00:00like yesterday, you know, we had some people come up to us saying that this was,
00:04it had really touched them deeply and that they, it sort of helped open up a little bit of what
00:09was going on, you know, in their lives. And so this is, this is what brings me so much joy,
00:14is that as a writer, as you know, if you touch somebody deeply and they come to you and they
00:18say, oh my gosh, like what you wrote or what you, what you, you know, displayed or showed,
00:24like Express really, really touched me. And I feel like it changed me in this way. I mean,
00:27it's a beautiful thing. I'm going to ask a very click-baity question. You are an Emirati.
00:36This is releasing on National Day. I have to ask it. Sorry, I'm paid to ask this because it's a
00:41National Day release. People are so excited. Like, oh my God, an Emirati filmmaker. I'm like,
00:46calm down. There are like 10 other movies also premiering, but they're very excited about it.
00:50So we need to talk about it. That's, you know, it doesn't matter you're an Emirati. It's great
00:55that you're making great content. I think it shouldn't be about where you come from. It's
00:58about what kind of films you make, but do you think it matters though, especially in a country
01:03that takes so much pride in National Day, you know, that kind of thing. I mean, you know,
01:08you know what it is, is that I, I worked for the government, for the Abu Dhabi government,
01:13or sort of like it was, it was a subsidiary really of the government. Yeah. So, and when I, when,
01:20when I was working there during my time there, I was really told like, oh my gosh, you're Emirati.
01:26You have to take advantage of that because they really, really back you and all of this. And I
01:30had no idea. I was just like, okay, well, I don't know what you mean, but, but sure. I mean,
01:35I'm just doing my work. Like, and so by the end of it, I really understood that they were trying to
01:41bring a lot of Emirati talent to the forefront so that they could, you know, so that they could
01:46like groom them and train them and, and, and to me, that's, I love that. I mean, I love that,
01:51that if every country in the world would really put that much focus to their, to their people,
01:57you know, to really put them in the front, that would be wonderful, but not everybody has the
02:00resources to do so, or every country has, you know, the ability, but I mean, to me, that's a
02:05wonderful, wonderful thing. And, um, I mean, if you put this quote to this, Eva, but I think that
02:09there's, the UAE has been very smart and strategic about how it creates long-term growth of this
02:19sector, not just short-term growth. So the fact that Hasiba and I worked together is thanks to
02:26the UAE creating a climate where they're bringing in well-known established Western talent to work
02:33with Emiratis. And I think this film releasing on National Day, it does two things. I think
02:42we live in a country that is self-assured enough where it can go and talk about as a national
02:48issues affecting women, issues affecting mental health and convey those in hopefully a highly,
02:57a well-structured and high quality way that maybe isn't happening elsewhere in the region.
03:02And that, that has happened solely because of the climate that the UAE has created, which is
03:06amazing. And thank you so much for talking about mental health. This is one subject. I think people
03:11should talk about it, whether you go black swan on us or whether, you know, you go far on us, you
03:16know what I mean? Because I come from India where they don't even, uh, it's, there is a taboo
03:24attached to it. I'm sure even in the UAE, it's not spoken about as another, you know, there's so
03:29much stuff like now celebrities are coming out. They're trying to normalize taking pills or even
03:34treating it or talking about it, talk to a therapist. There's so much fame attached to it.
03:38So it's wonderful to have filmmakers, but taking on complex issues and, you know,
03:42taking it out of the closet, so to speak. Absolutely. I really feel we should normalize
03:47this. And like yesterday, you know, we had some people come up to us saying,
03:51it sort of helped open up a little bit of what was going on, you know, in their lives. And,
03:56and so this, this is, this is what brings me so much joy is that as a writer, as you know,
04:01if you touch somebody deeply and they come to you and they say, Oh my gosh, like what, what you
04:06wrote or what you, what you, you know, displayed or showed like express really, really touched me.
