A short film, and true story, about the time two Western nurses, working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, found themselves chasing a stolen body.
Director/ Writer:
Caitlin Mason
Producer:
Jess Fallow
DOP:
Pat Neff
Sound:
Jack Riddle
- Creative statements -
- Behind the scenes -
- The real Kath & Eithne -
Sorry for the lack of updates guys.
It has been an absolute whirlwind of a year but, after a much needed christmas break, we are back and rearing to go.
Mumma in Arabia had it's premier at Kino Cinema right in the heart of Melbourne last month to a very giggly crowd. The next night we screened at ACMI in federation square and received some very touching compliments from audience members who hunted us down in the crowd.
We'll be printing our DVD's shortly and festival entry will proceed february.
I can't do an 'about me' about me... that is much too hard.
... I like crash zooms?
Director’s Creative Statement by Caitlin Mason.
The script of MUMMA IN ARABIA is inspired by a true story, the story of my mother, my Aunty Eithne and a missing corpse in Saudi Arabia. The tale appealed to me on a gut level, it centres on the relationship between Kath and Eithne and a single shift in their lives as nurses at the King Faisal Hospital of Khamis. Although intended as hilarious, MUMMA IN ARABIA also paints a portrait of friendship, the trials of as- similating in a new country and the value of respect for others, their beliefs and cultures.
I immediately conjured up such a visual impression from the China Town recount of the story that the whole narrative seemed a lot more like a recollection of my own rather than of my mother’s and my aunt’s. From here, it has been an arduous but exhilarating process to evolve Mumma in Arabia from a memory, to a screenplay and now, to life. It was always presaged, what with the 1980’s period, the Saudi Arabian setting and the Arabic dialect that this film was going to tricky. To see the light of day, this film needed to draw upon the creative reserves of a very specific crew that I am excited to have set and ready to go.
Locations.
The richness of Mumma in Arabia will be brought to life in Aradale’s Aratat Asylum – a structure evocative of times of yore that will frame this 1980’s period piece beautifully. It is imperative to maintain continuity in the production design of this film in order to create a cohesive environment that plausibly contains its inhabitants and the story. It is easy to fault 1980’s with extreme pastiche and Saudi Arabia with paucity when neither is really the case. It is the intention of Mumma in Arabia to refurbish the image of kitsch design and to harmonise it with an accurate portrayal of 1980’s Saudi Arabia.
As mentioned, the prime location of this shoot will be a disused mental asylum in Aradale. This location will require extensive adjustments before becoming a camera ready, semi-functioning 1980’s Arabian ICU ward. Pre – visualisation will be fundamental in easing the weighty task ahead for Art Department on this locale. The other major location intended to be utilised for all exterior/ establishing shots will the Perry Sand Hills. Located six hours outside of Melbourne CBD, both of these shoots will be incredibly dif- ficult and great importance has been placed on efficient scheduling to pull off. It is going to require too great a chunk from the film’s budget to source accommodation for crew and cast to stay over-schedule. A three-day shoot has been scheduled for in Aradale – a wee rural town located two hours from Mel- bourne’s CBD. Drama students in the area are being approached regarding the mixture of extra roles that we require. To restrict accommodation expenditure to the crew and primary cast is fundamental when working off a budget such as ours – it would impart great peace of mind if the extras were eager locals that could head home to rest upon wrap each day. A one-day shoot is all that will be necessary for the opening bus scene at the Perry Sand Hills – this will be tackled post haste subsequent to wrapping up the shoot in Aradale.
Aesthetic.
