Entertainment | Film & Cinema
Changing times
Three-time Emmy Award-winning actor Tony Shaloub brought some welcome Arab American flavour to the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF).
- By Kelly Crane, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:21 December 10, 2007
- The cast of AmericanEast: actor Tony Shaloub, director Hesham Issawi, and actors Kais Nashif, Sarah Shahi, Anthony Azizi and Sayed Badreya.
- Image Credit: Vazhisojan/Gulf News
Three-time Emmy Award-winning actor Tony Shaloub brought some welcome Arab American flavour to the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF).
Ahead of the gala screening of his latest film, AmericanEast, Shaloub said he hoped the movie, which examines long-held misunderstandings about Arabic and Islamic culture, was a start to bridging religious conflict around the world.
Limited options
He said: "There is a drought in the US of Arab American films and stories being told. Arab roles are often the negative ones and this means there are limited options for Arab American actors and actresses."
Wearing a striking purple shirt, Shaloub told a packed press conference the story which inspired him to take the role in AmericanEast.
He said: "An Italian American friend of mine was sick of being type-cast as a mafia character and decided to write his own movie. He played the role of an Italian American and the struggles he faced around his relationship with his brother. It was a beautiful story and then and there it struck me that if we want these stories to be told then we have to tell them ourselves."
With a script written in just three months it took the crew more than three years to secure enough money to fund the project. Scriptwriter Sayed Badreya said Tony was the key to this film being made.
He said: "Tony Shaloub was our access to this film and it's important that people listen to the film. The story is American but the person is Arab."
AmericanEast is a timely film about Arab Americans living in post 9/11 Los Angeles. The story takes an ironic view of Middle East politics and highlights and pressures under which many now live by focusing on three main characters: Mustafa, who wants to open a Middle Eastern restaurant with Jewish friend and client Sam (Shaloub); Omar, a taxi driver and actor who can no longer endure being cast as a terrorist; and Salwah, an enterprising young professional woman, who struggles against her brother's expectations that she submit to a traditional arranged marriage.
Bigger change
Shaloub added: "This film is part of a bigger change for American Arabs and the films being made. Making AmericanEast was important because it's controversial - that's the point. We knew it would rub people up the wrong way and provoke discussion and possible conflict of interest. But this is one of the things we set out to do. We want to start an avalanche of different stories being told that people don't necessarily agree with. Things are changing but it will take time and effort.
"We hope the film is the beginning of an explosion among the film world and filmmakers. It's a big problem and we accept that the industry will move quicker than perception."
Jackpot
Director Hesham Issawi explained how it all began. He said: "I worked with Tony on a short film a while back and sent him a few scripts over the years which he didn't like very much. But then we hit the jackpot and he agreed to work with us on AmericanEast. We must bridge the culture and religion gap here - we must."
Shaloub, Badreya and Issawi were joined by cast members Sarah Shali and Kais Nashif at the press conference.
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