Critical evaluation - Sara

I loved every minute of the production. From the first time I had the idea, to the very last shooting day at Embankment bridge. It took us several filming days to get everything done, and naturally, as the weeks and months passed, the story evolved to something much better than I first imagined it. Finding the main actress shaped Maria’s character, while doing interviews with other expats expanded my horizon beyond my own experiences.

During the production, I got to use and improve my existing journalism and photography skills. However, I had to realise, screenwriting is completely different from journalism. In order to tell a story visually, you have to let the scenes explain themselves. From the original script, I had to remove half the text because it was over-explaining the storyline. I still have a long way to go until I become a professional director and screenwriter, but I couldn’t be happier with the result.

As for the skills I gained from making this film, I should definitely highlight that I got better with recording videos instead of taking still photographs, that I am used to. Giorgio and Khayat have helped me with that and they were also responsible for making my vision come true.

We originally planned to shoot at one of London’s “beaches” for the final scenes, but due to the high winter tides, we had to change locations (rather than giving up the beach scenes, of course). So we went to Brighton, the closest, and prettiest beach I didn’t have to location-scout for because I had been there previously. That was my first challenge as a videographer, because, unfortunately, Giorgio or Khayat couldn’t make it due to the holidays. Mariam did great, despite the chilly temperatures. I am proud of the shots I took there, and feel lucky, the weather conditions were perfect for filming, as we witnessed a breath-taking sunset.

About the editing, I wanted to make it as real as possible, using visual aids to complement the storyline. Fortunately, it was easy to find locations for each phase. Soho was perfect for the neon lights and crowded areas, while the Embankment area gave us a beautiful skyline and aesthetic architecture to represent London.

As for the crew, I couldn’t be more grateful for the team members I had. Working with them never felt like working, I enjoyed every minute of it and can say, Giorgio and Khayat became really good friends of mine, who I would contribute with again any time in the future.

Culture shock, to me ,is an extremely personal matter, therefore, I wanted to do my best on it. The main character, Maria, is representative of the expat culture living in London, and all around the world. Anyone, who is experiencing similar issues can hopefully relate to it in some way.