A lot of this film’s budget has been invested in creating the right aesthetic - this is not just a 1980’s period piece; this is a 1980’s movie. As mentioned, Mumma in Arabia will be shot on the Red Epic camera using Anamorphic Lenses. Filmmakers and audiences alike have grown up with the uniquely cinematic anamo- rphic look and associate it with the impact of big-screen 1980’s hits. The sheer width and clarity of the format has been burned into the subconscious of cinemagoers for over half a century. The film will pay homage to its more influential muse’s through the employment of various camera techniques and quite stylistic cinematography. In reference to 1980’s movies like Brian Di Palma’s Blow Out (1981), Mumma in Arabia will make the most of backwards tracking, whip cuts to dollies in, low angles and even slot in a moment necessary of a split screen effect. As per the 1980’s Kung Fu film kings such as Yu Wang and Tso Nam Lee, the Mumma in Arabia chase sequence will be reminiscent of the coverage and pacing of a spar- ring battle. It will feature optimal coverage through an eclectic succession of shots and the insertion of classic 1980’s camera techniques such as Hong-Kong-style crash zooms and visceral panning.
Continuing on with creative specifics, I am also after a certain element of depth to each shot to create a truer representation of space. Events will be staged so that significant elements occupy widely separate planes of the overall image. These different planes of the image will be given equal importance, with focus given to not only the characters but also to the spaces around them. I do not ever want the lead characters to find themselves with their back against a wall. Traversing these spaces through the use of focus pulls and crash zooms will be another defining aesthetic element to this film.
Colour Palette.
The colour palette will emulate these photos from my mother’s stay in Saudi Arabia. The final grade will achieve the dirty orange ambience, a wash that will play nicely with the film’s high enclosure of dark browns, whites and splashes of red. A decent dollop of this film’s budget will be devoted to post-pro- duction - to build on the 1980’s, desert aesthetic intended for MUMMA IN ARABIA, a warm, dirty orange colour grade and spattered grain is paramount.
Intended audience.
MUMMA IN ARABIA will be promoted to an 18 – 40 year old age bracket. This film will not be suitable to children yet, beyond that, it really doesn’t possess any themes or concepts that will likely exclude a par- ticular demographic of person.
Characters.
The characters of Mumma in Arabia are the film’s hook. They need to be recognised as fresh, relatable and possess a depth of soul. The greatest failing I could make as director of this movie is inspire flat, cut- and-paste characters that carry only the action and leave the flare of the screenplay outside in the cold and wet. My directorial input will begin by organising “play-dates” between the leads – particularly Kath and Eithne – to help them develop a rapport on a level that inspires a believable friendship on screen.
The actor playing Dr Wilbur Whately on the other hand, being the stoic and intimidating character that he is, will be largely isolated from the rest of the cast – this will feed the unease felt by his presence.
Developing upon the running ‘fish-out-of-water’ subtext that permeates the film and highlights the contrast between Western and Saudi Arabian cultures – the Three Men will be directed to only speak in native Arabic tongue. It would be culturally inappropriate to have these men, men born and bred of the Saudi Arabian culture, speaking English for the sake of English-speaking audiences. Subtitles will run along the bottom of the screen come the hilarious moments of mistranslation and attempted reason- ing. A friend of mine, fluent in Arabic, has provided us with the necessary script translations and will be present on set to ensure that discourse is smooth and appropriate.
The story of MUMMA IN ARABIA is very close to my heart. My partner made an interesting comment upon me finishing the first draft of the script, he said: “Isn’t it peculiar that the biggest thing your mother did at your age was nurse in Saudi Arabia and now the biggest thing you’re going to have done at your age, is make a movie about the same time in hers.” MUMMA IN ARABIA really is a family affair and some- thing I intend to be fierce competition in the festival circuit. It is an absurd and intense story with intelli- gent, likeable characters and a fast-paced narrative that will keep its audience on their toes and Kath and Eithne in their hearts.
Production Design Creative Statement by Caitlin Mason
This is an incredibly exciting project to be involved in. It’s approach places great worth and meaning on inventive and innovative production design. The space needs to hold not only the image of 1980’s Saudi Arabia but the very essence of it as well. The challenge is a thrilling one and with such an extensive as- semblage of props and such a unique hospital locale, Mumma in Arabia will definitely be a roaring blast from the past. As per discussion with Production Designer, Dave McKinnar, the following has been set in motion.
