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Jon Stewart premieres first film, Rosewater, at TIFF 2014
Tuesday September 09th 2014It took about 10 minutes, but there was a Mayor Rob Ford joke made during an interview with The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart, who makes his directing debut with the political drama Rosewater, screening at the Toronto International Film Festival Monday.
But the funny line came not from the satire-loving TV host who has delighted in detailing Ford’s antics on his show, but Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari. Then They Came for Me, Bahari’s book about his time in Iran’s Evin prison, inspired the film.
Accused of being a spy after his coverage of Iran’s controversial 2009 elections, coupled with a taped spoof interview with comic comedian Jason Jones that aired on The Daily Show, Bahari spent five months imprisoned in solitary confinement.
Portrayed onscreen by Gael García Bernal, the blindfolded Bahari was able to identify his interrogator, called The Specialist (Kim Bodnia), by his rosewater cologne.
Stewart, who also wrote the Rosewater screenplay, and Bahari talked with the Toronto Star Sunday.
How did you use close-ups in the prison scenes to give a feeling of claustrophobia?
STEWART: Structurally I wanted the audience to feel the discomfort of isolation … to feel the discomfort without it becoming a truly unpleasant experience (for the viewer).
Were you inspired by other prison films? Papillon or Midnight Express?
STEWART: I did have this one scene where I had Maziar jumping off a cliff (laughs at the Papillon reference). I was more inspired by his book and the ideas behind it and the question of how to visualize that was part of the collaborative process. But it was about showing Maziar reclaiming his humanity in the smallest moments.
How much responsibility did you feel for Maziar’s arrest?
STEWART: I was the one who turned him in to the Iranian government (laughs). I don’t feel responsible … there was definitely a moment once when we found out that individuals we had interviewed for all those pieces had been arrested. There was a visceral ‘Oh my God’ was there a causal relationship?’ That was disabused very quickly. What I felt a responsibility to was to tell his story with integrity and to do justice by the source material he had written, which was very beautiful.
I’m sorry but I haven’t had a chance to read the book yet.
STEWART: (chuckles) In the book, he doesn’t get out.
You use humour very effectively in the film to defuse tension. How did you decide where and when it would work best?
STEWART: One of the things that appealed to me about the way Maziar survived (in prison) was his ability to laugh at idiocy, to recognize absurdity. Comedians are always being asked ‘where do you draw the line? When is humour appropriate?’ People forget that in the darkest times, it may be your greatest solace to sustain yourself.
Why did you want to bring Rosewater to Toronto and TIFF?
BAHARI: To tell you the truth, Rob Ford. Jon has a soft spot for Rob Ford.
Did you know the official program book for the festival has a welcome message from Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly, not the mayor?
STEWART: His message I guess would be: when in doubt, smoke crack.
Source: Toronto Star
Front Page, Industry News
Jon Stewart premieres first film, Rosewater, at TIFF 2014
Tuesday September 09th 2014It took about 10 minutes, but there was a Mayor Rob Ford joke made during an interview with The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart, who makes his directing debut with the political drama Rosewater, screening at the Toronto International Film Festival Monday.
But the funny line came not from the satire-loving TV host who has delighted in detailing Ford’s antics on his show, but Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari. Then They Came for Me, Bahari’s book about his time in Iran’s Evin prison, inspired the film.
Accused of being a spy after his coverage of Iran’s controversial 2009 elections, coupled with a taped spoof interview with comic comedian Jason Jones that aired on The Daily Show, Bahari spent five months imprisoned in solitary confinement.
Portrayed onscreen by Gael García Bernal, the blindfolded Bahari was able to identify his interrogator, called The Specialist (Kim Bodnia), by his rosewater cologne.
Stewart, who also wrote the Rosewater screenplay, and Bahari talked with the Toronto Star Sunday.
How did you use close-ups in the prison scenes to give a feeling of claustrophobia?
STEWART: Structurally I wanted the audience to feel the discomfort of isolation … to feel the discomfort without it becoming a truly unpleasant experience (for the viewer).
Were you inspired by other prison films? Papillon or Midnight Express?
