Director Emirati’s Majid Al Ansari broke out at an amazing Austin festival ten years ago with the Tarantino-style noir “Jinzana” (aka “Rall the Cage”). The psychological thriller became the first Arabic film Netflix has acquired.
Al Ansari is now back in Austin to return to the horror film The Vile (Hoba) with a blind, emotionally shattered polygamy story of a woman named Amani. Living with Zafra’s new bride, Amani tries to recite her role as the family’s patriarch. Polygamy, also known as having multiple spouses, is legally permitted by Muslim men in Gulf countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. However, this practice is declining and is often viewed negatively by women who find it harmful to family stability.
“The Vile” is produced by Abu Dhabi-based Image Nation alongside Spooky Pictures, an LA-based genre label co-founded and operated by Roy Lee (“Ring”) and Stephen Schneider (“Paranormal”).
“The Vile” Al Ansari’s fantastic festival bow eve speaks to diversity about his hopes that breaking new ground and that it will help foster new awareness.
Talk to me about your efforts to polygamy. This is clearly a delicate subject
I have always grown up around me with the subject. It’s something we grew up together. Whether it’s in the neighborhood or at the school. You know, polygamy is very common in culture, but you haven’t seen it as today as you used to. I remember when I was only seven or eight years old. One of my close friends at school comes to me: “I think my father hates me.” And I: “Why?” And he is like this: “Oh, I think he doesn’t love me because he married his second wife – love us now.”
I think the ideas I had when I was a child were stuck in my head.
I understand, but were you actually working on that? Was it complicated?
I’ve been wanting to make a film about polygamy for ten years, but I didn’t know how to approach it. I didn’t want to be rude to the subject. But I wanted to keep it in my world. This is a genre of horror and thriller. So I found the key until I had a conversation with my mother a few years ago. We were having a deep conversation (about polygamy) and she saw me. She is like this: “Yeah, it’s not the man’s fault, nor the first wife’s fault. It’s probably the second wife who casts a black spell on him.” That was my key: “a-ha!” The moment I liked: okay, this is my angle.
How did you balance the sociological aspects with the creation of horror films?
Well, I love the horror genre. One of my biggest inspirations for this film is “The Wailing” by Na Hong-Jin from Korea. I love how it talks about Black Magic as well. It is very infused with Korean culture. And that’s where my ideas came from. I wanted to make something similar to that. It’s something from culture. What we’re talking about. But it’s as realistic as possible. And that’s the moment my mother said to me, she said to me, she said to me about black spells and black spells. It opened the door for me to move on. I felt that polygamy was a natural progression that was associated with black magic.
Do you think that only the cultural perception and cultural influence of film lies in the Arab world?
I think there’s a big difference when it’s done without agreeing. I sat with many women who had experienced polygamy and their families who had experienced it. Whether it’s a son, daughter, mother, or aunt. And in our culture there are certain scenarios in which women encourage men to do that. But they both agree and have to agree. I’m not knocking it. Hey, I’m not against polygamy. But what happens sometimes is what happens in the film. That’s what Khalid did. He surprised his wife without agreeing. He did not really solve his matters with his family first, and it ultimately became the end of the family and the end of the family themselves. What you see in our country is people who do this and people who do that. That’s my explanation.
The groundbreaking film will open in the Mena area around Halloween. What are your thoughts and expectations about how to play with a local audience?
“Vile |I think the Gulf resonates specifically. A mother living in Saudi Arabia, a sister living in Saudi Arabia, a family living in Saudi Arabia, or Kuwait connects with that. And while Kuwait is up to the producers, we’re going to get intense and intense in Saudi Arabia.
And internationally?
For me, it was always number one rule when making a movie, so I really hope I made something that’s easy to access internationally. I’m like this: “This is for my culture, for my people.” That’s the first thing. But I also took it to heart that Western audiences had to understand it. How do they respond to it? So the question I want to answer is whether I will be able to successfully transition and have access to it both in the east and west.
This interview was compiled and condensed for clarity.