Location Aesthetic.
Essentially, we will be attempting to create the spirit of a 1980’s Arabia set in the parched Australian environment of Wentworth Sand Dunes. This will require little work for the Art Department as, luckily enough, Mildura already meets so many of the aesthetic expectations of this script. Deep space, which will be achieved wonderfully on the Red Epic Anamorphic camera, will emphasize just how vast the natu- ral surroundings are and contrast nicely between the closed interior scenes of the hospital. The deserts of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are a defining feature of the country and so will it be for MUMMA IN ARA- BIA. I want the heat and the harshness of the Arabian Desert to penetrate the 1980’s hospital interiors.
A hospital setting has been found in Aradale’s Aratat Asylum. As a consequence of such an elaborate cinematographic approach, quite an expansive amount of the Aratat Asylum has the potential to be in frame in a single shot. As per discussion with Mumma in Arabia’s Production Designer, Dave McKinnar, we are confident that we can cheat the space without cheating the final product. The hospital setting excuses a minimalist approach, as it is customary for a hospital to appear sterile and to lack a personal touch. We have sourced a grand amount of typical 1980’s office garb such as filing cabinets, shelving, desks, swivel chairs, boxes and binders. These props are suiting of the more neutral tones featured in our chosen colour palette – a palette that pays tribute to the Saudi Arabian landscape. Admittedly, the neutral tones are quite dreary thus, to enhance the environment, flashes of colour – primarily deep reds and mustards - will puncture the lacklustre tone and bring dynamic vitality to the picture. Be it the phone that is featured in the script, a painting on the wall, a bouquet of flowers carried through shot or even just the colour nail polish of the lead characters – the image will be designed to ‘pop’.
Lighting will be quite naturalistic and tender. Decent, warm exposure is required with emphasis put on the lack of visible shadow – once again playing upon the pretence of being in a Saudi Arabian desert. The desired effect is a uniformed one that embodies warmth and gives the impression to be coming from the very Sun itself. This “sun light” will also be shining through the curtained-off windows to create a lovely fill and soft, dancing shadows. The curtain fabric will be sheer, white cotton and the curtains themselves created through the tender touch of our grumpy parents.
Props.
Mise en Scene is vital in the creation of Mumma in Arabia’s kitsch enclosure. The props list of this film is really quite extensive with paperweights, lamps, containers of lollies, messy paperwork, desk organisers, potted plants and medical diagrams all utilised to further build upon the neutral palette and office-garb- foundations of the hospital’s nurse’s station. The Nurse’s station possesses a fantastically brash carpet design that will be featured as prominently as possible in shot. Furthermore, on site in Aratat Asylum are twenty-odd, white-framed patient beds that we have been given sanction to make the most of. Such an amount will fill the required space duly and take a weight off of the film’s budget. To be sourced exter- nally are curtains to shield the exterior of our “Saudi Arabian Hospital”, an exterior brimming with giant green trees and plains of grass. Sand will be scattered against the windows, windowsills and the floors to progress the pretence of the hospital’s desert location. The will also further enhance the allusion that the desert exteriors are piercing the hospital interiors.
Costumes.
In regard to costumes, an acquaintance of this film’s producer, Jessica Fallow, is a costume designer and resides in a province in Abu Dhabi. He will be sourcing authentic fabric for a great price and creating the costumes for the shoot from sketches developed between Dave and I. Melbourne costume designer, Amanda Calleja, will be available on set should anything need altering/ should wear and tear arise.
Colour palette
The colours of Mumma in Arabia are muted and flat in an emulation of the natural colours found in the deserts of Saudi Arabia. This film will be drawing heavily from a palette of umber, ochre, sienna, mustards, warm greys and some reds. Although primarily embodying the muted colours of clay earth pigments, the palette will in no way be of a flat and dull aesthetic. As a matter of fact, the aesthetic pursuit of Mumma and Arabia is to showcase a contrasting relationship between the rich and the plain that ‘pops’ off the screen.
