Conversation with Experimental filmmaker Sary Andre El Asmar, from Lebanon on being influenced by classic Hollywood directors to make his films.
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Turmoil – Chapter One, 6min., Lebanon
Directed by Sary Andre El Asmar
A young woman lives between two worlds: Europe, where she’s built a life, and Lebanon, the home she can’t stop longing for. Torn between memory and desire, she drifts back and forth, riding the emotional rollercoaster of exile, identity, and belonging.
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
What motivated me to make this film was the complex feeling of belonging and displacement that many Lebanese expats carry. I started filming randomly with no clear plan.When my friend, who lives in Germany, came back to Lebanon we spent many days together, and after that i began to sense the constant push and pull, the urge to return to her home but at the same time the desire to leave again. For me home is where your roots are, but it’s also where safety feels uncertain. The film became a reflection of living between two places, two lives, and two versions of what “home” means.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
Well actually, I have been shooting randomly for about 1 year and a half. I am a sea lover and mountain lover. So I used to shoot randomly every time I went out. But the idea of putting those shots into the final product took me like 3 months.
How would you describe your film in two words!?Wandering Roots
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?Emotional breakdowns
There are 5 Stages of Filmmaking: 1) Development. 2) Pre-Production. 3) Production. 4) Post-Production. 5) Distribution.What is your favorite stage of the process and why?4) Post-Production because this process is where the real story telling happens , where I can put all my emotions and meanings to start to take shape.
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