David and Layla Production Notes

1.      Script shall be acted, paced, shot and edited much faster than drama, e.g.: Howard Hawk’s 1940 “His Girl Friday.” So a 115-page comedy could end up under100 pages, i.e. about 100 minutes. Note that English translations of foreign dialogs plus descriptions of ethnic locations and things make this script seem longer than it is.

2.     Script is written for economy budget. Principal location is Brooklyn; with a few exterior scenes in Manhattan. Simple scenes are intentionally set in parks or gardens. Such scenes could be anywhere cheap and convenient. The few seconds in a Hong Kong street leading into restaurant can of course be shot in New York’s Chinatown and then cut to interior of any large Chinese restaurant.   The tanker on the ocean can be suggested by sound and light!

3.     Script is mostly comedy. So it happens in convenient, easier-to-shoot spring and summer light.  

4.     Met. Museum Islamic Art scene. A senior curator and the Marketing PR head of  the Met. are Writer's friends who appreciate David & Layla. They can help us secure permission. But if  the Met Museum is too expensive, then perhaps Brooklyn Museum?

5.     For Kurdish ethnic props and costume, Writer has connections with eager Kurdish refugee communities in Washington, D.C., San Diego and San Francisco.  

6.     Kurdish costumes and musicians for the wedding & Omar Khaayam club can be had for modest money.  (Writer has already purchased Layla's wedding costume and other Kurdish women and men's  costumes.)

7.     Ideal casting would be reasonably well-known names for David  and his parents, Judith and Mel. 

8.     For Moslem side we can cast American actors of Middle Eastern origin. (One Iranian star has read script three times and says she is ready to quit Teheran to play Layla. But now, there are visa problems!) If budget allows, the sensual Italian Monica Bellucci as in the film Malena would be ideal for Layla. Italian, or Spanish or Greek American actors could also play Kurdish characters. Most of the time Layla and her family speak English with a slight soft accent. The few dialogs in Kurdish could be taught. 

9.     Uncle Al could be played by someone like Brian George, the barman in ‘Keeping the Faith’, the Jewish-Catholic romantic comedy film. Or, by a Michael Constantine type, who played the Greek dad in ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding.’

10.   Producers looking for sponsors will find the following –or substitutes- naturally used in script:  Marlboro, Sony, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Sierra Nevada, Morgon Wine, Coca Cola, Calvin Klein, Versace, Nokia, Cristal Champagne, Microsoft, Gauloise, Singapore Airline, Sailing boat, New Yorker magazine…

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