As is now tradition, I am participating in the Screenwriting Research Network in September. This time in Adelaide at the University of South Australia. Although I am gradually moving away from screenwriting as a research topic, I enjoy attending this event. Every year, I enjoy the exchange of experiences between academics and screenwriters and the reflections of screenwriting teachers on the education of new writers.
For me, the beginning of the conference is marked mainly by a twenty-hour flight. Not that it’s wasted time, but I’m just exhausted. On the plane, I managed to watch the film El Ankaboot (2022, Ahmad Nader Galal). I was thinking about watching something else, but in the end I couldn’t resist and went for the selection of Arabic films. Two things in particular caught my attention in the film:
1. Everywhere, the premise of the film is advertised as follows:
An action thriller that revolves around a dangerous drug dealer, who is able to manufacture new drugs and sells them but falls into many problems and is chased by the police.
Either I didn’t understand the film, or this is the synopsis for a different film.
2. Almost every time female characters appeared in a scene, it felt like the genre was changing (conversational comedy, romantic film, relationship drama…).
In addition, there were several narratively interesting moments when the perspectives of several characters intertwined. Also, I felt that I sometimes got lost in the dialogues because I missed some cultural specifics.
Anyway, I really enjoyed it.
Today’s conference program had only one item on the agenda: a discussion with local film director and screenwriter Sophie Hyde, whose film Jimpa premiered at Sundance this year. Most of the debate focused on her writing process, which is understandable given the event. But I was intrigued when she talked about how difficult it is for Australians to break into the American market. I would never have thought so, considering all the Australian actors and musicians. But then Rosanne Welch, an American and chair of the Screenwriting Research Network, confirmed this to me in the foyer.
Anyway, I’m going to bed because I have my paper tomorrow.
SNAPlab 