Les Mille et Une Nuits de Shahrzâd

A film of Viviane Candas

Les Films de l’Atlandide

and

present

Contact: Sébastien Onomo - +336 094 610 28 - sebastien.onomo@les filmsdici.fr

photographic editing by Bedri B

aykam

vivianecandas@noos.fr

// OverviewSTATEMENT OF INTENT P. 3 _CASTING P. 13 _WRITING TEAM P. 18 _DIRECTOR INFORMATIONS P. 20_ CV PRODUCER P. 23_

>

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 3

Originally, what story does the Thousand and one Nights tell?

The tragedy of an oriental tyrant deceived by his wife with his slave.

In revenge, he marries a virgin every night and puts her to death in the

morning. The daughter of his vizier, Shahrzad, manages to distract him from

this deadly drive by the storytelling.

Sonia Khurana

// Statement of intent

>

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 5

The second reason, class war, lies in the stories of Shahrzad. When Providence comes to the rescue

of the poor, the story becomes the preferred tool that restores justice and mocks the powerful and

wicked.

Above all, education in the story is a constant value, even more popular among women than beauty

itself. With luck, a slave can become a king (Zummurrud tale), but only acquired education allows him

to properly exercise his power.

// More than the victory of a class or a

sex on the other, Shahrzad says that only

knowledge can fascinate ignorance. With

her sweet feminism, she won her struggle

peacefully against tyranny and violence.

And her words ended the massacre.

A young girl will, then, offer to the screen

the unique advertising to repeat till triumph

this slogan attempted in the fear: books

saved me, reading is life. Shahrzad goes

even further. Erecting desire against the

law, she reaches the greatest freedom of

the imagination, she invents, she writes.

If the key reason of The Thousand and One Nights

is the gender war, the weapon used by Shahrzad is

the word. More than the victory of a woman over a

man, she embodies the triumph of knowledge over

tyranny.

VALUES AND ISSUES

Bernard Lesaing- D

janet

Men Pierrot Chan Hong - Mahely canal of Pangalana (Madagascar)

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 6

«The major texts were written for us,» said Jean-Claude Carrière,which means that we, playwrights, directors and actors, have to return them to the mass of people who never open a book.

The work Tales of the Thousand and One Nights is still prohibited in some countries south of the Mediterranean. This project would value knowledge through which humanity has consistently resisted degradation which have held various tyrannies.

Formed of stories of caravaneers and harem, both aristocratic and popular, this masterpiece remains anonymous. Its flexibly adjustable structure made of it a nebula of resistance, cunning and happy, facing abusive powers of the societies where it was born.It seems natural that contemporary cinema, through its lighter means, is its ideal medium.

Stadium of Vitrolles - Rudy RIcciottti

Le Tapis volant (flying carpet)- Louvre - Rudy Ricciotti

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 7

Among the two hundred tales the book contains, we

have chosen to emphasize the recurring figure of the

slave. The black slave In particular, coming from of

Arab Muslim slave trade in West Africa, gifted with a

power opposite to his social status, an erotic and evil

power. This archaic fantasy was highly upset since the

accession of a mixed-race person to the head of the

biggest world power.

SELECTED TOPICS

Our scenario is built around this initial figure of

the book, the husband the wife and the lover, as

simple as a vaudeville but which asks an othe-

rwise subversive question:

Why did the wife of the Caliph desire her slave,

of another race, of non human condition, and on

whom her husband has entire power? Why did

she dare «this crime against the religious, moral,

political and social order», that legitimated in the

eyes of the sultan the killing of a woman every

day?

Bernard Lesaing- D

janet

Bernard Lesaing - D

janet

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 8

Declining this form of adultery through her tales, telling the sultan Sha-

hriar that princes, merchants or fishermen are like him deceived by their

wives with their own slaves, Shahrazade relativises this crime as she

discovers what motivated him, fear of the Other.

