The Imperialists Are Still Alive!

Excellent film. I saw it twice on the festival circuit and it made me laugh. It's beautifully made and touches upon things that nobody else bothers to deal with. Elodie Bouchez is phenomenal in it. A totally new perspective that's well done.

Although its milieu is privileged it's remarkably self-aware and hilarious in its exploration of class divisions and the various ethnicities in NYC. It's more than just the usual indie story of trying to find their way, much more assured, witty and political. An interesting feminist perspective, great shot structure and a sweet love story to boot.

Go see this film!

Writer-director Zeina Durra creates quite a character in Asya, (played fantastically by Élodie Bouchez). Asya is a Middle Eastern conceptual artist living in post 9/11 New York. When her ex, and first love, goes missing, she thinks the CIA may have put him on a rendition plane. Perhaps Asya is under surveillance. Don't worry, this is not a political thriller, even though serious subjects play in the background. The mood has a delightful lightness, and is very funny. We get to visit underground nightclubs, experimental theaters, and avant-garde art galleries as Asya and her boyfriend try to unravel the mystery. Whit Stillman of Metropolitan fame makes the most of a wordless cameo.

I saw this film at the opening night of the Williamsburg Film Festival on Kent Ave at South 2nd street. It is a great portrayal of a life in NYC. I have lived in NYC for 17 yrs and could relate to the characters and scenes, even though I am 1/2 Swedish and 1/2 Jewish. The movie is unbelievably funny... I laughed and laughed. It is not a serious film, but it is not meant to be serious... it is a window into the world of this artist that touches on political issues... as I think for many of us living in the States experience global issues... horrors go on across the world and we still go to parties and benefits. The dichotomy between silly and serious, paranoid and real, superficial and important are acutely captured in a way that is representative of young culture today... At the same time, it is a charming love story. The directing is fantastic - I was really amazed at the complexity of the shots... the Chinatown scenes, the cars, the parties... so many people and elements in so many of the scenes for such a young director. Enjoyable on so many levels - to be seen!!

Durra's first film is exceptional, in every way. The understated acting and narrative development is skillfully used to explore trans-local issues. She is also taking on something we see most famously in Inarritu's films: the intricate connections between people who seem to be separated by place, culture, space and time, but who are brought into relation of simultaneity nonetheless. But whereas Inarritu (whom I love) is somewhat bombastic about making these connections salient, and sudden, Durra is subtle and understated. The problems of such connections are also brought out: Javier sometimes makes far-fetched claims about his father's political past in order to try and relate to the experience Asya is having of worrying about her brother who is in Beirut during Israeli bombing.

The film also explores class and the politics of distinction in very interesting ways. Putting a Palestinian artist and a Mexican PhD law student--both of clearly upper middle class backgrounds--"on the road" throughout New York is incredibly fruitful. Asya's Mexican cleaning lady is one point where these class issues are worked out. Asya's ambivalence towards the milieu of artists is another.

Thoroughly enjoyable on so many levels, complex, subtle, critical and genuinely funny.

Enough films have been made where the Middle-Eastern characters are portrayed either as sinister maniacs or down right primitives hell bent on disrupting the ways of the West. Forget the fact that they were very insulting- you'd hope most people watching them have enough intelligence to realise this. Worse was how lazy these films were. And indeed are! Which is just one of the reasons why Zeina Durra's film shines so brightly. I saw this film over a year ago at Sundance. Not only was it the strongest thing I saw at the festival, it was one of the most original films to come out of independent cinema in the US for a while. It focuses primarily on characters from the Middle-East but not like the ones we've previously had the misfortune of seeing on our cinema screens. These characters live, party, dream, worry and embarrass themselves just like the rest of us. Durra shows us their interactions with great poise and knowledge. The result being a very funny and intelligent film. The casting in a film such as this is crucial and the director has got it pretty much spot on. An important note- this is Durra's debut feature film and in my humble opinion signals the start of a promising and original career.