Tempere Film Festival / Clermont Ferrand Film Festival 2019 – Family
Lisa welcomes a Somali family, the time of their summoning to the service of foreigners. It is an encounter between two worlds, between benevolence and difficulty of communication. In silence, doubt and anguish arise. Beyond reason?
Interview with Writer/Director Catherine Cosme
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
During the winter of 2015, there were many Syrian refugees in Brussels. I decided with my husband to offer our apartment as a welcome area for families who slept outside. But our friends, our families found this weird ... And from there was born the movie.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Because this film is about fear and that fear of welcoming strangers into your home. And that's not every day we see that.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
This is personal because I lived it. The problem of borders and growing fear of foreigners is universal. This fear must be fought. I do not defend a perfect world, just that there are families who give up everything so that their children are safe. You have to listen to them, you have to welcome them.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I met refugee families, I read a lot of press articles, I spoke with people who work at MSF, I also spoke with refugee associations and I lost my mother during writing. This abandonment, this loss accompanied me, a little like these children who lost their parents during their trips at sea or in the desert.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Very positive. People told me that they felt exactly what Lisa feels in the film. And then people told me that they wanted to help refugees. So nice discussions.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Open up more hearts.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Director of festivals and journalists to make the message as visible as possible. Especially with Trump's policy and the way it treats families at the borders.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
That the most hostile people change their point of view and put themselves in the shoes of the refugee families who leave everything for a better life.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
And if you had to leave everything, what do you expect from the other on the other side of the border?
Would you like to add anything else?
Thank you for choosing my film!
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I work on a film about autistic adolescents and their inclusion in our society.
Interview: August 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Family
Lisa welcomes a Somali family, the time of their summoning to the service of foreigners. It is an encounter between two worlds, between benevolence and difficulty of communication. In silence, doubt and anguish arise. Beyond reason?
Length: 23:00
Director: Catherine Cosme
Producer: Julie Esparbes, Sebastien defonseca
Writer: Catherine Cosme
About the writer, director and producer:
CATHERINE COSME is a multiple woman. She works for different directors and writes movies. She likes to work for others and then come back to her own stories. She works for the stage too: theatre, dance, and fashion. It was very important for her to write this story, it's based on a personal experience with refugees in Belgium. She opened her house to different families. It was a big emotional experience.
JULIE ESPARBES and SEBASTIEN DEFONSECA produced Catherine's first movie Lovers. Julie will continue the road with Catherine on her next project about an autistic teenager.
Key cast: Maia Sandoz Consolate Siperius Nathan Damna Thierry Hellin Thalya Simba Alice Verset
Looking for: film festival directors, producers
Facebook: Catherine Cosme
Instagram: @cath.cosme
Hashtags used: #Openyourmind
Website: www.catherinecosme.com
Made in association with: MANIFEST
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? FestiFrance at Rio, DC Short Film Festival, Busho Film Festival.