Egyptian-born filmmaker Sherine Salama talks about meeting the betrothed couple, the risks of filming in the West Bank and the nourishing magic of Melokhia.

How did you first meet Bassam?

I met Bassam in Heliopolis, a gloriously kitsch wedding emporium in Ramallah. I’d only been hanging out there for a couple of days when this strikingly confident man with an American accent strode in. Bassam was accompanied by his mother and sister, and together they were helping the painfully shy Mariam select a dress for her henna party. We hit it off from the start. I loved his sense of humor and his openness, and I think he related to me as a Palestinian from the diaspora, someone who could understand the side of him that had been westernized (leading to, among other things, lingering doubts about the wisdom of an arranged marriage). The wedding was scheduled to take place a little less than two weeks after we met, and Bassam invited me, and my camera, along for the ride.

What were the challenges of filming on the West Bank during a time of conflict?

Getting there and back was the main challenge. In Ramallah itself it was possible to find a hotel that was removed from any possible bombing targets (steer clear of police stations and government buildings); and the restrictions on the family’s freedom of movement inevitably became the restrictions on my movement, which meant that on the whole I played things safe. Getting in and out of Ramallah was always stressful because of the need to pass through Israeli army checkpoints. But even more stressful, as any journalist will confirm, is getting in and out of Israel itself. My Arabic name, along with the fact that I was born in Cairo, always draws unwanted attention (and this was before September 11, 2001). Flying El Al from New York to Tel Aviv I had a suitcase confiscated before I even arrived in the country —filled with my then two year-old daughter’s toys and baby things! Leaving Ben Gurion Airport I’m always subjected to a grueling interrogation, and with a small child in tow, it is even worse. It’s incredibly intimidating, and I always consider myself lucky to get on the plane at all.

How did your background help you to better understand this family and the Middle East situation?

Without my background—both as an Arab, and as an immigrant—I don’t think I could have understood the family. My own experiences, and those of my family, correspond with those of Bassam and his family in many ways. The main themes in the film are all things I have lived or witnessed close hand: cultural dislocation, the powerlessness of women in a patriarchal society, the social pressure to save face and uphold family honor. This personal insight made it possible for me not just to understand what the family was going through, but also to anticipate and “plot” the unfolding saga as a filmmaker.

What do you hope to achieve with this film?

The vast majority of the people who see A WEDDING IN RAMALLAH have never met a Palestinian, but they’ve been exposed to all the clichés about Palestinians, good and bad, perpetuated by the news media. I wanted to change this, to make a film about a Palestinian family that is informed by, but transcends, day-to-day politics. I want people to lose themselves in the story and characters—to care, passionately, as I do, about Bassam and his family (and of course, by extension, about the Palestinians). I’m heartened by the fact that I receive emails from people from all over the world wanting to know how Mariam is faring in Cleveland!

Why did you choose to present your film on public television?

I didn’t have any choice—there is certainly no room for a feature-length, subtitled, documentary portrait of a Palestinian family on commercial television! That said, I’m incredibly pleased to be able to reach a mass audience thanks to public television in the USA. (It was thanks to public television in Australia that I got the film off the ground at all.)

What didn’t you get done when you were making your film?

I neglected my health, my family, my friends and my finances.

What do you think is the most inspirational food for making independent film?

Melokhia—the rich, glutinous, gloriously green soup that has nourished Egyptian peasants for thousands of years. For best effect, serve with rice, chicken, and thinly sliced onions marinated in vinegar.

If you could have one motto, what would it be?

I recently spent a couple of weeks in Iraq, and everyone I met warned me that life passes you by quickly. I’m trying to live with this in mind at the moment!