Simone does the PR at 1001 Production House

After a week of being pretty sick I am, slowly, coming back to work at 1001 Production House. Nafiss had this incredible week in France so our office was pretty empty this week. Seeing her post from this morning made me realize we are very close to fulfilling her dream. We're in the last stages of the post-production and within two weeks this project will be a done deal. Together, Nafiss and I, talked about what to do with this film and especially what to do if this project isn't the success we've hoped for. But she said that even if this movie isn't big success it is an extraordinary experience and she learned a lot. If it isn't a box office hit we will still be able to look back with a smile. Nafiss gave so much of herself to Dance Iranian Style. It's her baby and seeing it 'grow up' gives all of us some parental pride. 

What was Nafiss' dream, became my dream as well. So after this week of absence I'm back with a mission. I want to make this project YOUR dream. I will do this with a newsletter which all of you can receive if you want. Dot you want to know all the ins and outs about the project and the last stages we're in? Do you want to be the first to know all the juicy details of this projects future, just post your email as a reaction to this blog and we'll add you to the list of recipients. Because as Nafiss said in her post: the edit is locked and the final result is within view. You really don't want to miss it!

Simone does the PR at 1001 Production House

So last Wednesday I saw the latest version of Dance Iranian Style. I don’t know how many of you know the feeling of seeing something you worked extremely hard for come to life, but I was pretty blown away. Seeing a concept come to life is always very satisfactory especially when everybody is working so hard and hoping for success. I decided to look at the film as if it is not my own and be the neutral spectator. So if I was reading about this in the paper, and buying a ticket at the register and taking my seat in the cinema; what would I think of this film? Without all the fuzz of working for 1001 Production House and knowing everybody who gave there all for this project, would it still be as pretty and daring as I thought it would be?

I would say, as the obvious neutral spectator, yes. Some scenes are pretty, some scenes are prettier and some scenes are more daring than pretty. There is an edge to this project. Of course the work of DOP (director of photography) Stefano and the second cameraman Zeb is beautiful and the images are breathtaking at times, there is this imaginary border being crossed in this film that keeps the spectator quiet busy. I cannot say what it is, it would ruin your personal experience, but I can say that even for an experienced researcher in the field of Film Studies like me, this is a special project. The border between genres are questioned in a way the spectator is almost questioning himself instead of the film.

So do you want to be questioned? Do you want to be challenged in the way you think you look at cinema and the comforting manner in which we accept genres? Please, take the time to look at this film when you have the chance. Because it is not only a wonderful homage to Amsterdam, it’s a devastating story about a refugee and it’s a daring and experimental film that stretches the documentary genre to something you haven’t seen before.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page (1001 Production House) the next couple of weeks. We will be posting lots of new pictures and information about Dance Iranian Style!

Simone does the PR at 1001 Production House

Working on this film is like working from deadline to deadline. First there was the creating of the press kit (you know all about that one). Then there was the sending this kit to the distributors (told you about this as well). Together with the kit I had to tell them something about the film. And the same with the beginning of each blog I write for DIS I was searching for an opening. ‘Hi there’ is a little too informal, but ‘L.S.’ is way too formal. So after a lot of thought I ended up with: ‘Dear Sir/Madame’ in the cases where I couldn’t find a person to write to. Trying to make them enthusiastic for the project is not that difficult but searching for the right words can be. You know the feeling that you know what you want to say but just can’t find the words to say it? Or can’t find the right tone of voice? I didn’t want to sound too desperate, not too friendly, but not too distant either. So writing 500 words in 4 hours is totally normal in that state of mind.

After rewriting the letter five different times I couldn’t see straight anymore and called it a day. The next morning I was pretty impressed with what I wrote and without thinking emailed it to like 15 different distributors. The big waiting game began. Within 10 minutes I got three replies. A little scared to open them I clicked on one without opening my eyes. First a little formal ‘Dear Simone, thanks for your email’. But my eyes scrolled trough the text and found the words: ‘we want to see more’. This happened in all three replies. So good news; they didn’t hate it right away. The actually want to see the rough cut. They want to see what I was so passionately talking about.

With the distributors enthusiastic and the press kit being done and all, the next deadline is coming up. We have to start a PR and media campaign. But after that one there will be hundreds of other deadlines before we achieved all of our Dance Iranian Style aspirations. World domination!