Repelling an imminent death, the word of Shahrazade finds its echo in all peoples threatened with destruction. She invites

knowledge and magic to the rescue of humanity to whom she offers her mirrored stories.

If the artwork comes from ancient ages, the State of the world and its political news at the beginning of this third millennium

make it as relevant as necessary.

Photographer: Kays Djalil - G

hardaïa (Algeria)

Photographer: Kays Djalil - Ghardaïa (Algeria) Photographer: Kays Djalil - Ksar de Ghardaïa (Algeria)

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 9

TREATMENT

The Thousand and One Nights concern all ages.affect everyone, and bring together several centuries.

To fit the film they should be stylised. It is the imperative suggested by Jean Claude Carrière, Drawing on his extensive dramaturgical experience of the treatment of mythological texts. This stylisation is first lead in terms of writing, aiming at timelessness. Taking the liberty between the time of origin of the Tales (8th c. ad) until today, will enhance their modernity as much as the eternity of the mentioned human affairs, from the love conflict to war for access to water.

Therefore it is up to the production, by its choice in sets, costumes and props, mixed as attractively as credible, play both the period film and the contemporary one. This is also what televisions show of the present day, this mosaic of various societies, this telescoping of lifestyles, middle ages for some, decadence for others. If Orientalism is the fantasy of the West on the East, the thousand and one nights returns an ironic mirror of its prejudices.

Istanbul-Festival of April of the sovereignty of the w

oman and the children

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 10

From this perspective of treatment,the choice of scenery appears crucial.SET DESIGNER

We mingled the achievements of Rudy Ricciotti architectural daring, taking as a Palace his MUCEM in Marseille, his stadium of

Vitrolles, Foundation Cocteau in Menton, and perhaps also, in a courtyard of the Louvre this flying carpet which has the future

Islamic Art Department, and that we could see truly flying in our film.

Photographer: Kays Djilali- wilaya de Bechar

(Algeria)

Istanbul - Koray Erkaya

MU

CEM

and fort Saint Jean- by Rudy Riciotti

If the thousand and one nights

is part of its cultural heritage,

Turkey offers magnificent

scenery.

Bosphore castle

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 11

// Finally, it seems that

the shores of Istanbul

and the Bosporus offer

superb sets to the tales.

We’ll find in the too-little-known beauty of the South of Algeria the desert and the palm groves the end of the

scenario call for.

Oasis of Tim

imoun (A

lgeria)

Istanbul’s Bosphore (Turkey)

Either earth architecture found in

Timimoun,

of Ghardaia which inspired

Le Corbusier, that of Djanet on the

border with Libya.

These are little filmed treasures that

Algeria would perhaps now open to

the world.

Mardïn (Turkey)

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 12

The Syrian composer, Abed Azrié proposed to work right away on the

voice of Shahrzâd a capella songs. The art of telling stories and that of

singing will come out of the same throat threatened to be cut off.

Always summoning beauty, Shahrzad would introduce music through

the tales by placing a musician in a scene that she describes, with

traditional instruments, ever more numerous than for chamber music,

and often isolated. Through this simplicity, the flute of a snake charmer

amongst the masses in a market. Music will always play its dramatic

role in the image.

« Abed Azrié proposed to work right away on the voice of Shahrzâd»

Finally, the young girls perform a ballet in honour of

Shahrzâd who saved their lives.

MUSIC, SONGS & DANCES

Dancing, likewise, comes into the film through the tales of

Shahrzâd, with belly dancers in the slaves market. Then, at

the Palace before the Court, the one-legged dancer Brahem

Aiache, in emissary of the guard, tells, as a chanson de

geste, the battle from which he returned mutilated.

In the scenario it is planned that Shahrier asks his vizier to organise a

concert in the palace. The musicians will then come to the Court and

will stay there, the atmosphere of the Palace will therefore change

completely.

Sumio Sakaguchi-A

bed Azrié

Samuel Nja Kwa - Series Mandigo Blues - Djeli Moussa

Fondation Cocteau - M

enton - Rudy Ricciotti

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 13

// Envisaged casting

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 14

// In the role of Shahrzâd

GOLSHIFTEH FARAHANI

Agreement given

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 15

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 16

// In the role of the firts wife of the Sultan

ISABELLE ADJANI

// In the role of the Vizier

MICHAEL LONSDALE

Agreement given

Agreement given

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 17

// Other roles:

AÏSSA MAÏGA

NADÈGE BEAUSSON-DIAGNE

HAFSIA HERZI

for the role of ZUMURRUD

for the role of FATI, nanny of Shahrzâd

of the firts wife of the Sultan

Agreement given

Agreement given

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 18

// Writing team

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 19

// Writing team

JEAN-CLAUDE CARRIERE

We do not present here an exhaustive list of his prolific work, including more than eighty film

scenarios in collaboration with Pierre Étaix and Luis Buñuel. Jacques Deray, Louis Malle, Milos Forman,

Volker Schlöndorff, Andrzej Wadja, Jean Luc Godard, Alain Corneau and Nagisa Oshima.

Since the 1980s, with La conférence des oiseaux (adapted from Farid Uddin Attar), then Le Mahabharata

(from the great Indian epic poem), both adapted to Peter Brook and the stage, he has mastered the art of

adapting the mythical texts. He has translated the text complexity of La controverse de Valladolid, today

studied by the French students.

Jean Claude Carrière knows how to make accessible to a broad audience a text with a philosophical

scope or a hermetic deemed subject. World-renowned playwright, he presents himself first as a

storyteller. He has published collections of tales and poetry, such as Le livre de Chams de Tabriz,

translated Sufi poems of Mowlàna (with Mahin and Nahal Tajadod).

His particular knowledge of Persian and Indian cultures to the source of the thousand and one nights

commits him to clearly direct the adaptation with a pleasure shared by all.

VIVIANE CANDAS

Viviane Candas is the scriptwriter of her films, she has occasionally collaborated with other scriptures

and adapted for the theatre. In 2004, she met Jean Claude Carrière who was following the rewriting

of Suzanne under the assistance of the CNC. In 2011, she filmed the adaptation of his novel, Le Voile

Brûlé (Flammarion, 2004).

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 20

// Film director

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 21

VIVIANE CANDAS BIOGRAPHY

The nature of the project presented here contains a determination that should be exposed. Part of

my family was born in the Maghreb where she fought colonial injustice and the unforgettable lights

of Algiers made me a film-maker. If history is the nightmare of the art, I hoped fiction will offer the

ultimate form of utopia of a new world.

In such a legacy, I still believe that only culture is revolutionary, and its transmission vital. In a world

where so many weapons circulate, sometimes in the hands of children, it is becoming urgent to

revive myths. That of Shahrzad is one of the greatest but least known. After three years of research

to understand the fascination of the Thousand and One Nights, I’m still amazed by the incredible

subversion of this work, probably the most feminist ever.

I find, with the words of Shahrzad, the inspiration of an ideological continuity resistant to the

regression.

It overwhelms me with its pertinent modern vision of this world of which we unfortunately see

the tension in a clash of civilizations. I wonder what to do to remedy to this, as all those attending

brotherly peoples and lands of Islam,. The writing of this film transforms anxiety into enthusiasm, I

dream that it will soon circulate illegally in countries that prohibit The Thousand and One Nights.

I also wish that the presentation of my links to my object reports the will and the force that it can

accomplish.

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 22

VIVIANE CANDAS FILMOGRAPHY

2011 / LE VOILE BRÛLÉ / feature film adapted from her novel / Flammarion (2004) Produced by

Paul Saadoun 13 production / with Sonia Amori, Stéphane Nahal, Robert Cantarella, Richard Guedj,

actors of the workshop Le Voile Brûlé, and from a city of Marseille.

2009/2012 / LA RÉVOLUTION N’EST PAS UN DÎNER DE GALA (unfinished)

Investigation on an anti-colonialist referred to by imminent figures of Algerian independence: Ahmed Ben

Bella, Ali Haroun, Amar Bell, Anne Beaumanoir-Roger, Mohamed Bedjaoui, Jacques Vergès, Mohamed Harbi. /

Prod: Film de la Source / Algiers / Paul Saadoun for Les Films de l’Atlantide

2006 / SUZANNE

35 mm / Fiction feature / with Patrick Bauchau, Jean-Pierre Kalfon, Christine Citti, Edith Scob

-Produced by Paulo Branco GEMINI FILMS - Festival LOCARNO 06 / Official Selection, International

Competition / YOUNG JURY award / CHICAGO Film Festival 06 / TERRA NOVA SILVER IMAGES AWARD /

Festival of Gibara / CUBA 2007 / Festival of Lecce / Italy / 2007 / Official Selection / DVD Edition by LES

FILMS DU PARADOXE in 2010

2003 / LES BAIGNEUSES

83’ / DVCAM / 35 mm / Fiction feature / with Jean Pierre Kalfon, Ann Gisel Glass, André Marcon,

Carolkim Trahn / Nadège Beausson Diagne, Gregory Fitoussi produced by Paulo Branco, Humbert

Balsan and Gilles Sandoz for LES FILMS PIRATES - Festival of Philadelphia / USA.

April 2003 / SPECIAL MENTION at the Festival of Seoul/digital Express / Korea 2003 / SPECIAL

MENTION at the International Festival of Gibara / CUBA 2003 / foreign sales: USA / Russia / Singa-

pore / Korea / Greece DVD / GEMINI distribution France / Edition DVD by LES FILMS DU PARADOXE

1994 / L’ESTAQUE

58’/ 35mm / de Cézanne au Cubisme Coproduit par France 3 Océaniques / LES FILMS DE L’ATLAN-

TIDE - Biennale du Film d’Art Centre Pompidou 1994/ Rétrospective Cézanne Grand Palais Paris

1995 / 1996 / Les Peintres de Méditerranée / Grand Palais / Paris 2000/ Projections au Museum

of Contemporean Art of Los Angeles /foreign sales: Denmark, Switzerland, Great Britain, Italy,

Mexico, Iran, Korea, Holland / Edition DVD under the title ‘ Cézanne, la voie de la modernité’ Films

du Paradoxe/ DVD Edition by LES FILMS DU PARADOXE in 2007

www.viviane-candas.com

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 23

// Producer CV

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 24

Les Films d’Ici - Selective FilmographyLES FILMS D’ICI

S.A.S. created in 1984.

The production company, Les Films D’ICI founded in 1984, is one of the better established in France, with a volume of production of 40 hours per year and a catalogue of more than 700 films consisting of unit documentaries, series, collections, feature documentary and fiction released and broadcast on screens around the world.Selective filmography

FEATURE FICTION FILMS :

Ab Irato by Dominique Boccarossa (2011 release)L’oeil de l’astronome by Stan Neumann ( 2011 release)La vie sauvage des animaux domestiques of Dominique Garing (released July 14, 2010)Les Secrets by Raja Amari. (Release may 19, 2010, selected in the Orrizonti of Venice 2009)Après l’Océan by Eliane de Latour (2009)Park by Arnaud des Pallières (released January 14, 2009)De jour en jour il fera plus beau by Marc Chevrie (2009)Les Bureaux de Dieu by Claire Simon (2008)Agnus Dei by Lucia Cedron (2008, co-production with Lita Stantic Production)Belle toujours by Manoel De Oliveira (2006)Barakat! by Djamila Sarhaoui (2006)Le Litre de lait by Luc Moullet (2006, short film)Adieu by Arnaud des Pallière (2003)Dans le rouge du couchant by Edgardo Cozarinsky (2003)Le Sourire d’Hassan by Frédéric Goupil (2003)Entre nous by Serge Lalou (2002)Zeno by Francesca Comencini (2002)Avec tout mon amour by Amalia Escriva (2001)Bronx-Barbes by Eliane de Latour (2000)Cités de la Plaine by Robert Kramer (2000)Un monde agité by Alain Fleischer (2000)

