographers, CEOs, colleagues, critics. The angle Chris Mortensen took was to look at the novel as a predictive work. There are sections of it that, as radio host Dennis Miller said, read like a modern day AP News story. But the novel was written in 1957!

How did Ayn Rand predict the financial crisis? It's a very interesting story. But the most interesting story is the basic plot of Atlas Shrugged: A mystery about the question "Who is John Galt?" And a drama about Dagny Taggart, whose greatest allies keep disappearing, one by one.

Here is a trailer for the documentary:

Two lectures on Art and Film

I have the honour of joining Luc Travers, of Touching the Art, for a double lecture on 'Storytelling in Art and Film' this Saturday, November 19th at 2PM in Aliso Viejo, California. 

Luc will be speaking on John William Waterhouse, and I will be speaking on 'The Cutting Room: How Filmmakers Shape Their Story," with reference to Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven.

Here are the descriptions of the two lectures:

2PM Introducing Waterhouse 

by Luc Travers

Waterhouse is beloved for his poignant and evocative visions.  However, he is a master "storyteller" as well.  In this lecture, we will discuss some of his masterpieces as well as some little-known works to gain a better understanding of how to "read" the "story" in an artwork.

3:30PM The Cutting Room: How Filmmakers Shape Their Story 

by Fawaz Al-Matrouk

Editing has been called "the final rewrite," when the various pieces of a movie are shaped into the story we see. Fawaz will discuss the filmmaker's art, using two very different versions of the same movie, Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven.

I first met Luc on his tour of the San Diego Museum of Art. He showed me a new and more enjoyable way of looking at art. I used to go straight for the information plaque, but Luc makes you really experience the art, and enjoy it without knowing anything about the history, artist, style or subject. 

I've been very excited by Luc's work in bringing this experience to people through his tours, and now his book. So it was doubly an honour when Luc asked me to give a lecture about storytelling in film. And I had the perfect subject in mind, something I've talk about informally, and have always wanted to give a presentation on. Kingdom of Heaven.

Ridley Scott's epic about the crusades was released theatrically, and later re-released with a director's cut. The differences between the two versions are astounding. Subtle changes make for two very different stories, with different characters, obstacles and themes. Comparing the two is a great way to understand a filmmaker's choices in building a story. 

For the lecture, we will watch the opening sequence from each version, and discuss the differences, and how they change our experience. 

If you're in town, we'd love to see you there. If you're not, you can see Luc's lecture by live or recorded webcast. And you can check out his book, Touching the Art: A New Approach to Art Appreciation.

Stay tuned for a report from Mizna's Twin Cities Arab Film Festival. 

Canadian Premiere at Brantford

To Rest in Peace will have its Canadian premiere at the Brantford Film Festival!

There will be two screenings: Friday, November 4th at 7 PM, and Saturday, November 5th at 1PM. Check out the schedule for more details.

This is a particularly exciting festival for us. There were a lot of Canadians working on To Rest in Peace, including our lead, Michael Benyaer, our producer, Josh Clavir, and, of course, I lived most of my life in Toronto. I grew up there since I was eight years old, discovered my passion for filmmaking there, met my mentor David Stein, studied history at the University of Toronto. Much of who I am, as a person and a filmmaker, is intimately tied to my time in Toronto. So our Canadian premiere is one I have been looking forward to for a very long time.

Ironically, Canada has been the least receptive country for To Rest in Peace. We have played all over the world, in the United States, in Cannes, in Dubai, in Kuwait, and in the UK. But it has taken almost a year to finally play at a Canadian festival.

And this one promises to be the perfect beginning. Check out their line-up, which includes Sudden Death!, a musical comedy by fellow USC filmmaker, Adam Hall. 

SoCal Independent Film Festival

 

To Rest in Peace will return to Huntington Beach for the SoCal Independent Film Festival! The festival runs September 28th to October 2nd. Our screening is on Thursday, September 29th at 1:10PM.

I say 'return,' because we shot our last day of principle photograph on Huntington Beach. People often point to this scene as one they are sure was shot in Kuwait. The Towers of Kuwait appear in the background, as Malek is contemplating the water. But these were filmed separately by Ali Younis, and then composited by Michael Ashton. The scene itself was shot by Sean Conaty with our priniciple photography crew in Huntington Beach, California.

Incidentally, if you would like to see more of Kuwait, Ali Younis has some beautiful nature videos up on his YouTube channel. Check out Kuwait's Desert in Spring. And did you know that Kuwait has flamingos?

