“Faith, Friendship, Family….and the challenges of being ... - FDb.cz
“Faith, Friendship, Family….and the challenges of being ... - FDb.cz
“Faith, Friendship, Family….and the challenges of being ... - FDb.cz
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DAVID<br />
TOTA L R U N N I N G T I M E : 77 M I N U T E S<br />
<br />
<strong>“Faith</strong>, <strong>Friendship</strong>, <strong>Family…</strong>.<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>challenges</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>being</strong> different in America.”<br />
Sales / Publicity Contac t:<br />
Julian Schwar tz<br />
646-234-7708<br />
Julian@madmonk media.com<br />
David-<strong>the</strong>movie.com Facebook .com/david<strong>the</strong>movie t witter.com/david<strong>the</strong>movie
DAVID<br />
THE MOVIE<br />
SYNOPSIS:<br />
“David” tells <strong>the</strong> story <strong>of</strong> Daud, an eleven<br />
year old Muslim boy growing up in<br />
Brooklyn. As <strong>the</strong> son <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Imam <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
local mosque, he has to juggle his fa<strong>the</strong>r’s<br />
high expectations, <strong>the</strong> dynamics <strong>of</strong> a<br />
conservative family, <strong>and</strong> <strong>being</strong> different –<br />
even from his peers in <strong>the</strong> Muslim community.<br />
Through an innocent act <strong>of</strong> good faith, Daud<br />
inadvertently befriends a group <strong>of</strong> Jewish<br />
boys who mistake him for <strong>being</strong> Jewish<br />
<strong>and</strong> accept him as one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir own. While<br />
working toge<strong>the</strong>r on a summer project,<br />
a genuine friendship is formed between<br />
Daud <strong>and</strong> Yoav, one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Jewish boys.<br />
Unable to resist <strong>the</strong> joy <strong>of</strong> a camaraderie<br />
that he has never felt before, David, as he is<br />
known to <strong>the</strong> Jewish boys, gets drawn into a<br />
complicated situation that is based upon both<br />
<strong>the</strong> best <strong>of</strong> intentions, <strong>and</strong> youthful deceit.<br />
When <strong>the</strong> Jewish boys discover that Daud<br />
has lied to <strong>the</strong>m, his world is shattered,<br />
<strong>and</strong> he is left alone, struggling to come<br />
to terms with his place in <strong>the</strong> world.<br />
Starring: Maz Jobrani as Ahmed<br />
• The Interpreter – Opposite Sean Penn /<br />
Nicole Kidman<br />
• Axis <strong>of</strong> Evil Comedy Tour – HBO /<br />
Comedy Central<br />
• Funny in Farsi - ABC
Uppsala Int.<br />
Short Film Festival<br />
WINNER<br />
ARAB<br />
Film Festival<br />
WINNER<br />
Sidewalk Moving Picture<br />
Film Festival<br />
Kathryn Tucker Windham<br />
Storytelling Award<br />
WINNER<br />
INDIE Memphis<br />
Film Festival<br />
B A S E D O N T H E AWA R D W I N N I N G S H O R T F I L M “ DAU D ”.<br />
ABOUT THE FILM<br />
“David” is first <strong>and</strong> foremost a story <strong>of</strong> friendship<br />
between two boys. It is not a political or religious movie,<br />
but, after watching it, <strong>the</strong>se topics will inevitably<br />
seep into <strong>the</strong> conversation. The film questions <strong>the</strong><br />
boundaries <strong>of</strong> our cultures <strong>and</strong> religions, <strong>and</strong> looks<br />
at how static <strong>and</strong> yet fluid <strong>the</strong>se boundaries can be.<br />
As recent news about <strong>the</strong> Islamic community<br />
center in Lower Manhattan has shown, this is<br />
clearly a deeply sensitive issue, <strong>and</strong> one that<br />
has been central to <strong>the</strong> American experience.<br />
It is also an issue that is largely unresolved, <strong>and</strong><br />
a source <strong>of</strong> tension in many parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world.<br />
This film is a street-level look at an eleven-yearold<br />
Muslim boy’s struggle to fit in – within his<br />
family, community <strong>and</strong> wider world. What starts<br />
as an innocent mistake, develops into an unlikely<br />
friendship. Two boys, both <strong>of</strong> conservative religious<br />
backgrounds, find commonality in each o<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
The irony that Daud, a Muslim, finds friendship<br />
amongst a group <strong>of</strong> Jewish kids is as far into <strong>the</strong><br />
