Orwa Alahmad - Interview

Orwa Alahmad - Interview

1. Are you interested in the relevance of music in cinema?

- Music is a key element in filmmaking, and music alone can change how the viewer interacts with a cinematic scene.

2. Did you study film?

- I studied theater directing, which greatly helped me in preparing, motivating, and training actors. Therefore, I work as an acting coach in addition to my work as a filmmaker.

3. What was your first foray into cinema?

- The film "The Dice Player" was my first cinematic experience. It's based on a poem by Mahmoud Darwish, with music by the Joubran Trio.

4. Are you interested in cinema as art, industry, or entertainment?

- My experience has taught me that you can't make an art film without producers who believe in the importance of art. Even entertainment, I can't create it without a genuine artistic foundation. So, art is the starting point, and the industry is the foundation and prerequisite for the work. Entertainment, as I see it, isn't trivial, because enjoyment is a prerequisite for the success of any art form.

5. In which category does your film intervene at this festival?

- My film is a feature-length narrative film that includes a song composed and performed by a professional Syrian singer named Basma Jad Jabr.

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6. Do you have projects in progress?

- Yes, I'm working on a feature film called "The Snail."

7. Do you recognize influences in your work?

- Absolutely, I notice development in every new project I undertake, both in terms of tools and artistic perspective.

8. How do you get financing?

 - Through direct contracts with film production companies, and sometimes through funding cultural institutions.

9. Do you see cinema as a definitive profession or only occasionally venture?

- I've been a filmmaker for ten years, and I see filmmaking as my means of expressing my ideas, just as painting is for a painter and music for a composer.

10. What is your concept of cinema that interests you?

- What interests me in cinema is that it provokes questions. A film that doesn't raise a single question for you is a film that hasn't offered you anything new. Stir up the questions and leave the answers to the viewer, because the answers should vary.

Thank you for these questions.

Orwa Alahmad