LiPSTIKKA memory fools A film by Jonathan Sagall UK/Israel 3122 Starring Clara Khoury, Nataly Attiya, Daniel Caltagirone, Moran Roseblatt, Ziv Weiner, Gal Lev, Ofer Hayoun, Taliesin Knight For further information contact : Obelis Productions (Israel) Gal Films (UK) P.O. Box 18171 Tel-Aviv 61181 Israel E-mail: [email protected] Jonathan Sagall Israel Mobile Phone: +972-54-309-1900 UK Mobile Phone: +44-7746-230-594 E-mail: [email protected] Guy Allon UK Mobile Phone: +44-7816-414-552 E-mail: [email protected] Check our website at: http://www.lipstikka-themovie.com Lipstikka - Page 2 of 21 Short Synopsis Lara and Inam, two Palestinian women, have moved to London to begin a new life. But it seems that whatever memories they have from their past, confusing and complex as they may be, cannot be left behind. Medium Synopsis Lipstikka is a psychological drama which depicts the emotional and sexual bond between Lara & Inam, two Palestinian teenage girls from the West Bank. In the midst of the political turmoil of the 1st Intifada, they decide to break the curfew imposed by the Israel military, and sneak into the Jewish part of Jerusalem to see a movie. What begins as a youthful prank, soon evolves into a twisted set of events. Fifteen years later, they meet in London as adult women, and realize that what they remember from their past may not necessarily reflect what indeed happened. Long Synopsis Lara (Clara Khoury) is a Palestinian woman who came to London to begin a new life. She married Michael (Daniel Catagirone), and now lives a comfortable but somewhat loveless life with her husband and seven year old son James (Taliesen Knight). Her home is meticulously neat, and is situated in a cozy and manicured part of London. Apparently, life is orderly, although more often than not, she sips her vodka straight from the bottle. A knock on her door disrupts her daily routine. Inam (Nataly Attiya), her childhood friend from Ramallah, shows up on her doorstep. There is an instant sense of tension between the two women, as Inam worms her way into her home, pokes questions about her husband, who's left for work, and becomes disturbingly friendly with her son. It doesn't take long before Lara realizes, that whatever life she's managed to create for herself, is easily shattered by Inam's overwhelming intrusion. Best friends since their teenage days in the West Bank the demure Lara and the sexy Inam share a closeness borne out of their past adolescent sexual experiences. 6-8-2011-26 Lipstikka - Page 3 of 21 As young women, they had arrived in London to study English and put the past behind them. While their destinies have taken very different paths, they share events which, however deep they're buried, are something they will never escape. Years before, as schoolgirls during the 1st intifada (Palestinian civil uprising), they decide to defy the curfew regulations imposed by the Israeli military regime and sneak out of Ramallah to see a film in the Jewish part of Jerusalem, approx 15 kms away. In the cinema, they notice two young Israeli soldiers who take a liking to the two girls. The soldiers, believing them to be Italian tourists, invite them to come for a drink. What begins as an adolescent prank soon turns into an unexpected twist of events. What indeed happens is prone to personal interpretation. Memories tend to play tricks, especially if they touch the very core of our fears. *** 6-8-2011-26 Lipstikka - Page 4 of 21 Writer/Director Notes – “get your ass back home and make a movie about it!” I can‟t say LiPSTIKKA was inspired by one single thing. It wasn‟t. Stories rarely are. Many drafts of the screenplay were written and rewritten through the years. Draft number 56 was the one we actually shot. If anyone insisted on my explaining what mostly inspired me to write Lipstikka – I would probably say that I was inspired – amongst other things - by memories. Memories of my childhood in Toronto, my youth in Haifa, my high-school days, my Israeli army service days, my romantic/sexual experiences, my buddies, my family… memories of people in the street, sometimes utter strangers, sometimes people who‟ve never existed. Some memories are sharp and clear, others were reshaped by time and therefore remain blurry. Some are an utter lie. One summer afternoon, a few years ago, I was sitting with a dear friend of mine in her Toronto back yard. We were sipping vodka and discussing memories of youth, sex, aging and other issues that people go on about. Then, somehow, the discussion slid onto the situation in the Middle East, the Occupation and the violence in Israel which is my home. I expressed my sadness, my frustration and anger about the many years of pointless bloodshed. My friend then said something which made way to yet another draft of Lipstikka - she said - “well, my dear, if this is so frustrating for you, get your ass back home and make a movie about it”. 