14/08/2024 - With her new film, shot in Jordan, the Austrian filmmaker tells a cross-border story of women's solidarity

(© Marco Abram/Locarno Film Festival/Ti-Press)

After her first feature, Sonne [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Kurdwin Ayub
film profile], Kurdwin Ayub is presenting her next work, Moon [+see also:
film review
interview: Kurdwin Ayub
film profile], in the international competition of this year's Locarno Film Festival. Again, women and their resilience are at the centre of the story. We asked the director about the shoot in Jordan and her ideas for the look of the film.

Cineuropa: What interested you particularly about mixed martial arts (MMA)?
Kurdwin Ayub: I wanted to have a female martial artist, a fighter who is not really a fighter if you look more closely. The other women are the real fighters. MMA is one of the toughest martial arts. It takes place in a cage, and women are expected to look attractive. This is different from other martial arts. The top MMA divisions are shown on television, and it is very popular in the USA as well as in Arab and Asian countries.

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Is the actress playing Sarah, Florentina Holzinger, actually an MMA fighter?
She is a very famous choreographer and performance artist. I've known her for a long time, and I like her personality. She's cool and so tough; she also has a good sense of humour. I knew I wanted to work with her. She's never acted in a film before. We rehearsed for a very long time. I'm convinced that many people can act if you are really willing to make the effort with them.

The film focuses on sisters. What was important to you in developing their relationships?
Well, I have a sister. For me, having a sister is the best thing in the world. I think if something were to happen to my sister, I would do anything for her. I wanted to make a film about sisters, but also about sisters you're not necessarily biologically related to. You can find a sister in another country, find common ground and help each other, no matter where you come from. The movie was about solidarity between women.

Was there a particular reason for setting the film in Jordan?
I actually wanted to shoot the film in Iraq, but it was too delicate for me to bring the cast and crew there. And then I looked at the Kurdish part in neighbouring Jordan and realised that it was similar to Iraq. It is more liberal and open, but there is still a lot of sexism, just like in all other Arab countries. When we talk about sexism in Europe, we must not forget that it also exists in other countries. This issue has been with me throughout my career. In Jordan, there was also the case of a woman from the royal family who fled the country. The second wife of the King of Dubai also fled the country. Such stories are very popular in the region. They are told like stories from telenovelas – just like one of the telenovelas the sisters in the film watch.

What were the filming conditions like in Jordan?
Jordan is great – many Hollywood films are shot there. Pretty much everything involving terrorism, war or the desert is filmed in Jordan. And since many Hollywood productions are there, the prices are very high. Because we were not shooting for Hollywood, of course, but in a naturalistic and documentary style, it was more difficult to find actors. I wanted to have locals who would speak in a similar way and would be believable as siblings. We first had to build trust. It was a long process until we found Andria Tayeh, who is a star in Jordan. With her on board, it was easier to convince the other actors.

Where exactly did you shoot?
We shot in a real villa. It was actually a wedding location, but it had been somewhat neglected. We renovated parts of it for the shoot.

Mobile phones were already an important motif in your last film. What fascinates you about this device?
We always have it with us; it’s a part of us. Sometimes, I feel like it's the most important thing in the world. I'm interested in it as a narrative element. I also like the aesthetics of mobile-phone videos and enjoy using them.

Can you tell us more about the visual concept of the film?
Compared to Sonne, I wanted to create calmer and more composed images this time. I also used mobile-phone videos more discreetly. The videos that appear had to look different depending on which character was making them. At the same time, the videos are a reference to this one princess who escaped her country and also communicated with mobile-phone videos.