Filmette Film Festival - Iphigenia: Book of Change
"a mythical story about how one women escapes her prison"
Interview with Writer/Director Elise Kermani
Congratulations! Why are you making your film?
I was inspired by the story of a relative of my husband who endured years of imprisonment in Iran. I have the greatest admiration for people who are able to endure and survive captivity and then be able to go on and live their lives after they get out. I am also inspired by ancient Greek mythology and drama - my play combines the stories of contemporary women who have endured and survived captivity with the story of the Greek character Iphigenia.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Iphigenia: Book of Change asks probing questions about the influence of imperial authority over individual self-determination.
The performance begins with a woman (Sima) held captive in a dark prison cell, and ends with her escape into a large wilderness of sky and nature. In prison, Sima is watched by Hamid, a guard, and is visited by two characters, Iphigenia and a wolf called Lupo. She survives her captivity by reading and retreating into her imagination. The story is told through puppetry and dance.
How do personal and universal themes work in your series?
My dream would be to create a truly collaborative, hybrid performance film, in which the technology allows the borders of the genres to disappear. I am interested in resurrecting a classical and ancient art of theatrical mythology with layered, archetypal symbolism and sacrificial, shamanic structures. I want to make mysterious and kinetic sound based performances. I am interested in uncovering enigmas. My goals are to use the technology to clarify and articulate a rich and slippery place between the physical and virtual worlds.
The play is autobiographical, but it also explores the fate of two other women: Sandra Bland, an American who didn't escape her prison, and F my relative who was able to survive 2 years as a teenage political prisoner in Iran. F is my superhero, a model for anyone who wants to give up. F's story got me out of the darkest period in my own life. She made me realize the simple value of being able to breathe and to be alive. The world is a mess. We need our superheros and our lifelines. This is what this piece is about in a nutshell.
How have the script and series evolved over the course of their development and production?
The project began with an outdoor rehearsal/film shoot in Southern California in the winter of 2012 with the three main collaborators: Elise Kermani (director/writer), Luis Tentindo (puppetry) and Laurel Jenkins (dancer). Each subsequent winter i returned to California to complete the next section of the piece. The film of the performance at the Electric Lodge in February, 2016 was the final step of creating the project. All the footage from the last four years was combined into the resulting 50 minute film.
What are you looking to achieve by having your series more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We hope to be able to reach our target audience: people who are interested in contemporary performance art film.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this series’s message?
We are currently looking for distribution, buyers and sales agents.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We are working on a new site specific performance with dancers and musicians which will be performed in Riverside Park, NYC on June 21st, 2017.
Interview: November 2016
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. 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
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Iphigenia: Book of Change
"a mythical story about how one women escapes her prison"
Length:
49:23
Director:
Elise Kermani
Producer:
MiShinnah Productions/Elise Kermani
Writer:
Elise Kermani
About the writer, director and producer:
Elise Kermani is the Artistic Director of MiShinnah Productions, a flagship company focusing on genre bending performance and film. She teaches media art at State University of New York/Empire State College and has a PhD in Media Philosophy from the European Graduate School.
Key cast:
Laurel Jenkins, Dancer/Choreographer - Sima/Iphigenia
Kevin Williamson, Dancer - Hamid/Orestes
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
We are looking for sales agents, buyers, and distributors
Funders:
mediaThe Foundation, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, MiShinnah Productions
Made in association with:
Release date: 2017 TBD details forthcoming...