VIRAL
Nina (26 years old) and her friends have made a music video which has gone viral. They are getting ready for their first TV appearance. As it turns out, they’ve been led to the broadcast under false pretences, which puts Nina in a dilemma: should she pursue her career in the media landscape in what appears to be an unfair system, or should she, as an underrepresented Black artist, take this unique opportunity to make a statement against it?
Interview with Director Shriejan Paudel
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I wanted to speak out against racism because I have had a lot to do with it myself. I thought it was time to make a loud, clear counter voice. We no longer have to accept this and have to speak out. It was important to me that the colored community in the Netherlands felt heard. And luckily we succeeded!
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Racism is a tough subject. Watching a movie about this can therefore be quite challenging. Viral is a slightly augmented reality. By using comedy and using a playful style, you watch an entertaining film that makes a strong statement. And that's what I call the power of film. We use film elements by making a playful film that tells something very clearly about problems in our world.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
In the case of Viral, I've tried to magnify situations I know. The essence of what I want to say remains the same. Magnifying actually zooms in on the problem. The viewer can hardly interpret it any other way. So the feeling or experience that I had in my life I represent in this way. And as a director I make sure to apply the magnified situation directly to a real situation, like i had in my life.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
It was a very tough job. My screenwriter Ashanti and I knew very well what we wanted to say. Making a film about racism alone in a white environment is very difficult. Sometimes we felt that we had to explain too often why something is racist because people didn't understand it. It slowed down the writing process. Making a slightly augmented reality is not easy. The entire film must remain in balance. If the camera becomes a bit more playful, then editing will have to come along, for example. And the risk of making a playful film is that it is too playful and distracts from what it is supposed to say. By staying in constant conversation with crew members, actors and certainly also the screenwriter, I have succeeded in transforming the ambitious scenario into a playful film with a powerful message.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
People of color cheered and gave us a standing ovation during the premiere in Amsterdam. For me, the film was a success because I wanted them to feel heard. White people came up to me and say the movie did confront them. They suddenly realized that they had 'accidentally' been racist in a certain situation and are now aware of it.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Well actually yes. I expected the white people to feel attacked. And I did try to make a non-offensive film, but a film that is very clear. And that can be received as offensive. But I'm still surprised that the film especially made a lot of white people think about it.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
First of all, I hope to inspire other makers that heavy subjects can be told in many light-hearted ways. And I want to motivate them to continue to speak out as an artist. In addition, I want to meet new people from the worldwide film industry. The industry in the Netherlands is very small and I would like to be able to get my message across to people from all over the world. Everyone's story is worth telling. I believe that the earth can be a paradise. I hope to contribute with my films. That is why I would like to make new contacts to continue my journey.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Producers should really come and see this movie. This film has of course already been made, but together we can develop a new project and continue the mission for equality. Film festival directors, distributors and journalists should definitely come and see this film. The more attention and screening this film gets, the more people can become aware of their behavior and the more colored people around the world feel heard!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
As a result of this film, I hope that people will come closer together. That they really look at each other instead of being prejudiced. That they shake hands instead of throwing reproaches back and forth. With this film I hope that people will start to know each other better.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Would you speak out against injustice?
Would you like to add anything else?
It was blood sweat and tears to make this film. We've had a lot of opposition. And I don't mean the opposition that we as filmmakers have, but opposition because of the subject. It scared me and it hurt me a lot. Still, Ashanti (screenwriter) and I kept each other on our toes. The Netherlands needed this film and the world needs this film. I am an ambitious director who fights for things I believe in. Viral is not a perfect film, but the conviction of us as makers splashes off the screen. I hope to enter into new collaborations so that we can enrich the world with powerful films.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Due to the success of Viral, I am now developing a TV show with a production company in the Netherlands. It's about the sequel of Viral. I am also developing a TV film and a TV show about the Bijlmer. The Bijlmer is a neighborhood in Amsterdam where mainly black people live. I wanted to pay tribute to this neighborhood because it has been portrayed as a ghetto for too long. At last, I am developing quite a few concepts with people from my network. We still do this independently, but for this I am looking for producers.
Interview: April 2022
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
VIRAL
Length:
23:53
Writer
ASHANTI VREDEN (1994 Amsterdam/The Netherlands), studied Scenario at the Netherlands Film Academy where she did an internship at HALAL and graduated in October 2021 with the film VIRAL, nominated for Da Bounce short film awards, selected for the PAFF 2022 in LA and for the student competition of the Netherlands Film Festival 2021, where she won the Fentener van Vlissingen Award.
While graduating, ASHANTI researched as a participant in the Film Forward sanctuary, in collaboration with the Black Archives, for a series on the history of the old colonies and their people in the city of Amsterdam.
By telling stories through underexposed perspectives, often with a bit of humor, ASHANTI hopes with her work to contribute to inclusivity within the Dutch film landscape.
Director
SHRIEJAN PAUDEL (1990 Zoetermeer/The Netherlands) auditioned in 2009 at Film Actors Academy Amsterdam without any acting experience. After graduating, he appeared in the feature films Stuk! (Steven de Jong) and Project Fear (Bram van Splunteren). SHRIEJAN noticed that he was often offered the same stereotypical roles. To break this pattern, he decided to take matters into his own hands as a director.
In 2017, he decided to register at the Netherlands Film Academy for the direction of Film Director. During his studies he made the dark comedy 'The Barbed Wire of Karim' in which a Palestinian and Israeli neighbor come closer together. His third-year film 'Para' was a visualization of his own struggle against negative thoughts. With his graduation film 'Viral', nominated for PAFF in LA, Da Bounce Short Film Award and the student competition of the Netherlands Film Festival 2021, he gives minorities a voice in the Dutch film industry.
Producer
IDRIS BAKKER (1998 Amsterdam/The Netherlands) discovered her passion and ambition for film during the preliminary training of the Netherlands Film Academy. In addition to the productions at the academy, in her second year she produced the short film Moffenmeid (Raymon Hilkman, 2019), which was embraced by NPO 3Lab and won international prizes. She did an internship at Lemming Film to further develop herself in the field of script development and writing international applications. As a producer, IDRIS is looking for films that broaden the viewer's horizons and is not stopped by challenging experiments. She graduates with the fiction Viral (Shriejan Paudel, 2021), the documentary The Reverend's Daughter (Christine Boersma, 2021) and the 3D animation Desire (Lotte Salomons, 2021). For the next two years she will follow a master's degree in Production at the prestigious National Film and Television School in England.
Key cast:
Jelisa van Schijndel (Nina), Megan de Kruijf (Rosie Posie), Marie-léa Fleurima (Diamond)
Looking for:
producers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists
Facebook:
https://m.facebook.com/#!/shriejan.paudel
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/shriejan/
Hashtags used:
#BLM #nomoreracism #LGBTQ+ #speakout
More info:
https://www.shriejan.com/viral
Where can I watch it now?
PAFF