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BEYOND PARADISEPress Kit

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Genre:Drama, Romance.

Logline:

Haunted by a tragic past, a stunning music student flees Iran and ends up in an estranged marriage in Los Angeles, where her piano teacher’s young lover sparks a passion in her that threatens to destroy all.

Synopsis:

Destiny weaves a love triangle: Shahrzad (Francia Raisa), a stunning music student, her husband Sean (Max Amini), a successful stand-up comedian, and Sebastian (Ryan Guzman), a poetic Spanish American gardener. Caught in the middle is Shahrzad’s piano teacher, Elana (Daphne Zuniga), a former screen femme fatale, who is having her own furtive affair with Sebastian.

Soon Sebastian falls in love with Shahrzad. Shahrzad discovers her “arranged” marriage with Sean is doomed.

Unexpectedly, a friendship flourishes between Shahrzad (Muslim) and her piano teacher Elana (Jewish), nourished by their passion for classical music, especially Tchaikovsky’s music. It grows stronger when they learn of each other’s secret tragedies.

Shahrzad becomes the focus of attention of two women, Elana and Parissa (Yareli Arizmendi) her mother-in-law. Simultaneously, Shahrzad becomes the object of desire for three men: Sebastian, Sean and Ray (Misha Crosby), the loner brother-in-law.

Infusing the young lovers’ secret romance are Rumi’s ecstatic poems and Lorca’s mysterious poetry that drive Sebastian in hot pursuit of Shahrzad, inflaming a passion that threatens to destroy all.

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Director's Inspiration

“Lorsque rien n’existait, l’amour existait ;et lorsqu’il ne restera plus rien, l’amour restera ;

il est le premier et le dernier."

“When nothing existed, love existed;and when nothing shall remain, love shall remain;

It is the first and the last.”

- Princess Shéhérazade, One Thousand and One Nights.

GenesisEarly 1990’s I was living in Paris studying ‘Langue et Civilisation Françaises’ at Sorbonne University. While browsing books in a small bookshop on the left bank, I bought “Schéhérazade ou l’éducation d’un roi” (“Sheherazade or the education of a King”) a book by Marie Lahy-Hollebecque** see reference at bottom. From this book, I saved the above quote, which on screen starts and sets the central theme of the movie Beyond Paradise.

A dual U.K. and U.S. citizen but of mixed Middle Eastern descent, I’ve spent most of my life in exile – away from motherland and family – studying, living, and working in London, San Francisco, Rio, Los Angeles, New York and Paris.

I’m drawn to the stories of displaced people, the plight of the lonely, voiceless and marginalized minorities of the world, especially women, children, and gays and lesbians. The human being’s most powerful and mysterious feeling of “falling in love” intrigues me. I’m attracted to cross-cultural love stories involving clash and conflict, aiming for a greater understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures.

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Shahrzad (Francia Raisa) Tehran flashback

Beyond Paradise may be the first movie about the lives of certain Iranian immigrants uprooted from their homeland and displaced to California. In particular, the film is about the tragic consequences of the violent abuse of a young classical music student, Shahrzad, who flees Iran to marry an Iranian in Los Angeles, but then Qismet (Destiny) leads her to fall in love with Sebastian, a Spanish-American man.

Perhaps as a therapy against her past tragedy, Shahrzad becomes an avid reader of Rumi, the 13th C. Persian poet. Rumi’s ecstatic poetry is naturally used in the film, a bit similar to the use of Neruda’s poems in the Italian movie Il Postino. Set in Los Angeles, Beyond Paradise is mostly in the English language. (Hopefully this may help to introduce Rumi’s sublime love poems and the tragic repercussions of ‘‘Violence Against Women’, to a wider international audience.)

Visuals

To arrive at an outline of a story, I need to imagine striking visuals. Or, to be struck by images that are so astonishing and haunting they shadow me during the day and follow me to bed at night. The images begin to generate, or associate with, themes or ideas that I care passionately about. It helps if the images/themes evoke music and/or dance that could become organic elements of the story.

Music and poetry quickly developed into integral parts of this storytelling. Being a world music collector (a patron of World Music Institute in NY) I gravitate to plots where music and dance and/or poetry are natural elements of the story. (My first feature David & Layla, a political romantic comedy, is elevated by its mélange of the music and dance worlds of Jewish David and Muslim Layla, mixed with the

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jazz sounds of New York where the unlikely lovers first meet by a stroke of Destiny.)