For example, the red and mustards of certain props, like telephones and portable fans, have been de- signed to almost ‘glow’ against the neutral walls and brown shelving of the interior hospital setting. An- other example will be found in the purple and red nail polish of the lead characters - an aesthetic touch that will stick out like a sore thumb when cast against the plain white of their nursing uniforms.
Through the sienna touch and the final colour grade, Mumma in Arabia will be given an old, vintage looking touch – rooting the story in the 1980’s Saudi Arabia. Whether it is an interior or an exterior scene, the tones and light of the frame will immerse the audience in the time period of this piece.
I can on board this Mumma in Arabia by a small twist of fate as it was. I have never worked before with Caitlin Mason on a project but have always admired her outcomes and strength in visual style, so of course I asked to see a copy of her latest script at the end of last summer. I started reading over my afternoon coffee during a study break, expecting to get maybe halfway, and after the first paragraph to my great enjoyment I found I couldn’t put it down. The characters instantly jumped out at me and within the very first scene I was there with the characters and feeling what they were feeling and waiting for what would happen next. I found myself reading faster and faster trying to get to the end, to see what all the excitement was about, and let me tell you it didn’t disappoint.
Caitlin has a very unique and enjoyable style of writing that feels like a family story is being told to you with an insider’s knowledge. She has a knack of elongating awkward situations which brings a highly comedic element to the script as it basically a series of awkward moments between two very close friends. The story is not a predict- able one either (something that is very hard to achieve now days) and the pace at which it runs can appeal to a wide variety of audiences and cultures.
This is my first time at producing a film, and I decided to take the heavy task on in my final year as I felt a little prepared through my background as a 1st Assistant Director and my work experience over the summer Production Managing my first feature, so I had, had a taste of what the workload would be/ felt I knew what would be expect- ed of me. However I also loved the idea behind this film so much, that not only did I want to work on it instantly, but I couldn’t bare the thought of it not being made that I decided to jump into the role where I could make sure that this wouldnt happen, The Producer.
The team behind this film is one I trust and have worked with before. There is only three of us currently attending at Swinburne, the rest are graduates working in the industry, so a well versed team. This choice was made quite early on by Caitlin and myself as we decided the script needs a well experienced team as it has so much potential, it would be tradgic to see it in the hands of the less experienced and not reach its full potential.
I was thrilled to hear that Caitlin had already approached Patt Neff about D.O.P.’ing for the film before I came on board the project. I have worked with Patt many times before in the past, and knew his quirky attitude and atten- tion to detail would go hand in hand with Caitlin’s strong visual and character style of directing.
The crew of Mumma in Arabia is made up with previous collaborations of Caitlin and mine, of people we trust and know will work together. Overall it is a very stable and like-minded crew that we approach filming with.
Mumma in Arabia will be promoted to a 18-40 year old age bracket. Because of the unique nature of the film, it
is relatable to anyone from the age of 18 and up through the life experience lesson’s the film portrays. Being a black comedy, Mumma can be advertisied through a variety of mediums to reach its wider audience, such as Film Competitions and Print and Viral Media. It is not a film that is suitable for children due its graphic scenes and main storyline.
Despite early discussions of working with film, we decided to go for digital due to the film being so heavily dia- logue and action driven, the budget would have to be quite high to allow for the amount of takes needed for
this type of film. We decided to compromise and try to achieve the look of film on a digital camera, as that visual aesthetic style is very integral to the 80’s setting and authenticity of the film. To accommodate this we will be using lower quality old Anamorphic lenses to match 80’s iconic cinema legends Lawrence of Arabia and Blow Out.
The choice of filming with these lenses impacted heavily on the budget for the film. On initial estimations, I thought that the film could be made with the $5000 budget essentially giving 1/5 of the money to each depart- ment. However after we got quotes back on the prosthetic toe and our first location fell through that had all of our period props and set dressing, I had to look to alternative’s that would cost more than initially planned for.
