01/04/05

Happy New Year! Post Production is going well. Along with continuous fine editing, we are working with  Richard Horowitz on a musical score. Richard's score along with some 24  additional source music is bringing the film to life. We are at the beginning stages of sound design and color correction. ADR begins the 18th December and will continue to the end of the month.

06/120/05

NYU David & Layla free private preview of 109-min film Thurs 5.45 pm June 23rd, 721 Broadway, Theater 006 (lower level) at Waverly Place, New York University.  RSVP to:  pd@newrozfilms.com.

The recent UCLA reception was so “hot” that its Center for Near Eastern Studies is inviting the film again for another “cultural” screening in the fall in a bigger cinema. One French executive representing Kiera Chaplin – granddaughter of the famous Chaplin- wrote, “Tres bon film, interessant et captivant.”- “A Very Good Film, Funny, Interesting & Captivating.” A mother who came with her Doctor husband and three kids wrote: “Congratulations and Very well done on the movie, it was excellent. An informative piece. A mixture of history, geography, politics, culture, romance... etc (every thing.). David  & Layla got featured at Middle East Peace…Martin Scoresese's French pal and writer/director of Scoresese's “Personal Journey” joined the Q & A panel afterwards…..more at bottom.  Meanwhile, you and friends are welcome to attend the following special first NY preview. If you cannot, there will be other screenings. Kindly forward this invitation to your interested contacts.  Regards, J. 

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You and your guests are invited to attend the first free private preview of David & Layla in NY arranged by Jeremiah Newton, NYU Film and TV industry liaison, for members of the Hampton International Film Festival selection committee.  

Kindly arrive at 5.45 pm. Regret, NO late arrivals can enter once the film starts at 6 pm sharp in order not to disturb the Hampton FF members for whose consideration this private preview has been especially arranged. The theatre has 88 seats so please RSVP only if you and your guests commit to attend definitely. Please, no excuses: If you can’t attend, you shall be invited to future screenings. Please RSVP by email stating clearly how many in totals will definitely be attending? If you don’t hear from us, assume you shall have seats. First come, first seats.  Best, Alex.   RSVP to:  pd@newrozfilms.com

Plot Summary of David & Layla (109-mins.) 

“Star-crossed lovers: a modern Romeo & Juliet in New York with a twist - comedy and spice!...via Iraq, Kurdistan, and Jerusalem."

Inspired by a true story:  It is love at first sight when David, a hip Jewish New Yorker TV producer of "Sex and Happiness," first sees the mysterious, sensual Layla. She's a Kurdish Muslim refugee with a tragic past and an ancient culture. Advised by his cool French Cameraman, David's amour fou attempts to woo Layla eventually succeed. But her family is dead against, as is his. Layla faces deportation. She must make a crucial life decision: Jewish David or Muslim Dr. Ahmad? Will David and Layla follow their hearts? Burdened by their families' religious prejudices, who will convert? Will their love and passion for life (and spice!) oblige their families to rise above their heritage of hate and war?  

New York University
Theater 006,   721 Broadway, Lower Level (at Waverly Place)

NYC, NY 10003           RSVP to:  pd@newrozfilms.com

Some 300+ turned up at UCLA “cultural” preview to a diverse American, Jewish, Iranian, Middle East…and “normal” Americans & other melting pot ethnics. Hot reception for the film! (Huge 450-seat cinema almost full even though due to nearby bomb scare the whole area was cordoned for several hrs, so we lost probably about a 100 more.) Laughter galore plus applause as film was playing – for example when David breaks the glass during the wedding- Mazletov!) Real David’s mother Arleen Ruby - a sharp Beverly Hills real estate agent – and her Israeli husband were present. Arlene took the mike at the end to thank the filmmakers for a “most intelligent, entertaining and timely film.”  Several welcomed the multi-layered story of alluding to history & politics, and depicting culture & humanity beneath the comedy. Others complimented the success of mixing tears with laughter. (Mixing-genres of comedy, romance and tragedy in one film is not always successful. Sullivan’s Travels, Life is Beautiful…) French film intellectual, Michael Henry Wilson - Martin Scoresese's pal and writer/director of Scoresese's 3-hr Personal Journey seminal film, and screenwriter of Alan Rudolph’s Investigating Sex - joined Q & A panel to point out the specially planned concepts of camera, production and costume design, hair/makeup and particularly music to tell this love story of the clash and reconciliation of cultures….It was felt this film’s potential in the right marketing hand is somewhere between Bend It Like Beckham, Life is Beautiful and My Big Fat G.W…

Cast and crew include American Jews, Muslims (including the real David & Alwand “Layla” who inspired this film!), Armenians, French, Lebanese, Persians, Kurds, Turks, Egyptians, Syrian, Arabs, Indian and other Middle Easterners as well "normal" Americans- if such exist!  Filmed on location in NY and Brooklyn, including shooting inside actual Temple and Mosques.

Music score is composed by Richard Horowitz (with his Iranian Kurdish collaborator Sussan Deyhim on vocals.). Horowitz composed for Bertolucci's The Sheltering Sky and Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday. Plus 24 source music mélange of Jewish Klezmer and Iranian & Kurdish music- Kayhan Kalhor (plays with YO-YO MA), Ali Akbar Moradi, The Kamkars.....