Exclusive Interview with Screenplay Director Najat Jellab!
Tell us about yourself Najat Jellab was born in Casablanca and grew up in Morocco and in France. She studied philosophy in Paris before going to film school in Montreal where she graduated in 2004.Since then she’s been working on short films and features as a writer producer director and editor. Her films have played festivals and TVs worldwide What kind of art or performing do you do? Screenplay writer director editor How long have you been doing this? 8 years
Where did your inspiration come from? There are legendary directors that inspire me and that I watch again and again, directors like Wong Kar Wai, David Lynch or The Coen Bros, and then there are directors that I really feel close to, such as Emir Kusturica and Elia Suleiman, they belong to a kind of cinema that is vanishing, the kind that puts the human being at the center. We are now living in a scientific culture that prefers technology to the human. I still believe in beauty, I still believe in emotion. As for ideas, they come from different experiences, they pop into your mind and you’re rolling, even if in the beginning you don’t know where you’re rolling, all that stuff, if you focus on it, will be revealed, more and more. It’s like a piece of electricity and at a certain point you see the whole thing, if you don’t, that means you still need to focus more… Do you remember the moment you fell in love with it? If so can you describe it? The moment I fell in love with film making is when I first saw Lost Highway by David Lynch. That movie was literally a life changing experience and since then I knew that this was what I wanted to be doing. What drew you to this particular field/talent ? The ability to dream and share those dreams visually with others and of course to tell a story that makes sense because real life doesn’t always offer that… Tell us about your current projects or activities. I am currently working on several different things. I am preparing my next short film that I will be shooting in Marrakesh, this will be my first shooting in my hometown, I am also finally writing my first novel that I had been postponing for years and I am currently sending my recently finished short film, The Bluff, to film festivals. I also have two feature scripts ready that I will concentrate on producing next year. Which of your projects are you most proud of and why? Each project I have done took me to the next level so I am proud of them all, they were all a learning experience. But as new toys are always the shiniest, I’m always more proud of the current one. Which of your projects do you believe defines you as an artist the most? The current one, it is about a guy trying to save a cinema from closing , it’s quite creative and at the same time it has a serious message. What sets you apart from other artists in your field? My life. I think there are very few human experiences I cannot personally relate to. If you want the whole story I can sell it to you for $1,000,000 (laughs) What is one of your most memorable moments/experiences in your field?
Do I have to pick just one ? Having Kathy Bates come ask me for a DVD of one of my films during the Montreal World Film Festival few years ago ! She had seen it during a screening and wanted a copy to take home. Also, another memorable moment was me sitting next to Pedro Almodovar and watching The White Ribbon directed by Haneke that won the Palme d’Or. It was during the Cannes Film Festival in 2009 and I thought hey one of my favourite directors is right next to me and we are watching the best film of the year…… What advice would you give yourself if you could go back in time to when you first started? I always listen to my heart and try to follow it, I would not want to make any changes in my past. However if I could go back in time and meet the young me, I would say get a good lawyer and never sign contracts before you make sure they are fair, that will save you a lot of time. If you could be doing anything in your career right now, what would you be doing? I’m very thankful I am doing what I want to be doing. How can people contact you or follow your progress? I have a Facebook page that I do my best to update regularly and I do check my messages. http://www.facebook.com/najatfilmsfans
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