The final budget comes to $7500 with $5500 self-funded and the extra $2000 from crowd funding and donations. This now allows for a large camera budget of $3500 and $2000 for art department making up the majority of the costs. We also have to pay for accommodation, as we are filming on the boarder of NSW for Sand Dune area’s and Ararat for the Hospital locations.
The distance of locations from Melbourne is one of the major challenges for Mumma in Arabia, as well as the heavy load of Set dressing and hard-to-come-by 80’s style hospital props requirements. However these aspects are what make the film so unique and I am confident can be easily managed with strict planning in advance.
Mumma in Arabia is a film that should be experienced both for both filmmakers and audience alike. While visually and comically stimulating, it also presents with unique filming challenges that will challenge the talent of the crew and push them to their full potential. A film I daresay, will stick out as one of my proud achievements. Something we can all be remembered by.
Cinematographer’s Creative Statement. By Patt Neff.
The challenge of making Victoria look like 1980’s Saudi Arabia is what really attracted me to shooting MUMMA IN ARABIA. The countryside of Australia is so distinct that making it appear like somewhere else presents an exciting opportunity. The time period also allows us to experiment with some interesting lenses and techniques to achieve the best look for the film.
Right from the start, Caitlin and I ruled out shooting on film. Although it is beautiful and textured, it would make the shoot much more difficult, both technically and financially. The industry is currently un- dergoing a lot of changes in its quickening transition from film to digital. Deluxe has just closed its doors in Australia and while there are currently still ways to get film developed cheaply, it’s hard to know what it will be like in a few months. Also the difficulty in using film while out in the desert and on a moving bus would require a lot more crew and facilities than using digital in the same conditions.
However, we knew we still needed to find a way to achieve the vintage look of 1980’s Saudi Arabia. I have decided to use Lomo anamorphic lenses to give a beautiful yet slightly dirty feel to the picture. The Lomo’s are known to be quite soft around the edges with quite a bit of barrel distortion when shooting below F5.6. Although this is sometimes seen to be a negative effect of the lenses, I find the look to be re- ally incredible and interesting. I do not plan to test the lenses below about F4 however, as it could make the image too soft. Anamorphic lenses are also incredible for shooting large landscapes. The desert loca- tion at the start and end of the film will look incredible with these lenses.
The colour of the film will also be very important in helping to present both the location and time period. Greens will be mostly graded out of the film, and yellow will be graded up. On location, we will be using similar coloured props and costume design to help achieve the earthy, sandy palette.
For me, lighting is one of the most important parts of cinematography. A lot of natural lighting and daylight-balanced lights will be used for the majority of the film. I plan to hire at least one HMI for the hospital days to try to combat against the sun when poly boards are not enough. This HMI will be used to create a back edge in some scenes, or to create the effect of the intense sun shining in through the windows and across the floor. In addition, I would love to mix colour temperatures. Tungsten overheads lights and practical fixtures such as lamps will be scattered around the hospital.
I also plan to use a zoom lens to achieve a crash zoom effect during certain scenes, particularly during the chase scene. The use of crash zooms, and zooming in general, has become very outdated in cinema. Therefore it will help to construct a dated feel while also created a fast paced tension within the shot.
DAY 03 - ARADALE ASYLUM LOCATION
Here we go!
Internet and reception are scarce up here so I won't be able to keep you up to date over the next few days.
Wish us luck and cross your fingers that this place isn't actually haunted.
DAY 02 - Bus Scene
Pretending to shoot for Vogue in our down time.
Mention needs to be made to our incredible Producer, Jessica Fallow, who, on top of everything else, took on all costume responsibilities for the shoot.
These Abaya's are beautiful.
DAY 01 out at the Perry Sand Dunes in NSW.
Our stills photographer, Rory Mason, was pretending to be a corpse so all we've got are some low-res phone photos to sneak you a peek behind the scenes.
