BFI London Film Festival! Director Mohamed Al Daradji Talks To The Blog About The Journey

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Good Afternoon Lovelies, 

Sadly this weekend marks the closing of the BFI London Film Festival, but before we all fall into a deep film filled sadness, as it ends for another year, I have an exciting interview with the director of The Journey, Mohamed Al Daradji.

Discussing everything to do with the film, what he hoped to see at the festival and the future, Daradji spoke everything entertainment-wise with us. Enjoy…

Firstly, congratulations on The Journey for being chosen for the BFI London Film Festival this year! How does it feel to be selected? 
In 2003 I was finishing my masters at The Northern Film School in Leeds (Leeds Beckett University) whilst also completing work on my first feature film AHLAAM. It was my dream to have my film at BFI London – it’s taken me nearly 15 years to get here and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be presenting my work here. As the film is a British/Iraqi film we couldn’t have asked for a better place to have the U.K Premiere.

For those who haven’t heard about the film, please could you tell us what it is about?
The film follows Sara a would-be suicide bomber on the precipice of carrying out an atrocious act. But an awkward encounter with a stranger takes Sara on a “journey” of self-discovery.

What influenced or where did the idea for The Journey come from?
In 2008 during the time I was preparing my film Son of Babylon, I had read a news article in the paper about a female suicide bomber. Five minutes before the bomb was due to explode, she entered a police station full of remorse and confessed her intentions to the police. They stripped her of her clothes and tied her to the gates outside the station. She was just sixteen years old. The image troubled me deeply. A girl so young caught up in something so sinister.  From all corners of the earth, similar stories came: In Moscow on March 29, 2010 two women bombed two subway stations killing 38 people and injuring a further 60. It occurred to me that female suicide bombers were potentially one of the greatest international threats that faced every country, especially Iraq.
Having fled my homeland of Iraq at 16 as a refugee in search of a safer life I wouldn’t have believed that the attacks of 7/7 could have occurred in London. No less that the instigators of these crimes were in fact my neighbours in Leeds. The attacks illustrated the fragility of any society under the threat of extremism.

A decade on from the 7/7 bombings, terrorism is a bigger problem now than then. As groups like ISIS continue to undermine the progress of multiculturalism here in the UK, we continue to see more young people abandon their homes and families to join sinister causes abroad. Earlier in 2015 three British school girls ran away from home to Syria to join ISIS, encouraged by empty promises and false intentions. Is this a result of Britain’s role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq? Its aftermath cannot be overstated; It will continue to serve ISIS as justification for their activities which plague our news daily with horrific attacks and subsequent retaliation on a global scale. It is reasonable to question whether without the invasion my main character Sara's journey would have taken place. The female suicide bomber is invisible, untouchable; an unsuspecting asset to extremist missions. Many are preyed on and brainwashed by extremist factions operating in Iraq, throughout the Middle East and across the world. We start life innocently, so what changes a person and drives them to commit such an extreme and atrocious act?

The film is full of tension as we follow Sara from the start to the end of the film. How important was it to keep this emotion throughout the film?
With my co-writer Isabelle we initially wanted it to feel like a ticking “time bomb”. However we discovered for the story to work and for us to engage fully with Sara it worked better by allowing the audience at times to forget she wearing a bomb and instead use this as a tool to surprise our audience when they least expect with at times a dramatic reminder the bomb is still there – under the surface.

How did you find the actors within the film? And what was it about them that made you choose them?
I always work with unprofessional actors. Sara played by Zahraa Ghandour is a TV news presenter. When she interviewed me I knew I had found my character. We workshopped scenes for over 2 years. The singer in the band is the head of the Iraqi National Orchestra. The children never acted either – family friends with the right look and personality that I see something within.

What was it like directing The Journey?
It’s my third fiction film and each film brings along its own set of challenges.
It was the hardest challenge to put myself in the shoes of a woman who is planning to commit an unthinkable act. Why would a woman choose to become a suicide bomber? Is it the promise of retribution or living a life of meaning? Is the reason religious, helping to build an Islamic utopia or the promise of marriage in paradise? Does it empower a woman? What makes these women become the foot soldiers of patriarchy? The Film is an opportunity to open up a dialogue on the subject. As an Iraqi filmmaker, I felt a responsibility to fully explore a subject I cannot comprehend or understand what lies behind these acts. Dialogue may be the most effective way of dealing with extreme violence where other counter-terrorism measures have failed.

What was your fondest memory from set? 
The moment we finished shooting the 1st scene as we shot it at the end of production and it was very tough to set up. It was extremely difficult to set up all the train lines in the way I wanted it and it took us 3 days to make it happen.

How have audiences you have spoken to reacted to the film?
It’s early days but so far the reaction has been amazing. People can’t stop talking about the ending. A lady told me her and her friends debated the ending for a week and still didn’t have the answer. For me, this was the intent. It’s not for me to say what she did or didn’t do – it’s left for the audience. Even within our own office there much debate.

Is there a scene that you are most proud of or that you want audiences to look out for? If so, why this one?
The Sufi dancer's scene in the station is my favourite it's so trance-like and transcends you into another world, I love this scene because it's very significant to the story and marks the beginning of the change in the main character Sara.

What is it about the BFI London Film Festival do you think makes it so special? 
It’s the biggest festival in the U.K and it’s going from strength to strength. It’s an inclusive festival where audiences and storytellers merge – it’s unpretentious and it’s constantly evolving.

Are there any films at the festival that you are hoping to catch whilst here?
Wajib – by Anne-Marie Jacir –I truly admire and respect her work as a filmmaker, colleague and friend.

Finally, can you tell us anything about what you are working on next?
BIRDS OF PARADISE- co-written again with Isabelle. This is the film I can’t wait to make. It’s been such a joy to develop and that’s half the battle. This one is for the women and children of Iraq and are first and foremost at the heart of many of my stories as they are the ones that are hit the worst during war, occupation and in the aftermath.

Look out for more news on The Journey soon lovelies! 

Blog Soon, 
Joey X 

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