Jodie Foster: Arab cinema is absent from America... and Morocco inspires me to film.
Arabian Sea Newspaper - Special
The famous American actress and director Jodie Foster expressed her regret for the absence of Arab cinema from the eyes of viewers in the United States, considering that Iranian cinema has succeeded in reaching the world thanks to its strong presence in international festivals. Foster said, during her talk to reporters on the sidelines of the "Marrakech International Film Festival" yesterday, "In America, we do not know much about Arab cinema, and I wait for the Oscar season in October to learn about foreign films," adding that she recently watched the film "Just a Simple Accident" by Iranian director Jafar Panahi, describing it as "very wonderful." Foster (63 years old) was honored at the festival on Saturday evening, as part of the activities of the 22nd session, which continues until December 6. The American star confirmed that she is looking forward to discovering Moroccan cinema up close, noting that Morocco, with its charming places such as "Marrakech and Essaouira," gives her "strong visual inspiration" for filming movies. She added: "All this warmth, the interaction of voices, colors, and rhythms... is something worth telling through cinema." Foster, who entered the field of cinema in childhood, considers the film (The Silence of the Lambs), for which she won an Oscar for Best Actress, to be one of the most important films in her career. She said, "There are many films that have marked my professional career, but perhaps 'The Silence of the Lambs' is the one that changed my life, because it is a more than wonderful film, a film with a mixture of horror, deep, intelligent, and stimulating human emotions, and at the same time it deals with women's issues." Regarding her transition to film directing, Foster said that her passion for reading helped her in directing, while acting deepened her human experience. She added, "I think I was made to be a director more, I love reading more, but acting gave me a greater opportunity to be in many situations that I would not have experienced if I had only stayed in reading and education."