It was a great start to the week long shoot!
Ran to time, got some stunning exteriors and only minimal sand in our eyes.
The drive is pretty intense and dear Sarah is getting a bit car sick but we've got a nice rest before tomorrow and the long drive back home so that's lucky.
Note to future self to budget for energy drinks for any future drivers.
Final visit to our primary location before the shoot. We're alright... the last week has involved scrubbing walls with chlorine, heaving props up stairs and driving six hours a day.
We have been lucky enough to have free reign over Ararat's Aradale Asylum. It's apparently haunted so that should be interesting.
ALSO! I'm pleased to introduce Beky! Beky is a really good friend of mine and a sick filmmaker too. She's jumped on board to be Mumma in Arabia's Production Assistant and Set Dresser while I'm by camera.
Casting wasn't half as gruelling as Jessica and I thought it was going to be. The hardest part for Jess was probably my total inability to sit still but hey, she got over it.
Throughout casting, I hunted for very particular traits that drew parallels between the actor and their desired character. I was very interested in the physicality of the actor/ actress throughout each audition what with half of the film scripted to be a mad chase sequence. It was no small feat for these guys to each fill the shoes of their respective characters - these characters are intended as this film's hook and it's essential that they be recognised as fresh, relatable and fulla soul.
THE THREE MEN!
FRANCISCO LOPEZ as OBAID
AHMAD AL-LAWATI as BARJAS
HANI ALFAID as NAWAF
THE NURSES!
KATHLEEN MARY LEE as KATH
SARAH GOUSSE as EITHNE
TESSA CASH as ANNIE
THE CREEPY HEGEMONIC MASCULINE GUY!
MIRKO GRILLINI as DR. WILBUR WHATELY
THE INCOMPETENT SURGEON and THE CORPSE!
ISAAC FORSYTH as DR LEON & DYLAN HINDER as AL-TAYIB
My Mother and my Aunty Eithne met in their early twenties while nursing at the King Faisal Hospital’s ICU ward in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. While living at the nurse’s compound, the two of them bonded over their love of exercise and drinking and eventually began jogging together around the wire-fenced perimeter of the compound. Several years out of Saudi Arabia, my mother introduced Eithne to her brother Paul and in turn, Eithne and Paul introduced my cousin Patience to the world, officially and finally knotting our families together. Since Uncle Paul and Aunty Eithne split, Eithne had remained over in Ireland and my mother, now with my brother and I, had remained over in Australia… until last year.
As the wine flowed, our mothers began rattling off stories from their time in Saudi Arabia and about the mischief they usually instigated over there. I remember querying as to how they could have bonded over drinking considering the prohibition laws in place in Saudi Arabia and they both just winked at me. Finally, coinciding with the arrival of dinner, the story of MUMMA IN ARABIA was told.
In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, two girlfriends Kath and Eithne work as nurses in Khamis. Life as a nurse in Saudi is definitely like nothing back home and these girls have been stretched and pulled every which way since they arrived. Each day brings a new trial in assimilation and a need for a new place to hide from the freak show that is Dr Wilbur Whately. Just when the girls feel as though they’ve found their feet, it’s their head’s that end up on the line when they find themselves chasing a fresh corpse that has been pilfered from right under their noses.
The first and second pictures are of my Mother and my Aunty respectively hanging out in Saudi Arabia. Yep, they are total foxes.
This story is based on real events that happened to them while they were on duty in the men’s ICU ward in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The two of them met while living at the nurse’s compound just down the road from the hospital and quickly bonded over their love of running and drinking. Much of the scripts sass is inspired by the little that my mum has divulged to me from the diaries she kept while over there. She refuses to let me read them, as it's apparently “all mischief". Eithne and my Ma have remained close since their time over there. So close that Eithne eventually became my Aunty Eithne. My cousin, her daughter, is my best friend and moved to Melbourne 2 years ago. We are planning a trip overseas together soon, just like our mothers once did.
