Program Guide - Cleveland International Film Festival

140 FILMS A – Z [W] The 37th Cleveland International Film Festival
GREG GUND MEMORIAL
STANDING UP FILM COMPETITION
ISLAMIC AND ARAB SOCIETIES
MUSIC! MOVIES!, WOMEN OF THE WORLD
GREG GUND MEMORIAL
STANDING UP FILM COMPETITION
We Came Home
Directed by Ariana Delawari
USA, AFGHANISTAN 2012
83 minutes
Wednesday, April 10 Thursday, April 11
6:20 PM I Code HOME10 12:10 PM I Code HOME11
The Delawaris have always had a love affair with Afghanistan.
It runs in the blood. Noor was born in Kabul and met his wife
Satari there. They fell in love and Noor moved to America with
her in the late 60s. In 1979, the year the Soviets invaded
Afghanistan, they had Ariana, the director of WE CAME HOME.
She grew up surrounded by a love for her roots. Noor worked
as an international banker in the States but fought as an
activist for his homeland, lobbying Congress and warning of
the dangers of the Taliban and Osama Bin Laden. After 9/11
he moved back to Kabul in an effort to help rebuild the crippled
Afghan financial system. His safety became a constant
concern for his family in America. WE CAME HOME documents
Ariana’s visits to the country during this period and her idea
to record an album there. As she spends time in Afghanistan
exploring its culture, she begins to understand her father’s
unwavering commitment to save it. (In English and Dari with
subtitles) —E.F.
Producers~Yasmine Delawari Johnson, Ariana Delawari, Emily Lynch
Cinematography~Ariana Delawari, Emily Lynch Editing~Farah X, Max Goldblatt
Print Source~Delawari Productions / ems1111@aol.com / www.wecamehome.com
About the Director~Ariana Delawari is a musician, actor, and filmmaker from Los
Angeles, California. She’s a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Her
critically acclaimed debut album, Lion of Panjshir, was released on David Lynch’s
record label in 2009. Filmography~WE CAME HOME (2012)
Community Partner:
We Went to War
A Film by Michael Grigsby & Rebekah Tolley
UNITED KINGDOM, IRELAND, USA 2012
78 minutes
Monday, April 8 Tuesday, April 9
7:20 PM I Code WEWE08 11:55 AM I Code WEWE09
In 1970 British director Michael Grigsby made a stunning
documentary called “I Was A Soldier.” The award-winning film
followed three young soldiers from Mernard, Texas after they
returned home from Vietnam. In the film, the men struggled
to transition back to normal life, haunted by their experiences
in the war. Now, over 30 years later, Grigsby picks up where he
left off with WE WENT TO WAR, a sobering sequel that continues
the cinematic excellence of the original and examines the
ever lingering effects of war. While “I Was A Soldier” captured
the immediacy of their emotions, its follow-up goes even deeper,
revealing the severe impact that PTSD had on their families.
Grigsby brilliantly compares and contrasts the films with split
screen shots, showing not only the progress of the veterans,
but also their stagnation. The film’s eloquence comes from its
ability to say just as much with its cinematography as it does
with words. WE WENT TO WAR is a poignant and intimate look
at the brutal mental consequences of war. —E.F.
Director~Michael Grigsby Producer~Rebekah Tolley Cinematography~
Jonas Mortensen Editing~Emer Reynolds
Print Source~Tarian Films / tarianfilms@gmail.com /
www.wewenttowarthemovie.com
About the Director~Michael Grigsby is from Britain. Born in 1936, his impressive
career spans over six decades. He got his start in the late 50s, working for the
English channel, Granada Television. He leads the Abingdon Film Unit, an organization
based at his alma mater, Abington School, which teaches the art of filmmaking.
Filmography~“Deckie Learner” (1965), “I Was A Soldier” (1970), “A
Life Apart” (1973), “Too Long A Sacrifice” (1984), “Living On The Edge” (1987),
“The Silent War” (1990), “The Search” (1991), “Thoi Noi” (1993), “Lockerbie, A
Night Remembered” (1998), “Rehearsals” (2005), WE WENT TO WAR (2012)
Sponsored by:
Thomas J. Coltman Foundation
Community Partner: