Amir Naderi
US
This is the second film by Amir Naderi to be set against the backdrop of the New York City streets. Since Naderi emigrated to New York from his native Iran in 1976, he has lived and worked in Alphabet City, a creative and off-key area on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
Naderi's neighbourhood is his primary source of inspiration: he based the characters for A,B,C...Manhattan on people he knows in real life.
The story takes place during the course of one day. It interweaves the lives of three entirely different women, each struggling to deal with pivotalssues in their lives.
"When I think of the Lower East Side," Naderi remarks, "I see a girl who is independent but lost, confused but knowledgeable." In the film, one woman is living in the past, one is living in the present and one is in the future. Each gives a different perspective on the Lower East Side. A, B and C are also the names of the avenues which (along with Avenue D) make up Alphabet City. Each Avenue has its own distinct flavour and feel, which Naderi attempts to bring out in the feature.
Overall, Naderi regards the neighbourhood as one big family. "Many times I see the neighbourhood depicted badly in films. This makes me very angry," confesses Naderi.
Although he shot the film on a shoestring budget of about $500,000, he used his local knowledge to good advantage. "Everyone in the neighbourhood, from shop-owners to people in the park, would say: 'Hey Amir, whaddya need?' because they trusted me not to misrepresent them," Naderi says, proud of his community ties.
Since editing on A,B,C... has just been completed, today's screening will be the world premiere. Naderi is quick to point out, however, that no matter how successful his film is abroad, the true mark of success will be how it's received by the toughest critics of all - the New Yorkers themselves. Ben Epstein
Prod co: Open City Films
Prod: Amir Naderi, William Rexer II
Dir: Amir Naderi
Scr: Ben Edlund, Jesssica Gohlke, Mariam Delan, Tracy McMillian
Ph: William Rexer II
Cos: Lisa J Bloch
Mus: Eric A Hammer
Ed: Tony Pellegrino
Cast: Lucy Knight, Erin Norris, Sara Paul
Running time: 90 mins
Int sales: Overseas Filmgroup
