Article, City Times, Dubai, Wednesday December 12, 2007
Dark love
Zoe Sinclair
Australian director Peter Duncan is only too happy to screen his film Unfinished Sky at DIFF despite some reservations
DIRECTOR PETER Duncan is the first to admit he’s a little worried about Dubai audience’s reaction to his movie Unfinished Sky, which tells the story of an Afghani woman, the victim of human trafficking, who falls in love with an Australian farmer.
The movie is based on the screenplay of another film, the Polish Bride, in which Monic Hendrickx plays the lead role, returning again to play the role of Tahmeena in Unfinished Sky.
Tahmeena collapses on John's (William McInnes) driveway and he reluctantly takes her in and cares for her while slowing learning her story and experiences of the dark side of Australia.
Duncan said the concept for the adaptation came about at the end of 2002 with influences of a post 9/11 world.
“It’s about how we respond to things foreign and strange,” he said, saying he believed the themes were as relevant five years on as they were in providing inspiration for the film.
Heart of the matter
“It’s, broadly, a brilliant idea to have a festival about bridging cultures, themed around that. It’s a great thing for us to be a part of it because that’s at the heart of the movie. We’re really pleased to be here and be part of it.
“I’m slightly uneasy about our screenings because of Monic’s character being Afghani and because it does have certain circumstances in which she is abused and certain circumstances in which she is intimate with men.
“That can arouse some sensitivities in the Arab world. But it’s really important that you known a film like Unfinished Sky and that filmmakers like me are able to attend festivals particularly in places like this where the aspiration is to bridge cultures and build minds.”
But Duncan cautioned that the context of the underbelly of Australian society is mainly a setting in which the love story can take place rather than the essence of the film.
“It’s that backstory that progresses as the story goes along,” he said.
Doing the right thing
“The heart of the film is the same. It’s about two people from very different worlds coming together and that is a very important and strong theme for me.
But Hendrickx saw the role of Tahmeena, nine years on from the Polish Bride and with a different story, as quite different.
“I wanted to dive into the story and to dive into the world of that woman, to seek and find connections.”
With dedication to her role, Hendrickx learnt her dialogue in Dari with the help of a voice coach.
Duncan believed, particularly in the backdrop of a festival bridging cultures, that the characters would be understood.
“His character which starts off almost as dangerous.. she turns him around.
“He becomes someone who is prepared to put his life on the line for someone he’s grown to trust and love, irrespective of the fact that she’s illegal. That fact that he becomes that reflects well on Australians. He does the right thing in the end.”
The film has already been well received at premieres at film festivals in Toronto and Australia.
Zoe Sinclair
Australian director Peter Duncan is only too happy to screen his film Unfinished Sky at DIFF despite some reservations
DIRECTOR PETER Duncan is the first to admit he’s a little worried about Dubai audience’s reaction to his movie Unfinished Sky, which tells the story of an Afghani woman, the victim of human trafficking, who falls in love with an Australian farmer.
The movie is based on the screenplay of another film, the Polish Bride, in which Monic Hendrickx plays the lead role, returning again to play the role of Tahmeena in Unfinished Sky.
Tahmeena collapses on John's (William McInnes) driveway and he reluctantly takes her in and cares for her while slowing learning her story and experiences of the dark side of Australia.
Duncan said the concept for the adaptation came about at the end of 2002 with influences of a post 9/11 world.
“It’s about how we respond to things foreign and strange,” he said, saying he believed the themes were as relevant five years on as they were in providing inspiration for the film.
Heart of the matter
“It’s, broadly, a brilliant idea to have a festival about bridging cultures, themed around that. It’s a great thing for us to be a part of it because that’s at the heart of the movie. We’re really pleased to be here and be part of it.
“I’m slightly uneasy about our screenings because of Monic’s character being Afghani and because it does have certain circumstances in which she is abused and certain circumstances in which she is intimate with men.
“That can arouse some sensitivities in the Arab world. But it’s really important that you known a film like Unfinished Sky and that filmmakers like me are able to attend festivals particularly in places like this where the aspiration is to bridge cultures and build minds.”
But Duncan cautioned that the context of the underbelly of Australian society is mainly a setting in which the love story can take place rather than the essence of the film.
“It’s that backstory that progresses as the story goes along,” he said.
Doing the right thing
“The heart of the film is the same. It’s about two people from very different worlds coming together and that is a very important and strong theme for me.
But Hendrickx saw the role of Tahmeena, nine years on from the Polish Bride and with a different story, as quite different.
“I wanted to dive into the story and to dive into the world of that woman, to seek and find connections.”
With dedication to her role, Hendrickx learnt her dialogue in Dari with the help of a voice coach.
Duncan believed, particularly in the backdrop of a festival bridging cultures, that the characters would be understood.
“His character which starts off almost as dangerous.. she turns him around.
“He becomes someone who is prepared to put his life on the line for someone he’s grown to trust and love, irrespective of the fact that she’s illegal. That fact that he becomes that reflects well on Australians. He does the right thing in the end.”
The film has already been well received at premieres at film festivals in Toronto and Australia.
posted by WilliamWatch at 10:45 AM
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