6-8-2011-26 Lipstikka - Page 5 of 21 Writer/Director Notes – on personal truth vs. fiction Like any story that people tell – personal experiences often lead us to embellish, re-invent and create twists that, more often that not, have nothing to do with what happened in reality. Admittedly, I've done that too. I've taken bits and parts of my past, added my fears, my hopes… my political frustrations… and created what may (or may not) touch the hearts of people who would want to listen. Welcome to Lipstikka. Writer/Director Notes - on structure and intention Lipstikka was originally written as a completely different story. It has fierce elements of my own childhood which, with every rewrite, have faded. Perhaps disappeared. Choosing the leaps in time was something I felt the screenplay needed to explain Inam. Although I originally intended for her to be the heroine of the story, she slowly evolved into becoming a subject of a study. I was intrigued about Inam's personal story. What made her work. How she dealt with fear, sexuality, friendship. I became an onlooker. A voyeur. Was Inam slowly becoming me? Was I becoming her?…. I needed to leap out and watch her from the side… or allow someone to watch her for me. Consequently, Lara has taken on the role as Inam‟s onlooker and became my story teller. Writer/Director Notes - on people and fear Many people walk around with emotional scars that we never see. We know nothing about them. They're strangers. We often fail to ask where they come from and what they carry from their past. We respond to an immediate external impression and pass hasty judgments. Is this due to indifference, foolishness… fear? Fear is something that may lead to great achievements. Fear carries us through life and often keeps us from tripping over our own misconceptions. 6-8-2011-26 Lipstikka - Page 6 of 21 But fear also keeps us from moving on and doing good to ourselves and to others. We fear being hurt, we fear knives, guns (but we use them assuming others fear them too), we fear making fools of ourselves, we fear crowds, ghosts, policemen, ocean waves, we fear becoming parents, then we fear for our children, we fear losing our faith, our minds, our love… We fear failure, gossip, criticism, dogs, illness, funerals, death… sometimes even life. Fear is a motivator. Fear is a paralyser. Fear makes us judge. Brave people are not people who don't fear. Brave people are those who overcome fear and act despite it. Are Lara and Inam driven by fear? How do they deal with fear? Are they brave? I'm not certain I have a definite answer to that, but I do feel they are both strongly motivated by fear of loneliness. Writer/Director Notes - on starting over Starting over comes with a price. Inam's and Lara's past is not something they can escape, no matter how deep they bury it into their subconscious. Memories are there whether we like them or not. Sometimes it's best just to give in, take them as they come and make them our friends. 6-8-2011-26 Lipstikka - Page 7 of 21 Writer/Director Notes - on casting Clara Khoury (Lara) The first time I saw Clara Khoury in real life was about four years ago. It was at the backstage of the Israeli Academy Awards ceremony where we'd both presented prizes to our colleagues in the film biz. She wore a snazzy dress and her hair was pulled back tight accentuating her fabulous green eyes and her monumental and glorious nose. Her image has not left me and when we began to think of casting Lara, I remembered her from that night, and knew right there and then that she's a perfect fit. Clara never auditioned for the role. But the many times that we auditioned other actresses for Inam, I knew she felt she was being tested as well. She wasn‟t because from the first time I watched the tapes I was absolutely certain - Clara Khoury was our Lara. Writer/Director Notes - on casting Nataly Attiya (Inam) Casting "Inam" was a huge challenge. Finding a bold enough actress who was open to the sexually driven character she would have to portray AND be Palestinian was - as one doubtful casting person put it – unbearably impossible. We never managed to find a native Arab speaker who would take on Inam with open arms.