FEET

Director’s statement

In addition to being an academically trained painter, I have worked in the film industry as a production and costume designer on dozens of films. Marriage as a concept, along with its changing meaning and place in history has always fascinated me. I am interested in the questions around its perceived purpose, value, ideology and practice: why do people still want to get married in the present-day society when divorce rates are high and when we no longer need to marry for status or self-preservation, or even for traditional reasons? Such questions are plentiful and clear answers are not easily found. Through the process of making this film, I wish to explore what makes a marriage last, especially when both partners are busy pursuing their careers and raising children. This is a story about two passionate people living in a turbulent region that is going through historical and systemic changes. They come from poverty and rise into eminence and wealth, while maintaining their humility and family values. The complex circumstances of the time and place they live in eventually affect not just their careers, but also their marriage. However, this story is not only about marriage, it is also about the passion for life and life seen and lived as a game. I would like to explore what it takes to achieve greatness in arts such as ballet and football. What kind of commitment and sacrifice is required? Furthermore, I am interested in conveying the idea of life as a staged process, juxtaposed to that of stage as life itself. Whenever these two characters perform on their respective stages, they excel and shine, at the same time finding themselves lost when faced with the cruelty of the real world. It is interesting to observe how they both still manage to endure what cannot be controlled or improved and perfected through hard work and training.

Making a biopic can be a very challenging task, however making one about the marriage of two great movement artists in such very different fields is, above all, educational. For me, it is particularly poignant that they have both given so much to their country, yet the country has never acknowledged that. The most important part of this film and its main visual focus is movement. Movement in classical ballet is interspersed with the scenes of movement in football. The camera will circle around the actors, it will move above and below them. The camera’s stillness will suggest big changes in their lives, such as a new job, new country or a new political regime. As the camera moves, the performers will dance and play through life. This will sometimes be done in a choreographed fashion, while at times it will be performed without the structure or obvious intent. Sometimes the performers will know what they are supposed to be doing and will be moving according to a plan, while other times they will act with spontaneity, as their characters are carried by the river of life. This is how I envision the choreography of movement to function. On the other hand, changes in the mood and colour scheme will follow and trace the passing of time. The couple’s childhoods will be represented by a new ballet put on at the National Theatre, depicting a backstage drama through the eyes of them as children. Their middle and most fruitful years will be brightly coloured, bringing to mind photos and films of the 60s and 70s. As we approach their old age, the colours will become more monochromatic, with shades of deserts representing their Qatar experience and colours of smog representing that of Bosnia.