STEWART: I did have this one scene where I had Maziar jumping off a cliff (laughs at the Papillon reference). I was more inspired by his book and the ideas behind it and the question of how to visualize that was part of the collaborative process. But it was about showing Maziar reclaiming his humanity in the smallest moments.
How much responsibility did you feel for Maziar’s arrest?
STEWART: I was the one who turned him in to the Iranian government (laughs). I don’t feel responsible … there was definitely a moment once when we found out that individuals we had interviewed for all those pieces had been arrested. There was a visceral ‘Oh my God’ was there a causal relationship?’ That was disabused very quickly. What I felt a responsibility to was to tell his story with integrity and to do justice by the source material he had written, which was very beautiful.
I’m sorry but I haven’t had a chance to read the book yet.
STEWART: (chuckles) In the book, he doesn’t get out.
You use humour very effectively in the film to defuse tension. How did you decide where and when it would work best?
STEWART: One of the things that appealed to me about the way Maziar survived (in prison) was his ability to laugh at idiocy, to recognize absurdity. Comedians are always being asked ‘where do you draw the line? When is humour appropriate?’ People forget that in the darkest times, it may be your greatest solace to sustain yourself.
Why did you want to bring Rosewater to Toronto and TIFF?
BAHARI: To tell you the truth, Rob Ford. Jon has a soft spot for Rob Ford.
Did you know the official program book for the festival has a welcome message from Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly, not the mayor?
STEWART: His message I guess would be: when in doubt, smoke crack.
Source: Toronto Star
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Front Page, Industry News
Jon Stewart premieres first film, Rosewater, at TIFF 2014
Tuesday September 09th 2014It took about 10 minutes, but there was a Mayor Rob Ford joke made during an interview with The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart, who makes his directing debut with the political drama Rosewater, screening at the Toronto International Film Festival Monday.
But the funny line came not from the satire-loving TV host who has delighted in detailing Ford’s antics on his show, but Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari. Then They Came for Me, Bahari’s book about his time in Iran’s Evin prison, inspired the film.
Accused of being a spy after his coverage of Iran’s controversial 2009 elections, coupled with a taped spoof interview with comic comedian Jason Jones that aired on The Daily Show, Bahari spent five months imprisoned in solitary confinement.
Portrayed onscreen by Gael García Bernal, the blindfolded Bahari was able to identify his interrogator, called The Specialist (Kim Bodnia), by his rosewater cologne.
Stewart, who also wrote the Rosewater screenplay, and Bahari talked with the Toronto Star Sunday.
How did you use close-ups in the prison scenes to give a feeling of claustrophobia?
STEWART: Structurally I wanted the audience to feel the discomfort of isolation … to feel the discomfort without it becoming a truly unpleasant experience (for the viewer).
Were you inspired by other prison films? Papillon or Midnight Express?
STEWART: I did have this one scene where I had Maziar jumping off a cliff (laughs at the Papillon reference). I was more inspired by his book and the ideas behind it and the question of how to visualize that was part of the collaborative process. But it was about showing Maziar reclaiming his humanity in the smallest moments.
How much responsibility did you feel for Maziar’s arrest?
STEWART: I was the one who turned him in to the Iranian government (laughs). I don’t feel responsible … there was definitely a moment once when we found out that individuals we had interviewed for all those pieces had been arrested. There was a visceral ‘Oh my God’ was there a causal relationship?’ That was disabused very quickly. What I felt a responsibility to was to tell his story with integrity and to do justice by the source material he had written, which was very beautiful.
I’m sorry but I haven’t had a chance to read the book yet.
STEWART: (chuckles) In the book, he doesn’t get out.
You use humour very effectively in the film to defuse tension. How did you decide where and when it would work best?
STEWART: One of the things that appealed to me about the way Maziar survived (in prison) was his ability to laugh at idiocy, to recognize absurdity. Comedians are always being asked ‘where do you draw the line? When is humour appropriate?’ People forget that in the darkest times, it may be your greatest solace to sustain yourself.
Why did you want to bring Rosewater to Toronto and TIFF?
BAHARI: To tell you the truth, Rob Ford. Jon has a soft spot for Rob Ford.
Did you know the official program book for the festival has a welcome message from Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly, not the mayor?
STEWART: His message I guess would be: when in doubt, smoke crack.
Source: Toronto Star
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