A Comeback on His Own Terms Where a Bicycle Is Sweetly Subversive

12 AR THE NEW YORK TIMES, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2013

Film

A Comeback on His Own Terms

Isaiah Washington kept a his native France. “In the first draft of the After an African detour, Isaiah low profile after leaving script, we had the movie ending once they Washington is back on screen. “Grey’s Anatomy,” shift- departed for Washington, once they got in ing to a role aiding Sierra the car.” By ROBERT ITO Leone. He is back in Playing serial killers took a physical and “Blue Caprice,” with mental toll on both lead actors. “I had to go LOS ANGELES — Isaiah Washington was Tequan Richmond, below. to the couch for about six weeks,” Mr. talking about goats. At Hal’s Bar & Grill Washington said. here on Abbot Kinney Boulevard, he was Mr. Richmond, who has been receiving recounting how he had recently bought 15 strong notices for his sullen, nearly mute of them for a village in Sierra Leone, where get the role. A first-time director, Alex- depiction of Mr. Malvo, took up smoking. he has been a chief, known as Gondobay andre Moors, had been trying to contact “I was stressed,” he said. “I was 18, living Manga II, since 2006. him for months, but by July 2011, Mr. alone in New York, and Isaiah is wrestling “Their meat is low in cholesterol, they’re Washington had ditched many of the usual me to the ground at 5 a.m. in Central a sturdy animal, they’ve been around accouterments of a working actor. “I didn’t Park,” where they trained. since the beginning of time,” said Mr. have an agent, a manager, didn’t want it,” Washington, who rode his black 21-speed As for Mr. Washington, he’s happy with he said. his current lot in life, despite its financial bicycle from his home just down the street. So Mr. Moors reached out to him “And they’re delicious.” and professional ups and downs. In 2005, through that most dependable of talent he learned he was genetically linked to the If you didn’t know that Mr. Washington agency stand-ins: Facebook. “I love Face- Mende and Temne peoples of Sierra Leone was a chief in Sierra Leone, let alone that book,” Mr. Washington said. “I could brush he’s buying goats for a village there, well, and has since become one of that country’s my teeth with Facebook.” most vocal and visible supporters. that’s understandable. Since being fired Even after making contact, however, the from the ABC series “Grey’s Anatomy” in Through his foundation, he has helped role was a hard sell. Indie film salaries build a school, worked to create wells and 2007, after he reportedly used a homophob- aside — “No studio put a dime into this ic slur during an on-set argument, and lat- bring in medical supplies, and helped woo film to get it made,” Mr. Washington said foreign investors. In 2008, he became an of- er repeated the slur backstage at the Gold- — he wasn’t interested in rehashing a en Globes, this 50-year-old actor and mar- ficial citizen of the country. Lately he’s story about two of the most notorious been working on a plan to manufacture ried father of three has kept a low profile, black serial killers in recent history. “I was “rainwater catchers,” but finding financ- at least in Hollywood circles. thoroughly embarrassed,” he said, recall- ing has been hard. “I tweeted my idea to But this year Mr. Washington is making ing the time he learned that the two men Bill Gates, but he didn’t respond,” he said. something of a comeback. After spending