The beach scene is one of my personal favourites in To Rest in Peace. It is the moment when Malek, having struggled with his choice of whether or not to risk his life and bury the two dead men himself, has reached the end of the road. There is no where else to go, and he is forced to contemplate his decision in a communion with nature. Part of the inspiration was this sentiment by Lord Byron, from Childe Harold's Pilgrimmage:

     There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
     There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
     There is society, where none intrudes,
     By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
     I love not man the less, but Nature more, 

     From these our interviews, in which I steal 

     From all I may be, or have been before, 

     To mingle with the Universe, and feel 

     What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal.

Michael Benyaer gave a layered performance, underscored by Leah Curtis's music. This is one scene that stayed almost exactly the same throughout the editing process, from Zachary Dehm's first cut.

I look forward to revisiting Huntington Beach. It was the end of our production, but not of our festival run. More festival news is coming up soon, including our Canadian premiere. And we're off to the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival tomorrow! 

Student Talk

I did an interview for Student Talk magazine, that was published in their June issue. You can browse the magazine's current issue here, and if you would like to read the interview, you can find it here. Topics covered are To Rest in Peace, Kuwaiti filmmaking, period pieces, and future goals.

Siobhan Live – Radio Interview in English

This is a fun interview we did with Siobhan Live (Dubai Eye 103.8) during the Dubai Film Festival.

The interview was in english, so Josh got to join in. It was a first for both of us being live on radio, but Siobhan was lovely and quickly made it feel like a dinner conversation. The recording is two segments stitched together, before and after the news break.

Still to come, a newspaper article and some pictures from the festival!

Ridley Scott

DGA Quarterly has a great interview with Ridley Scott in their Fall 2010 issue. The bit about his early directing days is particularly interesting. I won't spoil it with a summary here, but look for the advice he got from actor Ian Hendry. "From that moment on, I just changed gears."

Ridley Scott's work was an inspiration for To Rest in Peace from the very beginning. Sean Conaty and I watched Body of Lies and Black Hawk Down. And Leah Curtis and I listened to the score of Black Hawk Down and Gladiator.

Going way back, it was Gladiator that inspired me to study history in undergrad, with the dream of directing historical epics. Which is why it was such an honour to have Mr. Scott as an Industry Mentor on To Rest in Peace. His guidance raised the film to a whole new level.

Enjoy the interview!

Remembering Nina II

Two years ago, Nina Foch passed away.

Every once in a while, I pull out my notes from Nina's class, and try to relive her presence and teachings. There are pages and pages of notes from every session. In remembrance of Nina, here are a few quotes I found while perusing the notes today.

If you're smart about your brain, you will memorize things all the time. It keeps your brain alive.

Whenever a student in class used the colloquial "sort of," "just," or "basically," as in "well, the story is basically about..." Nina would interrupt and make them rephrase.

'Basically' is a cop-out. Because if you say 'basically', you can deny what you've said.

She demanded the best from us, and was very direct, harsh and critical with her notes.

My purpose in life is to be as harsh as possible, to make sure you're ready. Because I'm nothing compared to what you will face.

I can still hear her voice when directing, writing or even editing, commenting on the scene, making it better, stronger, more alive.

This is the second post 'Remembering Nina.' The first one is from April 20, 2009.

Since then, a tribute DVD has been produced by Randal Kleiser. It includes hours of footage from her classroom, and some interviews about her approach. It's a great glimpse of her for anyone who wants to discover or remember Nina Foch.

Best World Song Award

I'm thrilled to announce that To Rest in Peace won 'Best World Song' at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards this week! Congratulations to our wonderfully talented composer Leah Curtis, and all the amazing artists who brought the music to life.

We were also nominated for 'Best Original Score in an Indie, Short or Documentary,' which was won by Christophe Beck for Waiting for Superman. It was an honour just to be in the same category as such an accomplished artist (and an Emmy Award winner!)

Hans Zimmer, whose work was an inspiration to us during the scoring process, won 'Best Original Score in a Feature Film' for Inception.

Leah wrote a great blog post about scoring To Rest in Peace, which you can read here. It explains the music track by track, with links to a SoundCloud playlist. The winning song 'Salamun Salam' can also be seen online in the Failaka Island montage.

Congratulations again to composer Leah Curtis, and all the incredibly talented artists who contributed to the score: vocalist Lisbeth Scott, Armen Anassian and Nancy Roth on violin, Lynn Grants on viola, Mary Anne Steinberger on cello, M. B. Gordy on percussion, Chris Bleth on duduk, Dean Parks on oud. Plus music consultant and contractor Alan Steinberger, scoring assistant Karim Elmahmoudi (fellow USC alum!), music editor Dave Lawrence, recording engineer Charlie Paakkari, and scoring mixer John Rodd.

