DRIVING TO ZIGZIGLAND
OREGON PREMIERE!
Directed by Nicole Ballivian
United States, 92 mins.
Comedy/Drama
Saturday, 2:10 pM, The Grand Theater
Filmmakers Nicole Ballivian & Tarin Anderson in attendance
In the absorbing Driving To Zigzigland, a young Palestinian transplanted in Hollywood is pursuing his acting bug, but when he is persistently typecast in terrorist roles, the beleaguered Bashar must moonlight as a taxi driver to pay the bills. An unexpected letter from Homeland Security that demands immediate attention prompts a sudden need for an overnight earning spree and Bashar sets out to squeeze in as many customers as possible during his shift. An unceasing succession of passengers file in and out of the Arab immigrant’s cab, giving their indulgent driver an amusing earful of opinions on everything from suicide bombers to George Bush’s war in Iraq to Cat Stevens’ allegiance to Al-Qaeda. Based on his own true to life experiences, the film’s lighthearted appeal rides on the captivatingly charismatic lead performance by Bashar Da’as, who, confined to his green American cab while pining over the nostalgic success he had as an actor in Ramallah, leaves us questioning whether the American Dream is an idea truly worth the effort.
Filmography: First Feature
Awards: Arabian Sights Film Festival Audience Award; Amal Film Festival Best Film Award, Best Actor Award; International Festival of Muslim Cinema Russia Cinematographers and Film Critics Award
Showing with the short film
The Job
Directed by Jonathan Browning
United States, 4 mins.The Job takes a hot button political issue and turns it on its head in this satirical look at the immigration debate.
Nicole Ballivian (Director)
Born and raised in Washington DC, Nicole received a BA in Film from American University in 1997 and underwent a Master of Arts program in Islamic and Social Sciences from the Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences in Virginia in 1999. In 2002, Nicole formed BintFilm as a production company dedicated to filmmaking for the mass conscience. Residing in both Los Angeles and Jerusalem for the past seven years, Nicole’s 15-year background as Producer and Assistant Director on many films was what solidly prepared her to delve into screenwriting and directing.
Tarin Anderson (Cinematographer)
Originally from Seattle, Tarin grew up speaking Swedish, climbing mountains, and studying black and white photography. She studied film at both Vassar and Hampshire College before moving to Los Angeles, where she worked in both the camera and lighting department before doing her Masters in cinematography from AFI (the American Film Institute). She has shot commercial spots for such clients as Honda, MTV, McDonald's, and Wal-Mart and music videos for such bands as Death Cab for Cutie, The Decemberists, and CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy.) She is known for her strong composition, her collaborative spirit, and her love of lighting.