a were black. “Because in my community, “I can get money for an independent film good chunk of the past six years off cam- whenever you hear some really foul” — quicker than I can get money for some- era, he’s excited to talk about his coming and here he used a word that is unpublish- thing like this.” projects, even as his conversation skitters able in this paper — “we’re holding our from topics as varied as his recent trip to breath to see whether the person is black “I’ve been rich and poor three times,” he Rwanda, the globalization of hip-hop and or white. He’s always either a crazy white said. “I’m on my way back to becoming why love and hate are really just two sides man or a brother.” rich again, whatever that means. Money of the same coin. He recently starred in the But the director pressed him — largely comes and goes. It’s just a tool.” Old West shoot-’em-up “They Die by because he had no other actor in mind for He’s moved on from the “Grey’s” deba- Dawn,” alongside Michael K. Williams and MICHAEL LEWIS FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES the part. “I was a big fan of his work, espe- cle, too, he said, though it made him some- Rosario Dawson, and plays Chancellor cially his work with Clint Eastwood in thing of a magnet for homophobes. “For Jaha, leader of the few surviving humans, ‘True Crime’ and with Spike Lee in ‘Clock- the last six years of my life, I’ve been fight- in the coming CW sci-fi series “The 100.” ers,’” Mr. Moors said. “I thought he ing off bigots,” he said. “It’s, like, bigots And then there’s “Blue Caprice,” a fea- brought an amazing versatility and ambi- want to embrace me, and I politely take ture film based loosely on the Beltway guity to the characters.” And his turn as their arms from around my neck. I don’t sniper killings. In October 2002, John Allen Dr. Preston Burke on “Grey’s,” for which share their views, never have.” Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo killed at Mr. Washington received two N.A.A.C.P. Mr. Washington is now working to cre- least 10 people in the Washington area, fir- Image Awards and a Screen Actors Guild ate a consulting firm to spur economic de- ing at random victims out of a small hole Award? “I never knew he was in a TV velopment in Sierra Leone — like buying cut into the trunk of their 1990 Chevrolet show,” he admitted. goats, but on a much grander scale — and Caprice. In the film, Mr. Washington plays Mr. Washington was ultimately sold on is looking forward to his coming movie the elder assassin, Mr. Muhammad; the the director’s vision of the film, which fo- “Blackbird,” which he describes as an “Af- role of his deadly protégé went to Tequan cuses on the twisted mentor-student rela- rican-American gay coming-of-age story.” Richmond (“Everybody Hates Chris”). tionship rather than on the horrific killings “I’ve been so incredibly blessed,” he Although the film has garnered kudos themselves. (The murders exist as quick said. “I’ve worked with some of the great- for Mr. Washington since its premiere at blips late in the movie.) “I was more in- est professionals in town. I stood at the Sundance in January — in The New York terested in how you become a killer, not Golden Globes.” Times, Manohla Dargis called him “fero- what you do once you become one,” Mr. “I worked with Sandra Oh, bro!” he con- ciously magnetic” — he very nearly didn’t ROBERT BLAKE/SUNDANCE SELECTS Moors said by telephone from île de Ré in tinued. “My life has been great.”