Congratulations also to sound designer Chris Whetstone and re-record mixer Valen Hernandez, who integrated the score beautifully into the sound design of the film. And finally, a special thank you to Dr. Lisa Urkevich who consulted with Leah to help create the feel of Kuwaiti music, and my parents, Faisal Al-Matrouk & Mona Al-Kazemi, who provided the arabic lyrics.

Hollywood Music in Media Awards

To Rest in Peace has garnered two nominations at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards!

We're nominated for the song 'Salamun Salam' in Best World Music Track, and for Best Original Score in an Indie, Short, or Documentary.

The Best Original Score nominees for Feature Film include Hans Zimmer, whose Black Hawk Down soundtrack was an inspiration for us during the scoring process.

Congratulations to composer Leah Curtis, and the wonderful musicians of To Rest in Peace!

Twenty Years

Today is the twentieth anniversary of the invasion of Kuwait. To honour the occasion, I'd like to unveil a painting by my friend Ben Rathbone, inspired by the story of To Rest in Peace.

The painting was conceived as part of the promotional materials for To Rest in Peace, hearkening back to the painted movie posters of old epics, like Lawrence of Arabia. It has evolved into something so much more — a work of art in its own right.

You can find more of Ben's work on his website, http://www.480bc.com.

It's strange to reflect on the passage of time, and realize that twenty years mean an entire new generation of Kuwaitis has grown up without a memory of the occupation. I was eight, but I remember it vividly. And it's been an enlightening journey, to recreate this moment in history, and hear the memories it conjures up for those who lived through it.

My hope beyond To Rest in Peace is to document some of those memories, from the frightening, to the tragic, to even the absurd. We taped two interviews while filming in Kuwait last January, and these will be the start of such a project.

Until then, To Rest in Peace is waiting for its chance to premier, and I will keep you informed of its progress. We start hearing back from festivals in August!

Music

Leah Curtis wrote a haunting score for To Rest in Peace. Since we recorded last Tuesday, the music keeps coming back to me in every moment of quietude, crowned by the exquisite voice of Lisbeth Scott.

Here is the cue from our final scene, leading into the credits.

To Rest in Peace - End Credits by Leah Curtis

I'm astounded by what Leah was able to create, and the talent she was able to bring on board. Armen Anassian and Nancy Roth on violin, Lynn Grants on viola, Mary Anne Steinberger on cello, M. B. Gordy on percussion, Chris Bleth on duduk, Dean Parks on oud. Plus music consultant and contractor Alan Steinberger, scoring assistant Karim Elmahmoudi (fellow USC alum!), music editor Dave Lawrence, recording engineer Charlie Paakkari, and scoring mixer John Rodd.

One of the notes we got from our industry mentor, early in the rough cut stage, was to make the music bigger. He recommended we listen to Black Hawk Down, which we did, playing the entire soundtrack against sections of To Rest in Peace. It became the model for our opening cue, and for the scope of our music.

But Leah really outdid herself with it. I'm very proud to have her art included in this film.

The Eve of Production

On the eve of production. Call time 6AM.

Everything is prepped and ready to go.

As a reminder of what we are trying to accomplish, I watched some of my favourite scenes from my favourite films. I watched the opening of Gladiator, and the Non Nobis Domine scene from Kenneth Branagh's Henry V.

Also watched this inspiring and informative interview with my favourite director, Ridley Scott.

Tomorrow is the first of ten days, after which production on To Rest in Peace will be past tense. I look forward to sharing this journey with you.

Anniversary

This past April 9th, quite by coincidence, I was meeting with Sean, the director of photography, to go over the script for visual themes. We arrived at one scene that we agreed was the heart of the story, a scene in which Malek draws his frightened eight year old son out of hiding. Out of curiosity, I wanted to see if this scene was in the first draft, so I did a quick search and stumbled onto this date: April 9th, 2007.

It was two years to the day that the script was written.

The story was germinating for a long time. After Josh and I finished Her Music Led, our first little movie shot on film, we talked about possible inspirations for our next project. Eventually we mentioned Antigone [pictured above], a classic that always reminded me of my uncle's story. I related this story to Josh, as best as I could remember, and his eyes lit up. That was 2005.

Spring 2007 was my second semester at USC. I had a writing class with a wonderful professor, who required us to write every week either three one page treatments, or a ten page script. I decided to write my uncle's story, and I put together a treatment for the first assignment, but my professor refused to let me. I wasn't ready, he said. Maybe later, he said.

Grumble, grumble, grumble. But he was right. After a romantic comedy, two ancient period pieces, and a couple of bizarre experiments, I finally understood what he meant. He gave his permission, and I wrote the first draft of To Rest in Peace.

Which did have the scene between Malek and his son, almost word for word.