Cuando un productor desarrolla una película, casi necesita un modelo para orientarse. Pero en For DESERT FLOWER was much more difficult. Had to join three movies in one. The story of the life of Waris Dirie is not only a modern Cinderella, also tells how a young African woman emigrated to Europe in addition to being the story of a brave woman.
Desert Flower is a dramatic and moving story that will open the eyes of many people and get changes, as did the book of the same title torn to millions of readers around the Globe.
literary rights
The autobiography of Waris Dirie, Desert Flower, was published in Germany in 1999 and soon reach the bestseller lists. I read about six months later, but I thought it was not worth trying to buy the rights because it had been previously published in the United States and the rights of the sellers are often sold before the book gets to the German market. Indeed, Elton John had bought the rights and intended to adapt the book with his production company Rocket Pictures.
literary rights The autobiography of Waris Dirie, Desert Flower, was published in Germany in 1999 and soon reach the bestseller lists. I read about six months later, but I thought it was not worth trying to buy the rights because it had been previously published in the United States and the rights of the sellers are often sold before the book gets to the German market. Indeed, Elton John had bought the rights and intended to adapt the book with his production company Rocket Pictures.
But Rocket Pictures and Waris Dirie had very different ideas of how the book was filmed in 2002, the rights returned to them free. I learned by chance, and after one year I spoke with Waris Dirie, who was then living in London. I will not say who hit it off immediately, much less. I realized that I was not willing to give the film rights to anyone again. It seemed understandable. We must trust the person who gives such an intimate story. We met several times during the nine months.
Funding
The opportunity to work on a film of this magnitude does not appear very often. To ensure that the development of the film would be in our hands and that we would become a minority partner in an international film capital with most U.S. Much of the funding should be German.
Funding
The opportunity to work on a film of this magnitude does not appear very often. To ensure that the development of the film would be in our hands and that we would become a minority partner in an international film capital with most U.S. Much of the funding should be German.
Something not easy, as history has little or nothing to do with Germany. Furthermore, it should be a movie directed the international market and, therefore, shot in English, which excluded in principle to the German actors.
The script had long wanted to do a film with Sherry Hormann. We met in the summer of 2004 and gave a copy of Desert Bloom. At first I was very enthusiastic: "Another story about women?" But read the book and when we met again, had changed his mind. He made it clear why he been fascinated by the story. And had no doubt that Sherry was not only the ideal writer, but also the perfect filmmaker for the film.
The script had long wanted to do a film with Sherry Hormann. We met in the summer of 2004 and gave a copy of Desert Bloom. At first I was very enthusiastic: "Another story about women?" But read the book and when we met again, had changed his mind. He made it clear why he been fascinated by the story. And had no doubt that Sherry was not only the ideal writer, but also the perfect filmmaker for the film.
During preproduction, we know very well Waris. As in the first meeting I had with her, sometimes it was not easy. Is a woman with character, vibrant and interesting, not be persuaded easily. He sacrificed a part of it for years and was able to reveal very intimate details of person to fight against female genital mutilation. I can only say that my respect for Waris Dirie grew as time passed. Adapting a book to the screen, the even if it is an autobiography, is one of the greatest challenges of our profession. After long discussions and several versions, we decided to finally focus on the time of Waris in London.
The cast
For an autobiographical adaptation work on the screen, much depends on the actor or actress who embodies the title role. Waris appears in almost every scene in the movie, so we needed an actress capable of carrying that weight.
The cast
For an autobiographical adaptation work on the screen, much depends on the actor or actress who embodies the title role. Waris appears in almost every scene in the movie, so we needed an actress capable of carrying that weight.
was impossible to find a famous actress who had the typical traits of the people of East Africa. No choice but to make a casting call for actresses less famous, even beginners, what agency was responsible for casting London Ros & John Hubbard. They saw hundreds of young people in London, Paris, Kenya, South Africa, New York and Los Angeles. After six months, we started to get very nervous because we still had no role.
One night, Sherry called me and said: "The second DVD, the fourth, is it." Interestingly, I also had noticed while reviewing Liya Kebede casting tests. The next day we received more material and discovered that she was a model Liya known in the United States and had already played small roles in The Good Shepherd Robert De Niro, and The Lord of War by Andrew Niccol. We ask you to do additional testing. The decision was made.
Having found the protagonist, started looking for the rest of the cast, from the impressive African actors, mostly non-professionals - some had never seen a camera before - to the great British actors. It was a real pleasure to see work at Sally Hawkins, Craig Parkinson, Meera Syal, Timothy Spall and Juliet Stevenson, as well as U.S. Anthony Mackie. They all wanted to be part of the film.
Shooting
Shooting
Djibouti is a tiny State between Somalia and Ethiopia which had belonged to Somalia, and therefore was an ideal place for us. The capital, Djibouti, is as close to Mogadishu before the civil war. Filming began in Djibouti on March 29, 2008. It was impossible to shoot later, starting in May, with temperatures reaching 45 degrees, even 50 degrees in the shade.
After a short rest, began filming in London on May 20 in Germany in early June and in New York in late July. The exteriors were shot in natural settings in London and New York. The interiors were shot in studios in Germany and decorated in Cologne, Berlin and Munich.
Before beginning, nobody believed that the complex could be shooting schedule to the letter, but it was. Ended on 21 July in New York, after 52 days of shooting, exactly according to plan we designed in November last year. We owe this great achievement in the production department and especially Gerhard Hegele, director of production.
address
See Sherry Hormann working with the actors was really impressive. For example, during the rehearsal of the scene where Lucinda comes on board, I soon realized that each actor had an idea different from how it should develop. Sherry placed on each actor, told them how they should move, who would say what and when. Clearly, something fundamental for a director, but after a while, something happened. The actors began to open, to blossom, they felt good. A feeling of confidence and security filled the air and the good got better. Liya Kebede
in an interview conducted during the shooting, said he just hoped the audience left the room feeling about as sad and happy at once, and wanting things to change.
address
See Sherry Hormann working with the actors was really impressive. For example, during the rehearsal of the scene where Lucinda comes on board, I soon realized that each actor had an idea different from how it should develop. Sherry placed on each actor, told them how they should move, who would say what and when. Clearly, something fundamental for a director, but after a while, something happened. The actors began to open, to blossom, they felt good. A feeling of confidence and security filled the air and the good got better. Liya Kebede
in an interview conducted during the shooting, said he just hoped the audience left the room feeling about as sad and happy at once, and wanting things to change.
His words express the desire of all who have worked in this film.
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