Where a Bicycle Is Sweetly Subversive A female director breaks new ground in Saudi Arabia.

By JULIE BLOOM Early this year, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia issued a decree allowing women to be appointed to the Shura, an assembly that advises the king on laws and other is- sues and has been traditionally all male. For the first time, too, women may vote in the next municipal elections, in 2015. Both decisions represent steps for a conserva- tive country where women still cannot drive and lack other basic rights. There have been smaller milestones, too. On Friday, the movie “Wadjda” opened in New York and Los Angeles. It is the first feature film to be shot entirely in Saudi Arabia — and it also happens to be written and directed by a woman. “Wadjda” tells the story of a deter- mined, misfit 10-year-old girl and her quest TOBIAS KOWNATZKI/SONY PICTURES CLASSICS for a green bicycle. Set in the Riyadh sub- urbs, where women’s mobility is limited, with Mr. Meixner and Mr. Paul. filming, which took six weeks. When Ms. and bike riding is considered a threat to a While the producers were warned that Mansour wanted to shoot outside, she had girl’s virtue, Wadjda hopes to buy one her- they would probably have to shoot else- to stay in a van and talk to her actors over self by winning a Koran-recitation compe- where in the Arab world, Ms. Mansour per- a walkie-talkie. When the crew could not tition at school that has a cash prize. suaded them to take a stab at making the have access to a girls’ school, it remade a Through the eyes of this charming trou- movie where the story is set. “Haifaa’s an- boys’ school. blemaker — with her black Converse swer was super,’’ Mr. Paul said via Skype. There were also fears that the religious sneakers and purple laces, her love of mix- She said, essentially: It is not not allowed police would disrupt filming. “We had to tapes and turquoise nail polish, and a veil to shoot here. There is no rule, because it pay attention,” Mr. Meixner said. “And we that never seems to stay put — the audi- has never been done. were always fast when we knew they were around, and would wrap and switch loca- ence is exposed to a side of Saudi life rare- FRED R. CONRAD/THE NEW YORK TIMES One challenge in making the film was ly seen by outsiders. that Saudi Arabia has no real film industry tion.” Directed and written by Haifaa al-Man- Ms. Mansour, who now lives in Bahrain Above left, the Saudi di- or infrastructure. There is, however, televi- Encouraging Saudi Arabians to see the sour and starring Waad Mohammed in the with her American husband, grew up in a rector Haifaa al-Man- sion production, and most of the actors had film is the next challenge, as there are es- title role, “Wadjda” was financed partly by middle-class family on the east coast of sour, whose movie television experience. sentially no public movie theaters in the Rotana, the production company of the Saudi Arabia; her father was a legal con- “Wadjda” is about a In developing a script, “I tried to be re- country. “Wadjda” is available on DVD, Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and the sultant. She studied literature at the Amer- 10-year-old girl and her spectful of the culture and not be offen- and on TV, timed to coincide with the Unit- German producers Gerhard Meixner and ican University in Cairo and received a bicycle. Above right, sive,” so it would be approved by the gov- ed States release, and Ms. Mansour said Roman Paul. Despite a small budget, the master’s degree in film and directing at Waad Mohammed in ernment, Ms. Mansour said. Men and that many Saudis go to Bahrain, Kuwait film took more than five years to pull to- the University of Sydney in Australia. At the title role. women are not seen together except in and the United Arab Emirates on week- gether because of trouble convincing in- one point, she worked for an oil company, scenes at home or in a hospital — or in the ends to see movies. vestors that making a movie in Saudi Ara- but she has always maintained her love of constant, comic dance between matrons But the film has gained plenty of atten- bia was even possible. But that didn’t deter movies, with Jackie Chan and “Snow ‘I tried to be and their drivers. “The way people move tion already. In April, a glittery screening Ms. Mansour. White” as favorites. “Those films are not respectful of the changes completely when they go from at the Tribeca Film Festival was attended Dressed in black skinny jeans, with lus- maybe art house,” she said. “But they had culture and not be outside to inside, especially for women,” by Queen Noor of Jordan and followed by a trous dark hair and nail polish in Wadjda’s so much power on me growing up. They offensive.’ Ms. Mansour said. “Because outside, they discussion led by Gloria Steinem. turquoise shade, Ms. Mansour discussed opened up the world.” are invisible, but when they go home, they There, Ms. Mansour emphasized that making the film over lunch in Gramercy Her first documentary, “Women With- inhabit the space, they sing, and they her expectations were modest. “I don’t Park this spring. She based the lead char- out Shadows,” came out in 2005. She wrote dance. That in-between is so interesting.” want to offend people or fight,” she said. acter on her niece. “She’s very feisty, she “Wadjda” while her son was a baby. It was This is true of sounds, too. For instance, “It’s more like: Tell them a story and have has a great sense of humor, but my brother selected for the Sundance Institute’s at one point in the movie Wadjda’s teacher them feel it.” is more conservative, and he wanted her to Screenwriters Lab in the Middle East in says, “A woman’s voice is her nakedness,” “I know Saudi won’t change overnight,” conform,’’ she explained. “To me, that’s a 2010. But it was still hard to find producers. while admonishing students for being too she added later. “It will gradually, but not great loss. It reminds me of a lot of girls in “I made a list of all the production compa- noisy. And women’s voices are noticeable because of this film. I feel it’s very im- my hometown who had great potential. nies that made films in the Middle East, throughout the movie — girls laughing, portant to celebrate the right steps, the They could change the world if they were and I sent e-mails,” she said. “Nobody re- Wadjda’s mother singing. right changes, even if they are small. Like given the chance.” sponded.” Finally, Ms. Mansour connected Strict social codes proved difficult for women riding bicycles.”