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILMS :

Walking on sound by Jacques Debs (2011 release)

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 25

Les Films d’Ici - Selective Filmography

Traduire by Nurith Aviv (release late 2010)El Edificio de los chilenos by Macarena Aguiló ( 2011release)Les Arrivants by Claudine Bories and Patrice Chagnard (released April 7, 2010)Nénette by Nicolas Philibert (released March 31, 2010)La République Marseille by Denis Gheerbrant (2010)Depuis Tel Aviv by Naruna Kaplan De Macedo (2009)La République Marseille(s) by Denis Gheerbrant (released October 7, 2009)Les Rêveurs de Mars by Richard Dindo (2009)La Paura by Pippo Delbono (2009)Chez Léon Coiffure by François Lunel (2009)Lettres Mexicaines by Carmen Castillo (2009)La Terre de la Folie by Luc Moullet (2009, selected for the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs)Katanga business by Thierry Michel (2009, co-production with the passerelle films)Valse avec Bachir by Ari Folman (2008)Kommunalka by Françoise Huguier (2008)Couleurs d’orchestre by Marie-Claude Treilhou (2008)Z32 by Avi Mograbi (2008)Bar Centre des autocars by Patrick Zachmann (2008, short film)Le Blues de l’Orient by Florence Strauss (2007)Morceaux de conversation with Jean-Luc Godard by Alain Fleischer (2008)Rue Santa Fe by Carmen Castillo (2007)Retour en Normandie by Nicolas Philibert (2007)Congo river by Thierry Michel (2005, co-production with the passerelle films)Pour un seul de mes deux yeux by Avi Mograbi (2005)Ronde de nuit by Edgardo Cozarinsky (2005)Paul dans sa vie by Rémi Mauger (2004)Les Métamorphoses du coeur by Marie-Claude Treilhou (2003)Le Bruit, l’odeur et quelques étoiles by Eric Pittard (2002)Lip, l’imagination au pouvoir by Christian Rouand (2007)Iran, sous le voile des apparences by Thierry Michel (2002)Etre et avoir by Nicolas Philibert (2002)Racines by Richard Copans (2002)Août, avant l’explosion by Avi Mograbi (2001)Le Voyage à la mer by Denis Gheerbrant (2001)Genet à Chatila by Richard Dindo (2000)Le miel n’est jamais bon dans une seule bouche Ali Farka Touré by Marc Huraux (2000)Mobutu,roi du Zaïre by Thierry Michel (1998)Grands comme le monde by Denis Gheerbrant (1997)La Moindre des choses by Nicolas Philibert (1996)Reprise by Hervé Le Roux (1996)Coûte que Coûte by Claire Simon (1995)

«The Thousand and One Nights of Shahrzâd» Viviane Candas - Les Films d’Ici production 26

Les Films d’Ici - Selective Filmography

Ernesto Che Guevara, le journal de Bolivie by Richard Dindo (1994)La Vie est immense et pleine de dangers by Denis Gheerbrant (1994)Un animal, de animaux by Nicolas Philibert (1995)Point de départ by Robert Kramer (1993)Récréations by Claire Simon (1991)Le Pays des Sourds by Nicolas Philibert (1992)Au sud du sud by Laurent Chevallier (1991)Et la vie by Denis Gheerbrant (1991)Arthur Rimbaud, une biographie by Richard Dindo (1990)La Ville Louvre by Nicolas Philibert (1990)Route One / USA by Robert Kramer (1989)

«The Thousand and One

Nights of Shahrzâd»by Viviane Candas