KurdishCinema

David & Layla in Italy this friday

KurdishCinema / May 3 - 2007 / Melbourne

David & Layla will be featured in Panorama section as another interpretation
of Romeo & Juliet at Verona Amore Film Festival. The screening of the film
takes place at 20.15 on closing weekend Friday May 4th in the 400-seat
grand cinema. (Verona is of course the original setting of Shakespeare’s
famous Romeo & Juliet)

The film will be introduced by Paris-based Italian actress
Serena Rienaldi who will read out Director’s message below
in Italian. Below is the Jalal Jonroy's message to the festival:

    Vive Verona! Vive Amore!

    From New York, Good Evening!

    I am deeply sad I could not be with you due to preparations in
    New York for this film release in America.

    I am grateful for my gracious actress colleague, Serena Rienadli,
    who has kindly agreed to read this message to you.

Thank you Verona Film Festival and the lovely people of Verona for inviting our film, David &
Layla.

Especially, I thank the directors Giancarlo Beltrame , Paolo Romano, Maria Pia and all the
festival team that have worked so hard to bring this festival and our film to you.

I was a kid in the mountains of Kurdistan when I first read Romeo & Juliet in English. Years
later, as a teenager I moved to cold, foggy London to study. Only then did I realize that Verona
was not in England and that of course the romantic and passionate Romeo and Juliet could
not possibly be British but hot-blooded Italians!

In temper, humor, taste and passion for’ la dolce vita’ and amore - and even in our mutual
awareness of the mysterious and tragic destiny! - no other nation is as close to Kurds as
Italians are.

Oh how I wish I could be among you!

I grew up loving Italian films, especially the sad and humorous films of Vittorio de Sica and
Federico Fellini.  De Sica’s "L’ Oro di Napoli" ‘(Gold of Naplesi) and Fellini's directorial debut
"Lo Sceicco Bianco" (White Sheikh) are my top favorite films.

    Some have described the film you are about to
    see as a Romeo & Juliet, with a happy ending!
    We see too many horrific war images daily on our
    TV. We need a happy ending:  peace, love,
    Amore… and laughter!

    David & Layla is inspired by a true love story. In the
    90’s I lived in Paris.  By luck, I met the fascinating
    Layla of this story during lunch at a brasserie.
    Every time they ask us to take our shoes off at the
    airport, it is to do with the tragic background of this
    Layla and David story.

From our birth, The Women of the World give us love and teach us how to love and live!
As you Italians only know too well:  Even one night of Romance/Amore- of flowers, music, wine
and dance between lovers... makes a whole life worth living!

From my heart, this modest film is “For the LAYLA’s of the World.”

Thank you the loving people of Verona.

Thank you Serena Rienadli.

Vive Verona !   Vive Amore!

Jalal Jonroy,  writer/director,  New York, May, 2007


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