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May in the Summer, Starring Award-Winning Filmmaker Cherien Dabis, Tells of an Accomplished Arab-American Returning to her Homeland
Every person is a child at home,’ May in the Summer states in its opening. This proverb is very universal in its wisdom. It symbolizes everyone can relate to the unraveling storyline and have empathy for its main character May.
The independent film May in the Summer premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition of the 2013 Sundance Film. It is a comedic drama about self and cultural awareness. Award-winning filmmaker Cherien Dabis, who wrote, produced and starred in the film, spoke with Arab America on the feature film’s release.
The premise features Dabis starring as May Brennan, a published author who visits her family in Amman, Jordan after returning from New York. She crafted a perfectly structured life that changes after she is thrust into dealing with past and present chaos surrounding her family. The central focus is on May’s upcoming marriage to her Palestinian secular Muslim fiancé, while she is an Arabic speaking Christian, which is under much scrutiny from her strained family. May is joined by her two Arab-American sisters, who spend a rare entire month with each other, all grappling with their own issues, right on the beautiful beaches across border from volatile Palestine.
The performance from Dabis in this second feature film of hers is one full of heart. The plot is semi-autobiographical as it relates to her life yet with a headstrong family thinking they all know what is best, and the strains of returning home, is a story all can relate to.
Dabis first caught major attention with her work AMREEKA (2009), which world-premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won the prestigious FIPRESCI award in the Director’s Fortnight at Cannes.
Arab America asked Cherien Dabis if it was a challenge to both direct and act in this film. She confirmed it was a huge challenge by explaining “I spent about a year and half training in the back-and-forth of it. To go between the two requires a huge shift in perspective. Letting go entirely and taking hold of the reins. Letting go and taking hold and on and on. I wanted to give myself as much experience in this shift as I could before going to set. I’m really grateful that I did that because I don’t know what would’ve happened had I not. Some days when we had enough time and the process was working, it was tremendously fulfilling. Other days, when we were rushed, and I barely had time to think, it was disorienting and worrisome. It was a lot to take on especially given that I also wrote the screenplay and was the lead producer. But if I had to do it over, I’d choose to do it again. It was definitely meant to be part of my journey.”
Portraying her American father in the film was leading actor Bill Pullman, which Dabis described as a huge treat. “He’s one of the kindest, most open and generous people I’ve ever worked with. He showed up with ice cream for everyone. Not to mention that he completely immersed himself in the culture, in a way that everyone found so admirable. He would meet people on the street and the next thing we knew, he was having dinner at their house. He was like a ray of sunshine.”
When continuing on discussing what makes this film’s storyline significant, Dabis confirmed our beliefs that it is made of up finding one’s identity. “It’s the story of four strong Arab women searching for their own inner truth and struggling to simply be who they are in a family, society and culture full of expectations of who they should be. Despite her success and her adoring fiancé, the main character May finds herself struggling to say what she means and admit what she wants. She has to peel away the trappings of success and the distractions of daily life in order to figure it out. And ultimately, she has to learn to trust her own instinct to guide her. That’s the sort of faith she finds in the film, a faith in herself. I think it’s a journey we don’t often get to see.”
She continued, “I also think that subverting the wedding genre is what makes the movie stand out. This is not your typical wedding film. In fact, it’s more of a divorce drama disguised as a wedding comedy. In a way, it examines or even questions the institution of marriage, which I think separates it from other movies of this kind.”
The film has many themes of acceptance. “I wanted to create a family of distinct characters with conflicting points of view on many things. They’re a family at war with one another in some ways. The father – an American – otherwise known as “the imperialist” who repeatedly cheated on his ex-wife – a Palestinian caught in the cycle of victimhood. Their daughters trapped between their parents and the countries they represent and suffering identity crises as a result. Our main character, May, the mediator between her parents, is the Jordan of the family, the stable one. So they come together for May’s wedding over the summer. At first, they are all on their best behavior. But at a certain point, they each unravel and have to learn to reconcile their differences if they’re to have honest, deep relationships with each other. I wanted to show how families can – in fact – love, support and accept each other despite those differences,” Dabis pointedly depicts.
Notably are bits of comic relief that could help ease viewers to accept the strong underlying theme. “That’s the idea. I like to use comedy to gently push the audience into uncomfortable areas they might not have anticipated in order for them to discover new things about themselves,” Dabis confirmed.
We asked her what do you want viewers to takeaway from the film? “I hope that they’re transported to a place they would’ve otherwise never gotten to go. I hope that they take away a fresh perspective on life, family, relationships or the Middle East in general. The film certainly shows a side of the Middle East we almost never get to see in film, television or media. And it isn’t political, but it does subtly layer politics between folds of the intimate,” she conveyed.
The film is brilliant because it actively engages the audience to think and pose themselves questions. Dabis believes it asks more questions than it answers. “How can we love each other despite our differences? How does past trauma sneak its way into the present moment? How can the future allow space for the past, but also inspire a present that can grow without anticipation or fear? These are some of the questions the audience is left with,” she explains.
Dabis’s upcoming projects are exciting. She went on to divulge that she’s “working with an LA-based producer on a quirky, existential love story that allows me to dive into the subject of death. It’s a very exciting departure from anything I’ve done up to this point. And it’s an entirely American project. I’m also writing a Palestine-based drama as well as developing a one-hour family TV drama about a Muslim Arab American family in Dearborn, Michigan.”
Though she is not formally connected with any organizations to bring assistance to the current situation in the Gaza region, she expresses she would certainly love to be, and follows several different organizations closely from the IMEU to Kinder USA.
May in the Summer will have premiers held in New York City and LA. It opens nationwide on Friday, August 22nd.
Showcasing the need for love and acceptance of all differences, this film is a must see. The film is witty, strong, and most of all has a rare realness with its cultural identity.
Watch the full official movie trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTOpxwSLguE
Rachel Partain
Arab America