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Director Paul Kurti, Producer Amina
Zhaman and lead actor Shpend Xani
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CEM had the privilege to
talk with Paul Kurti about the film “Right to Love”
and his other projects.
Tell me a
little bit about yourself and your background, and what led you to the
industry.
I
was born and grew up in Tirana, Albania during the unstable times of the
country's transition from communism to democracy. When I was a teenager my
family moved to Toronto, Canada. Both my father and grandmother are actors, so
maybe subconsciously I was always going to be involved in films. But it took me
some time to realize that. I was always attracted to drawing and visual arts so
I decided to study architecture in university. During this period, I made short
films with my friends on weekends. Finding the filmmaking process fascinating,
I decided to enrol
in a short film course in New York in order to learn the technical skills that
I was lacking. One of my short films ended up winning an international award
and was accepted at a various festivals. That led me to believe that I had
something to say and give to the film world. Over the following years I
continued working on short films, music videos and web series. These
experiences prepared me for the day I would get the chance to direct a feature
film.
What is
“Right to Love” about?
In
a few words, “Right to Love” tells the story of Amina, a
Circassian
Muslim actress, who moves to New York with ambitions of performing on Broadway.
She meets and falls in love with Tony, an Albanian Catholic man. However, his
disapproving family goes to great length to oppose their relationship.
How did this
whole project come together?
I
was contacted by Amina Zhaman, a Circassian artist, who had written a screenplay and the music
for a film. She had seen some of my previous work and asked me to direct a
feature based on her screenplay. I was intrigued by the story and the idea.
Because we both lived in different cities and countries, we went through long
email and Skype sessions over the following months, working on the story and
characters. When we thought that the script and preparations were at a good
point, we decided to meet in New York and start filming. It was a leap of faith
to start filming that way, but I believe that hard work and faith made it
possible to complete the film and share it with audiences.
Was there a
single inspiration for the film, or was it a combination of several themes you
wanted to bring together in this story?
On
the surface it seems like a modern Romeo and Juliet story, but there are many themes
that make this story special. The film touches upon questions such as: How much
are we willing to sacrifice to follow our dreams? Would we sacrifice our
families, our careers, and our love? Why do some people continue judging others
based on their background, nationality and religion? Is this a mass mentality
or is it different in each individual based on their past experiences? Will
certain prejudices ever change?
Where was
the film shot?
The
movie was shot in New York during the summer of 2012. New York is the city
where the lead character comes with dreams of performing on Broadway, and is
also a city that has been built on the dreams and hard work of many generations
of immigrants from all sorts of backgrounds and nationalities. It embraces
perfectly the spirit of the film. The film took roughly 2 months of
preproduction, 6 weeks of filming and 5 months of editing.
How did you
choose your actors for “Right to Love?”
Amina Zhaman who wrote the story
also plays the lead character. We auditioned a few actors for the part of Tony
and felt that Shpend Xani would be the right choice for the part. Shpend's
portrayal is different from Tony in the script; he has a much more intense
presence on screen. However,
I thought that was a very interesting take on the character and I spent plenty
of time with him reshaping Tony.
We
were also extremely happy to be able to work with Pavlina Mani, a great
Albanian actress that I grew up watching and admiring. She gives an intense
performance as Maviola, Tony's mother, leading the audiences to feel both
contempt and compassion for her character. Other actors include Theodore Buloukos, Luan Bexheti, Omar
Chaparro, Ariot Myrtaj, Karina Ivanova and many more. Because it was an
independent film shot on limited time and budget, we had little time to for
rehearsals. But every actor in the film understood the challenge and brought
their best to the screen.
What was the
most difficult aspect of making this film?
I
have never heard a filmmaker say that it was easy to make a film. Each film
brings upon itself many difficulties but this is also part of the challenge. In
our case the biggest difficulties were working with a very small crew and a
limited budget. Our crew members had to perform different tasks simultaneously, but
they worked hard to make this film look like a big-budget production. Part of
the credit goes to our tireless cinematographer. We filmed in the middle
of the summer and New York gets really hot during that period. We often worked
in small, unventilated locations with the owners threatening to kick us out.
But I think that, given the circumstances, we managed to finish filming on
budget and on time.
What was
your favorite moment?
My
favourite
moments are often ones that are created spontaneously. One day, a person who was
supposed to lend us his car to film did not show up. So the crew and actors
found themselves at the location frustrated and unable to film. I went for a 10
minute walk into a nearby park to clear my head and I came across a beautiful
bridge underpass. I knew immediately that I wanted to film there. I called the
lead actors and we filmed one of the most important scenes right there and
then, without any rehearsals and differently from the description in the
script. The scene turned out beautifully, and to this day that is one of my
favourite
moments of the film.
You have
directed music videos and short films before. How is directing “Right to Love”
different?
Apart
from the obvious differences, such as dealing with many more locations, actors,
crew and time, I have to make sure that every person on set is on the same page
at any given time. I think that the most important thing is not to lose track
of the story and what I am trying to communicate. I have to constantly ask
myself “Where is your audience now?” to remember that there is also an
emotional storyline being told to the audience and I have to make sure that my
actors are always aware of where their characters are in that storyline at any
given moment. In short films and music videos this is much easier.
What
motivates you when directing? Is there something a film has to have, a certain
quality, in order for you to attach yourself to it?
I
believe that just as every actor is attracted to certain roles, also every
director is attracted to certain stories. I cannot say for certain what exactly attracts me to a
story; it could be a detail, an image that I envision, or a character. I often write about
social outcast characters during an existential crisis point in their life and
then try to follow the journey on which they lead me. It is important to have
strong ideals and beliefs, but keeping an open mind to the stories that come
your way is also an essential element to growing as a filmmaker and artist.
How
important do you think the critical/media response is to film these days, be it
a large production, independent film or festival title?
I
think that critics and the media are essential to the success of a film
nowadays. With the continuous improvement and affordability of tools and
technology it has become easier than ever for filmmakers to make movies. That
is why the number of films and documentaries produced in the world increases
every year. However, at the same time, it is harder to market your work because
there are so many films out there. I believe that it is critical for a film to
have the support and the exposure brought upon by critics and the media in
order for it to reach wider audiences and be successful.
How do you
quantify success? What makes a movie that you direct a success in your eyes?
The
stories that interest me are the ones that don't give answers but ask
questions. I try to analyze stories based on all characters' points of view,
even the unpopular ones. It's up to the audience to formulate opinions based on
what is presented to them. If the movie starts conversations then I have been
successful.Right to Love Synopsis:
Amina (Amina Zhaman), a Circassian Muslim actress,
moves to New York with ambitions of performing on Broadway. When she falls in love with
Tony (Shpend Xani), an Albanian Catholic man, his disapproving family goes to great
length to oppose their relationship.Will their romance survive and will Amina realize
her acting dreams amidst social and religious prejudices?
Pavlina Mani, Luan Bexheti, Omar Chaparro, Karina
Ivanova and Theodore Buloukos co-star in a film directed by award winning director Paul Kurti.
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+ comments + 1 comments
Amazing article. Great interview questions, a very insightful journey of a great director