explicit politics that we wanted to go in <strong>the</strong> film.<br />
Their connection is born out <strong>of</strong> a closeness that<br />
reflects <strong>the</strong> unique positions <strong>of</strong> both <strong>the</strong> Arab <strong>and</strong><br />
orthodox Jewish communities in America: <strong>the</strong>y<br />
both strive to live modern lives while retaining<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir core religious <strong>and</strong> cultural virtues. This in itself<br />
is a microcosm <strong>of</strong> four centuries <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> American<br />
experience for successive waves <strong>of</strong> immigrants, as<br />
expressed in <strong>the</strong> film by <strong>the</strong> Rabbi in <strong>the</strong> Yeshiva.<br />
to go to university – not as a way <strong>of</strong> escaping a<br />
conservative up bringing, but ra<strong>the</strong>r because it is <strong>the</strong><br />
path that will allow her to realize her dreams. Like<br />
many Muslims in America, Aishah’s struggle is one <strong>of</strong><br />
retaining her core Muslim identity, while at <strong>the</strong> same<br />
time becoming part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fabric <strong>of</strong> American society.<br />
The film is not our attempt to provide answers<br />
to issues <strong>of</strong> prejudice, culture or religion – as<br />
<strong>the</strong>y run far deeper than <strong>the</strong> scope <strong>of</strong> a film -<br />
but ra<strong>the</strong>r to raise questions in a different tone;<br />
ones we hope can help us better underst<strong>and</strong><br />
a little bit about each o<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>and</strong> ourselves.<br />
Too much <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> conversation about Islam<br />
in America has been tainted by ignorance <strong>and</strong><br />
misunderst<strong>and</strong>ings, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> same is true within<br />
<strong>the</strong> wider Islamic world about Americans <strong>and</strong> Jews.<br />
Unfortunately it seems easier to deal with each o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
as stereotypes ra<strong>the</strong>r than people. It was a truly special<br />
experience to watch <strong>the</strong> actors who played Daud<br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Jewish boys interacting when <strong>the</strong> camera<br />
was <strong>of</strong>f: an Arab boy <strong>and</strong> five Jewish boys playing,<br />
joking around, <strong>and</strong> <strong>being</strong> friends. It was difficult to<br />
shoot <strong>the</strong> moments <strong>of</strong> tension between <strong>the</strong> boys, as<br />
it contradicted how <strong>the</strong>y related in real life. In a time<br />
<strong>of</strong> pervasive cynicism <strong>and</strong> mistrust, <strong>the</strong>se deeply<br />
touching moments <strong>of</strong>fered a useful lesson that<br />
perhaps we should be spending more time reflecting<br />
upon <strong>the</strong> similarities that we all share, ra<strong>the</strong>r<br />
than <strong>being</strong> scared by <strong>the</strong> differences we perceive.<br />
We also wanted to show a little <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
tension within conservative communities living<br />
in America – as told through <strong>the</strong> story lines<br />
involving Daud’s family. Daud’s fa<strong>the</strong>r, Ahmed,<br />
embodies <strong>the</strong> ‘old ways’. Playing <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> a<br />
conservative Imam in New York puts him in <strong>the</strong><br />
middle <strong>of</strong> <strong>challenges</strong> that he never would have<br />
been trained to deal with in his home country, as<br />
members <strong>of</strong> his community <strong>and</strong> family engage<br />
with <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>ferings <strong>of</strong> an open <strong>and</strong> different world.<br />
His resistance to change is shown through his<br />
conflict with his daughter, Aishah, who is desperate
J O E L F E N D E L M A N Writer Producer Director<br />
It all started with his trick skates <strong>and</strong> a video<br />
camera. More recently, Joel Fendelman has<br />
been in New York producing <strong>and</strong> directing<br />
award winning films. His feature debut<br />
documentary “Needle Through Brick” surveys<br />
<strong>the</strong> quickly vanishing art <strong>of</strong> traditional Kung<br />
