Written by Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh & Cyrus Nowrasteh THE JOB A Stone’s Throw Why and how we wrote The Stoning of Sor aya M. obody will ever make this.” human motivations, interactions, desires, pattern we had a couple years earlier on “You never know.” and agonies. The book broke our hearts an unproduced script: First draft, Betsy. N “It’s a long shot.” and opened our eyes. It pleaded with us to Writing and crying, crying and writing. “They’re all long shots.” tell it again, this time on film. Rewrite, Cyrus. No crying. Back and “It’s like a Greek tragedy.” Finally, the time seemed right. Would forth, talking, adjusting, and finally “We’ve got the time to write it. All the many hurdles prove insurmountable? getting reads from a few trusted fellow we need are the rights.” Immediately, there were complications writers. Tighten, add a speech, delete Oh, that’s all. This conversation involving a French publisher and English a few scenes, eliminate hiccups—you occurred sometime in 2005. We were translation, as well as a vanished author. know, the usual revising process. talking about a book, The Stoning of At that time Cyrus was simultaneous- Soraya M. by Freidoune Sahebjam, that Hurdle #1: Buy the Rights ly researching an assignment for MPower we had read more than 10 years before. A couple of Italian producers had pre- Pictures in Miami with John Shepherd, a The true story of a public stoning in viously attempted to option the book, partner with Steve McEveety at MPower. an Iranian village was so elemental, so but Sahebjam wanted someone with an John asked Cyrus what he was working powerful, and so maddening that it still Iranian background who would shoot it on. Shepherd revealed that MPower Pic- stuck with us almost scene by scene. in Farsi. Originally, before we knew of tures had investors interested in an Ira- We had been married 24 years and the author’s preference, we had decided nian story. Shepherd offered to read their didn’t need to explain to each other why to use Farsi, even though we anticipated script when it was ready. Cyrus said he this story needed to be adapted into a the usual objections: subtitles are death, hoped to direct. John didn’t blink. screenplay. It was a gem with all the ele- there aren’t any American roles in it, it In September 2007, Shohreh Agh- ments of drama you could hope for: con- will be categorized as an art film—even dashloo, whom we’d always envisioned flict, betrayal, courage, oppression, lust, worse, as a foreign art film. But from the in the role of Zahra, enthusiastically brutality, injustice, and, yes, even a ticking start we were committed to staying true signed on. A self-styled activist for hu- clock. It was not unlike The Ox-Bow Inci- to the true story, making it as authentic man rights in Iran, she knew the risks dent, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, as possible. It was the least we owed to of such a role. This book’s message was The Lottery, and Of Mice and Men. All the people who lived and died it. as important to her as it was to us. simple stories with a panoply of complex Our two years chasing the rights pro- Auditions then began in earnest for Far- vided plenty of time si-speaking actors. We drew mainly from to talk, to structure, the large Iranian talent pool here in L.A., to develop the char- although a few auditioned in England and acters, to research elsewhere on tape. Some were scared off, the village customs, knowing that it could be dangerous. Many and to outline. Once still have family in Iran who are vulnerable we had assurances to persecution and reprisals. that the terms were We would be filming somewhere in agreed upon, and the the Middle East, and that too involved author contactable, risks, exposing all to jihad. all that was left was The last to be cast was the only non- the final paperwork Iranian, Jim Caviezel, who demon- (plus the check we strated clearly in Passion of the Christ would write for the that he could learn to speak a foreign option). Betsy began language and take whatever heat might the first draft in April come. Steve McEveety took pains to 2007. By then, we have explicit conversations with each were two heads with actor before they committed so there VASEY a singular vision. would be no illusions about this un- OHN J We followed the dertaking. To a person, they were in it Cyrus and Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh same collaborative heart, soul, mind, and body. 14 • WGAW WRITTEN BY AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009 By December, Cyrus was scouting was all lies, of course; in fact, the local and his team, as well as a big score on locations in the Middle East with the imam was quite cooperative. However, a low budget by John Debney. He, like line producer. We settled on an Arabic, the false accusations caused both govern- almost everybody else, worked for well Sunni nation with a helpful film com- ment and religious officials to come by below their normal fees. Why? From mission. (We can’t disclose D.P. to A.D. to wardrobe our location publicly, at the to mixing, to sound to request of the host coun- ...But somebody editing to so many of the try.) While there, it became people we needed to make obvious that Iran makes the has to speak for this movie happen, we entire region nervous. heard the same comment: the voiceless, I’m so grateful to work on Facing the Fear for Muslim something that matters. But it had only been eight Post was completed just months from writing the women who in the nick of time for last first word to finding a vil- are legally September’s Toronto Film lage to shoot it in. This Festival. Within minutes movie that never would and religiously of the online box-office get made, this politically opening, we sold out all sensitive, Farsi-speaking, powerless. three public screenings. sharia law-mob rule, for- POWER PICTURES Surprising us, there eign art film had come to- M were walk-outs during the gether faster than any project either of for an inspection. Security, both seen and stoning sequence. Now we know there us had ever worked on in our careers. It unseen, became critical to our getting the always are, always will be. Most walked felt like it was preordained. film made and to our physical survival. back in. There were tears. There always Yet it would be a lie to say we felt There it’s a different world, a tribal are. And anger, always. Questions. Al- no trepidation. It’s a dangerous world, world. Offend one person today and ways. and this film risks offending some of the tomorrow a thousand know about it. We were runner-up at Toronto in most dangerous people in it. One reason Contracts don’t bind, one house may the Audience Award, and finishing sec- we waited so long to tackle it was simply be owned by 30 people who all want ond was very gratifying, especially be- that now our children are grown. But money from us for the location. We cause the winner was a little foreign art somebody has to speak for the voiceless, had to get everything we needed while film titled Slumdog Millionaire. for Muslim women who are legally and there. Reshoots were never an option. As gratifying as that honor, it’s the religiously powerless. To tell one story is Beyond the inherent cultural and women we remember the most from to tell the story of millions. language differences, however, many of the festival. From Syria, Iran, Nigeria, Our two sons accompanied us and the locals were incredibly supportive and Somalia, all weeping and thanking us were extras in the film. Our younger son helpful to our cause. Villagers routinely through their tears. One after the next, also made the behind-the-scenes docu- came up and thanked us for making a each stood up in front of hundreds of mentary. Cyrus’ father came along as the film about this subject. We wouldn’t people to say, “This is how it is, and no Farsi advisor, working daily with the script trade that experience for anything. one here knows. Now they will. Now supervisor as well as teaching Farsi phonet- If the story wasn’t real before, that they can see. Thank you.” ically to the local hires who spoke Arabic location made it breathe. It was beauti- That’s why we made this movie. It and some English. It was a family affair. ful, remote, primitive, and so haunting wasn’t for a paycheck, for credit, for Shooting was a challenge. We shot for it seemed you could hear the whispers Hollywood approval. It was for them. 32 days, most of it in a remote moun- of the real characters in your ears. The women. Stonings, honor killings, tain village an hour’s drive from the hotel, Ironically, Freidoune Sahebjam, the “legal” rape, enforced circumcisions, a on difficult roads. One week we shot in author of the book, died at home in lack of basic human rights. They live it. suburbs outside a large city. Difficulties Paris on the last day of our shooting All we did was write and shoot it. included constant police stops en route, the stoning sequence. Of all his books, language barriers, calls to prayer through- this was the dearest to him.