Learning To Listen To Instinct: Meryam Joobeur On Her Short "Brotherhood"
Montreal-based filmmaker Meryam Joobeur’s live action short film Brotherhood (produced by Midi La Nuit & Cinetéléfilms) received an Oscar nomination for Best Live Action Short Film. The film tells a poignant story of a rural Tunisian father caught in between loyalty to his family and his rigid moral principles.
Mohamed is deeply shaken and suspicious when his estranged eldest son Malek returns home from Syria to rural Tunisia with a mysterious young wife in tow. The emotional complexities of a family reunion and past wounds lead to tragic consequences.
Aside from the nomination for the Oscars, Brotherhood has had an extraordinary festival life, receiving 63 prizes in 48 countries. We had the opportunity to chat with Meryam about the film, its origins, future projects, and much more!
The film’s had a terrific festival life, including Oscar consideration. How does all that feel?
The journey that Brotherhood has had is completely unexpected but exceptionally moving. As like any filmmaker it’s extremely meaningful to know that Brotherhood has resonated with people from all walks of life and beyond borders.
Where did the idea for Brotherhood originate?
Brotherhood started with a chance meeting in February 2016 with two red-haired Tunisian brothers, Malek and Chaker, in rural Northern Tunisia. It was my first time in the north of Tunisia and I planned a weeklong road trip to discover more of my country. On the third day of the trip I spotted two brothers leading a flock of sheep across a lush green hillside. The contrast of their unique faces filled with freckles against the green landscape immediately struck me and I stopped the car to see if I could take their photograph. Malek, however, was protective of his younger brother and refused. I continued on my trip but was deeply marked by their faces and the mystery of their lives.
During this trip I also learned that a neighbouring town Sejnan had experienced a surge of radicalization post the Tunisian revolution in 2011 that ousted the dictator Ben Ali. A higher than average percentage of men from the Sejnan region had gone to Syria. This knowledge and the encounter with the brothers became the basis for the narrative of Brotherhood; a story where the eldest son of a rural family returns home from Syria and the consequences his return has on the family. I knew I wanted to address this social issue through the intimate lens of one family and I also knew that I wanted Malek and Chaker to act in the film. So… A year later I went searching for them without knowing their names.
I searched from village to village asking random strangers about the two redheaded brothers but was met with puzzled expressions or no leads. Then miraculously, with hope almost fading, I managed to come across the exact location where we met and found a shepherd who pointed out their house. Excitement and nerves built as I landed on their doorstep with the script for Brotherhood. In my script, I had written a role for a third, much younger brother that I thought I would have to cast, but to my surprise, the first person to emerge from the house was their youngest brother, the eight-year-old Rayene, with the same red hair and freckles.
What about Brotherhood’s story resonated most with you personally?
The most meaningful takeaway in the process of making Brotherhood was learning to listen to my instinct. Looking back, it sometimes seems crazy that a two-minute encounter with two redheaded teenagers in the middle of nowhere is what led to this entire journey, but at the time, I chose to listen to my instinct and every step of the way things fell into place in a really special way.
Aspect ratio plays a big part in the film’s aesthetic. Tell us a bit about your decision to restrict the framing and how that impacted you and cinematographer Vincent Gonneville’s approach to the story.
Cinematographer Vincent Gonneville and I worked hard to create a cinematic approach that was distinctive but that served the narrative. Because our cast had such unique faces we decided on a 4:3 aspect ratio to underline their faces and the subtle gestures and glances that wordlessly move the narrative forward. We also felt that the choice of 4:3 could add a claustrophobic feel and underline the tension with the family dynamics.
There are beautiful landscapes that appear throughout the film. Tell us about your shooting location and how you approached the landscape as a character.
I fell in love with the diversity of landscapes in the village of Louka where we shot. The weather changed drastically the week we were shooting with an onslaught of rain and howling winds. This change ended up being to our advantage narratively, adding to the tension in the film.
The howling wind in the soundtrack was recorded on location and become the film’s main “score”.
How did you look for and assemble your cast?
The casting process started with the real life brothers and non-professional actors Malek, Chaker and Rayene Mechergui.
The challenge was to find two professional Tunisian actors that could believably play their parents since red hair and freckles isn’t widely common in Tunisia. For the role of the father I looked at photographers of different Tunisian actors and was immediately drawn to actor Mohamed Grayaa. There was something in his eyes — a depth and weight — that captivated me instantly, and I offered him the role based on his photograph. For the mother, the Tunisian producer of the film, Sarra Ben Hassen, introduced me to actress Salha Nasraoui. I met Salha for a coffee, and the moment she introduced herself, I knew she was perfect for the role because of her natural strength and warmth. Luckily, both Mohamed and Salha were physically convincing as the parents of Malek, Chaqer, and Rayene.
The only official “auditions” were held for the role of Reem, the mysterious Syrian wife of Malek. I auditioned about fifteen girls, and Jasmine Yazid stood out for the natural melancholia in her eyes.
What do you hope the audience takes away from the film?
My hope is that Brotherhood can humanize the Arab/ Muslim world to international audiences but also inspire audience members to have the difficult conversations within their own families that my characters failed to have.
Do you have a favorite scene (or one that turned out better than you expected)?
Shooting the final scene in the film where Mohamed is at the beach calling for Malek was a really powerful moment. Everyone on set was really touched by his performance.
Poking around the internet, I found a fair amount of people hoping to see a feature-length version of this story. Any plans of developing this into a feature?
I’m currently developing an idea for a feature version…fingers crossed!
Do you have any other projects in the works?
Two other feature projects are in the works!
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feeling in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!