Fu through <strong>the</strong> eyes Kung Fu Masters that<br />
fled China over <strong>the</strong> last 100 years. The film,<br />
which he shot in Malaysia, won <strong>the</strong> Silver<br />
Palm award from <strong>the</strong> Mexico International<br />
film festival. It is currently attracting interest<br />
for distribution in <strong>the</strong> European Market.<br />
In only 5 years, Joel has directed a<br />
number <strong>of</strong> award winning short films<br />
that have been accepted <strong>and</strong> shown at<br />
prestigious film festivals, including Cannes,<br />
Chicago, Miami, Woodstock <strong>and</strong> IDFA. His<br />
company, Fendelman Films, is a boutique<br />
production company based in Brooklyn. Joel<br />
won <strong>the</strong> Chipotle Commercial Competition in<br />
2009 <strong>and</strong> continues to produce commercial<br />
content for agencies such as Kern & Lead.<br />
Joel also works as a film editor, editing<br />
episodes <strong>of</strong> Watching <strong>the</strong> Detectives for<br />
<strong>the</strong> A&E Network, The Artist’s Den for PBS,<br />
Total Makeover for Allure <strong>and</strong> does ongoing<br />
portrait pr<strong>of</strong>iles for American Express.<br />
Education: BFA in Film <strong>and</strong> television from<br />
<strong>the</strong> Savannah College <strong>of</strong> Art <strong>and</strong> Design.<br />
J U L I A N S C H WA R T Z Producer<br />
Julian worked in New York as a Music<br />
Producer for Television <strong>and</strong> Film for 14<br />
years. He worked on feature films, television<br />
commercials, <strong>and</strong> hundreds <strong>of</strong> episodes <strong>of</strong><br />
animated television programming for Kids<br />
WB <strong>and</strong> FOX Kids including <strong>the</strong> children’s hits<br />
“Pokemon”, “Yugioh”, <strong>and</strong> “Teenage Mutant<br />
Ninja Turtles”. His feature film credits include<br />
“Hope <strong>and</strong> a Little Sugar”, “Southie”, “The Spell<br />
<strong>of</strong> The Unknown”, <strong>and</strong> “Yugioh: The First Movie”.<br />
Julian was born <strong>and</strong> raised in Montreal,<br />
where he graduated from McGill University with<br />
a Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Science in Human Physiology.<br />
He attended Naropa University in Boulder<br />
Colorado where he received a BA in Music<br />
<strong>and</strong> Theatre, <strong>and</strong> studied Jazz Improvisation<br />
at New Engl<strong>and</strong> Conservatory with Paul Bley.<br />
Julian is also an actor, <strong>and</strong> has appeared on<br />
many regional <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong>f-<strong>of</strong>f Broadway stages as well<br />
as in numerous short films. He lives in Brooklyn.<br />
M A Z J O B R A N I Actor Producer<br />
Maz Jobrani is best known as a founding member<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Axis <strong>of</strong> Evil Comedy Tour, which featured<br />
some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> top Middle Eastern-American<br />
comics in <strong>the</strong> world. The Axis <strong>of</strong> Evil Comedy<br />
Central Special premiered in 2007 as <strong>the</strong> first<br />
show on American TV with an all Middle Eastern/American<br />
cast. In movies Maz starred in <strong>the</strong><br />
role <strong>of</strong> “Moly” in Ice Cube’s “Friday After Next.”<br />
He also played Secret Service Agent “Mo” in <strong>the</strong><br />
Sydney Pollack thriller “The Interpreter,” opposite<br />
Sean Penn <strong>and</strong> Nicole Kidman as well as<br />
Jennifer Garner’s colleague, Glenn, in “13 Going<br />
on 30.” In television he recently shot a pilot for<br />
ABC titled “Funny in Farsi” <strong>and</strong> is recurring on<br />
ABC’s “Better <strong>of</strong>f Ted.” He has been a regular on<br />
ABC’s “Knights <strong>of</strong> Prosperity” as well as FOX’s<br />
“Life on a Stick.” In 2008 Maz sold a TV show to<br />
CBS based on his life as an Iranian-American in<br />
<strong>the</strong> United States. The show was best described as<br />
a Middle Eastern “Everybody Loves Raymond.”<br />
PAT R I C K D A LY Writer Producer Co-director<br />
Patrick Daly is a director <strong>and</strong> producer<br />
who divides his time between academic <strong>and</strong><br />
creative pursuits. After working as a consultant<br />
on several documentary projects, he directed<br />
NEEDLE THROUGH BRICK in collaboration<br />
with filmmakers James Adolphus <strong>and</strong> Joel<br />
Fendelman. Patrick completed a PhD in<br />
archaeology at <strong>the</strong> University <strong>of</strong> Oxford.<br />
During this time he conducted extensive field<br />
research in Europe, South America, <strong>the</strong> Middle<br />
East <strong>and</strong> South East Asia. As part <strong>of</strong> this work<br />
he lived for extended periods <strong>of</strong> time on farms<br />
in Engl<strong>and</strong>, with Bedouin in <strong>the</strong> deserts <strong>of</strong><br />
sou<strong>the</strong>rn Jordan, <strong>and</strong> in traditional villages in<br />
Borneo. Political <strong>and</strong> social reasons brought<br />
him to take up a position as a visiting pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
at An-Najah National University in Nablus,<br />
Palestine. He spent more than a year living at<br />
<strong>the</strong> center <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Palestinian/Israeli conflict.<br />
It was during this time that he was convinced<br />
to pursue filmmaking as a vehicle for telling<br />
stories about pressing cultural <strong>and</strong> social issues.<br />
G I L TA L M I Composer<br />
At only 38 years <strong>of</strong> age, Gil Talmi is a worldrenowned<br />
Emmy nominated composer<br />
with a focus on socially conscious projects.<br />
His music can be heard in a variety <strong>of</strong> films,<br />
television programs <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>atre productions.<br />
Gil’s most recent work includes music for<br />
<strong>the</strong> award winning documentary feature<br />
“New Year Baby” (Broken English Prods/<br />
ITVS), <strong>the</strong> 3 hour epic “Galapagos” (BBC/<br />
National Geographic), “The Mummy<br />
Who Would Be King” (Nova/PBS), “TED:<br />
The Future We Will Create” (Independent) <strong>and</strong><br />
a TV series for Bravo called “TV Revolutions”.<br />
A gifted composer, Gil’s music reflects a wide<br />
spectrum <strong>of</strong> musical influences. His styles<br />
range from timeless orchestral to driving urban<br />
beats, from ethnic world music to electronic<br />
euro-pop. Gil was nominated for a “National<br />
News <strong>and</strong> Documentary Emmy Award” for his<br />
work on “CBS Evening News with Dan Ra<strong>the</strong>r”.<br />
J A S O N D U B I N Executive Producer<br />
Jason formed O.D.D. Entertainment in 2004,<br />
which went to produce it’s first feature,<br />
“The Babysitters” starring John Leguizamo<br />
<strong>and</strong> Cynthia Nixon. Along with producing<br />
Domino Effect, a documentary television<br />
show focusing on people making a difference<br />
around <strong>the</strong> world; Jason is currently an actor<br />
<strong>and</strong> filmmaker in New York City where he is<br />
developing <strong>and</strong> producing a slate <strong>of</strong> projects<br />
including “Downer’s Grove”, a novel adapted<br />
by Brett Easton Ellis (American Psycho) which<br />
is going into production in <strong>the</strong> fall <strong>of</strong> 2010<br />
starring Hayden Panittiere (Heroes), Nikke Reed<br />
(Twilight) <strong>and</strong> Josh Hartnett (Black Hawk Down).
C A S T<br />
Ahmed<br />
Daud<br />
Yoav<br />
Aishah<br />
Fatima<br />
Moshe<br />
Mendy<br />
Dovi<br />
Yoseph<br />
Rabbi Harowitz<br />
Rabbi Schmully<br />
Rami<br />
Suhad<br />
Rami’s Fa<strong>the</strong>r<br />
Yoav’s Mom<br />
Yoav’s Dad<br />
Yussef<br />
Rifqa<br />
Maz Jobrani<br />
Muatasem Mishal<br />
Binyomin Shtaynberger<br />
Dina Shihabi<br />
Gamze Ceylon<br />
Michael Golden<br />
Daniel Luttway<br />
Markus Goldberg<br />
Jared Kirsch<br />
David M<strong>and</strong>elbaum<br />
Noam Wienberg<br />
Akram Basuni<br />
Ayse Richardson<br />
Taufiq Abid<br />
Lara Gedzelman<br />
Joel Gedzelman<br />
Abdu Almasmary<br />
Aya Abid<br />
C R E W<br />
Director<br />
Co-director<br />
Writers<br />
Produced by<br />
Producers<br />
Executive Producers<br />
Co-Producer<br />
Assistant Director<br />
Director <strong>of</strong> Photography<br />
Original Music<br />
Editor<br />
Additional Editors<br />
Art Direction<br />
Location Sound<br />
Associate Producer<br />
Gaffer<br />
Joel Fendelman<br />
Patrick Daly<br />
Joel Fendelman, Patrick Daly<br />
Julian Schwartz<br />
Joel Fendelman, Patrick Daly, Maz Jobrani<br />
Jason Dubin, Andrew Cohen<br />
Yuta Silverman<br />
Kevin harttman<br />
Robbie Renfrow<br />
Gil Talmi<br />
Joel Fendelman<br />
Martin Levenstien, Chris Houghton<br />
Shruti Parekh<br />
Rick McMunn<br />
Asmi Fa<strong>the</strong>lbab<br />
Patrick Welty