04:11And I feel like it changed me in this way. I mean, it's a beautiful thing. It's,
04:14it's kind of why I do what I do. And I feel like it's a beautiful thing to be able to
04:17get changed me in this way. I mean, it's a beautiful thing. It's, it's kind of why I do
04:20what I do. And I, and I agree with you. Yes, we need to normalize it. Absolutely. I feel like to
04:25me just recently seeing the last season of the crown, you know, this is a family that's admired
04:31all over the world. I mean, they, they have the top education for, you know, etiquette. They have
04:38the top education for history and everything. I mean, everybody looks up to them as the perfect
04:42family. Look how much they struggle. Look how much is also, you cannot talk about and you're
04:48not allowed to show. And of course there's protocol and all of this, but what I'm saying
04:51is that like, even if the most like admired family in the world is struggling, then of course,
04:56everybody that's living on planet earth is going to struggle in some way. And that's okay. Talk
05:00about it really. It's not, shouldn't have any shame or taboo attached in my opinion.
05:04Ideally. Yeah. And mental health is the biggest leveler. It can affect the rich, the poor,
05:08the famous, it doesn't matter just because you're rich and famous, you're equally troubled. If not,
05:12all you take to pill. Did you expect resistance from the pharma? Like you take on the pharma
05:18quite openly. I feel almost your stand is so obvious that you're not, you do call them out
05:25for perhaps, because we live in a very pill happy, you know, we love to pop pills. I mean,
05:29we self-medicate especially to buy UAE. I can't say it, but yeah, most parts of the world,
05:34we love our pills. So in your case, where you very, very clear that this is what our stand is
05:40going to be. The pharma industry is not going to like it, the billion dollar industry, but
05:44this is how we. Oh yeah. Yeah. Haswell answer really well, better than me. But I think that
05:50as somebody that's maybe not as well educated on this area is to see, but the thing that's
05:54absolutely stunned me is the number. I was expecting to be going to festivals and Q and A's
06:01and interviews and people pulling apart our message. That's really what I expected. I
06:06expected people to be going, well, you crazy, you know, drugs are so important. This is what we
06:10need. The British medical journal reviewed our film last week and they said, it's bizarre how
06:17accurate this is and how well researched it is. And the fact that sadly, even within medicine,
06:24there is still within classic Newtonian medicine, there's still this massive debate
06:28about whether antidepressants actually do more harm than good.
06:30Quick question. Is it a good idea to work with spouses? Because in journalism,
06:34we were told never to marry a journalist.
06:38No.
06:40I knew it. I knew that, right?
06:42No, it's a very tricky look. I'll tell you what we had already worked together when we were at
06:472454. So that dynamic already existed before we got married. So we were, you know, side by
06:55side, like for a while. And so when we got married, it became kind of like a natural thing to work
06:59together. So when I had said like, why don't we direct this together? And he had directed in the
07:04past and for a long time than just produced. He's like, you know what? Yeah, why not? Then things
07:09started to get really tricky because it's two heads making one decision. That's really difficult.
07:14That's very difficult. You know, it's kind of like a child really in a way.
07:19I mean, I always use that analogy. It's like bringing up a baby means that you have sleepless
07:23nights, you have arguments, you both love something, you both have different views on
07:26how you should do it. A film is no different. You know, it really isn't. You know, this film will
07:30have a lifetime of being in, you know, available for people to watch and view and have an opinion
07:36on and as well our baby. So, you know, it's kind of, that's how we see it.
07:43Now you guys are empty nesters. The kid is off to college. Enjoy your time.
07:49But it is so it was really nice to watch a movie as well. And I thought it was a very
07:54riveting film. Like I wasn't bored. I watched it in one stretch. So that's all a good sign, I feel.
07:59So, you know, I really hope the movie does well, even financially, like box office wise,
08:04because they have to make the money at the end of the day. I appreciate it.
08:11No, you're right. I mean, we're very lucky. We have had some amazing reviews over the last week
08:15out of Lebanon. And, you know, we're very, very fortunate. You know, cinema is tough at the moment,
08:20but if nothing else, I think it's a great statement to the world. And I hope it changes
08:25some lives because that's ultimately that's the real reward really.
08:29That really is. Thank you for changing the world one good movie at a time then.
08:33Indeed. Thank you so much.
08:35Thank you for your time. Thank you for sending me the screen.
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