HABIBI "darling, something is wrong with your head"

You are looking at a still from the film HABIBI by the talented director and dear friend Susan Youssef. What? You haven´t heard about it? Well, that is because the film is in the final stages of being completed.
    I am going to tell you about my love for Susan and for this "baby" of hers.  Before embarking on this labor of love, Susan had succesfully made five short films. I met Susan at the Sundance Film Festival while I was working there and she was screening her work.  I cannot tell you how we met, or any other detalis. To be honest I don´t remember them.  We kept in touch and in 2006 she was screening her short film "Marjoun and the Flying Headscarf"  I remember that we wanted to meet even if for a litte time to catch up.  I was running from screenings to press confereces, to some other non sense and I am sure she was equally busy, but we manage to arrange a time to meet. THAT, I remember quite well.  It was snowing in Park City, it was freezing cold, I run into the Frontier on Main venue and we found a place to sit and chat. To the day I remember that clearly, because I was running into the place to meet her and was supposed to run to be somewhere else after. The moment we sat to talk and she started telling me about HABIBI and I looked into those big beautiful eyes I just could not be rushed, I could not rush my conversation with her, nor did I want to. Passion is a powerful force, when paired with following one´s dreams, well, its simply unstopable.
I left her with the certainty that for as a daunting task it is to make a film IN Gaza, raise the money and actually seeing that through, Susan would do it.
    In todays day when independent filmmaking is such a common place, we sometimes forget what truly is to make a film independently. Susan´s work on HABIBI has been such an inspiring way for me to remember, not only what it takes to make an indie film, but how we CAN make our dreams come true, only if we are willing to sacrifice and work. A lot.
    Over the years since my conversation with Susan in Park City I have stayed in touch, I have cheered her on, I have asked, I have been in awe. She did raise the money to go and actually shoot the film in Gaza. Let that sink in for a minute. She raised the money and actually shot her film in Gaza.
I am lucky enough to have a good relationship and sometimes friendship with many talented filmmakers, people with a true passion for their craft. I usually don´t go out there, yelling from the rooftops how great they are.
    This is different. I have and continue to see Susan battling it out for this film to be completed, for her voice to be heard. Trust me, it needs to be heard.  The film is done for the most part. She just has the last stretch to be done.  I am going to let her tell you herself. Before I do that, I am going to ask you something simple: Do you have dreams? Did you ever run after them? Are you still dreaming? How woud you feel if someone helped you along the way?
    Keep those questions in your mind, then just click HABIBI and hear from Susan herself.

                                       From me, a heartfelt THANK YOU!
                                                                                         P.



P.S. For more detailed information on the film, please visit the official site http://www.habibithefilm.com/