Violence Against Women

Du'a Khalil Aswad

Beyond Paradise’s central character 'Shahrzad' and her tragic story evolved from several sources. A few years ago, I saw a mobile phone video on YouTube of a delicate 17-year old girl, Du'a Khalil Aswad, being kicked and stoned to death by men in Iraq. Some of the murderers were members her own immediate family. This was a diabolical instance of a so-called “Honor Killing." What was Du'a’s crime that her family so badly wanted their "Honor" saved from, driving them to crush her to death so abominably? Du'a and a 19-year old boy from a faith different than hers had fallen in love.

Du'a Khalil Aswad

During Du’a's struggle, her skirt gets lifted up so the men throw a dark jacket over her lower body. But it comes off, exposing her sexy black Western underwear. This further infuriates a man who picks up a concrete block lying near her head, then he slams it back down onto her head to finish her off. This surreal barbarism was being witnessed by several men including the mobile phone guys who took the video and a couple of policemen. Yet no one came forward to help her. So gruesome were the grainy visuals on YouTube of young Du’a trying helplessly and hopelessly to rise while rocks were showered on her, I could never erase them from my mind.

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Neda Soltan’s murder in Tehran

Neda Soltan

Then, in summer 2009 I saw on TV the Tehran street protests against President Ahmadinejad’s disputed re-election. Long batons brutally beat peaceful young men and women. Suddenly, a young woman was shot in her heart and fell to death. This was Neda Soltan, a music student accompanied by her music teacher. Neda’s final moments were caught on mobile phones and broadcast around the world and went viral on the Internet. (The haunting video of her innocent eyes frozen wide open and framed by flowing blood is featured in Beyond Paradise.)

The fact that Neda Soltan was a young music student led to our fictional character Shahrzad to be also a music student. Thus allow the organic use of music in the movie.

Neda Soltan

Sheherazade’s 1001 Nights

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The next piece came from the classical story of Sheherazade (Shahrzad), the young princess storyteller of One Thousand and One Nights, misnamed by Sir Richard F. Butron as Arabian Nights << see Notes at bottom.

When Shah (‘King’) Shahryar caught his wife making love to the cook, he was so enraged he had his wife decapitated. Convinced that all women are false and faithless, he vowed to behead each of his virgin brides after the first nuptial night. But the most beautiful of all the virgins, Princess Sheherazade, willingly offered herself to the Shah. She saved her life by entertaining her lord with compelling and endless tales.

Sheherazade was so well educated in literature, poetry, theater, art, music and history that she managed to tell fantastic stories night after night. Using her studies of human nature, Sheherazade quickly captured the Shah’s attention by making her initial tales to be about betrayal, treachery, vengeance and death, often exposing crafty, vile, tricky and disloyal women. Indeed, this was sweet music to the Shah’s ears.

At each dawn, she cleverly ended her stories on a suspenseful cliffhanger so the Shah would postpone her death to the next night to hear the rest of the story. But Sheherazade’s stories within stories were not just mesmerizing but never ending. (‘One Thousand and One Nights’ was meant to evoke infinite nights of never ending stories. Scholars only found about 350 authentic stories of 1001 Nights. )

Only when Sheherazade gained the Shah’s confidence did she unfold tales full of magic, humor, warmth, wit, surprise and happy endings; and exemplary stories with moral and wisdom of life messages; and imaginative and astonishing stories within stories, some spiced with eroticism; others featured believable Jinnis, Houris, speaking animals, flying magic carpets and crystals that could instantly reveal distant scenes in full color, much like today’s internet.

Sheherazde’s stories were often about the mystery and the intoxicating power of Love, and about the inevitable ways of Destiny; the unpredictable turns of the

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Wheels of Fate, creating then reversing and devastating a person’s fortune and happiness.

Imperceptibly Sheherazade spun riveting stories featuring beautiful, playful and seductive heroines who were clever, witty, strong, fair, truthful and able to foil and survive men’s dastardly tricks and traps. The women often excelled in noble virtues such as wisdom, patience, grace, charm, diplomacy, deep love – and yes – absolute loyalty!

"Greatest Story Ever Told"

Consumed with curiosity, the Shah postponed from day to day the execution of Sheherazade, and finally repudiated his bloody vow entirely. He fell in love with Sheherazade and married her! Thus Sheherazade triumphed not only to save herself but all the other virgins from being deflowered, and then beheaded.

What a supreme testimony to the magical powers of storytelling! Young Sheherezade enthralled and educated a betrayed and cruel King by captivating him with stories night after night, thus preventing the Shah from deflowering and beheading virginal girls. No wonder A. S. Byatt and other literary scholars esteem Sheherazade’s 1001 Nights to be “the greatest story ever told.”

"I don't deserve to be called Shahrzad"

Naturally the pre-Islam Sheherazade or Shahrzad continues to be a popular name for girls in Iran. Naming our music student Shahrzad led to the background subplot that she, too, tries to save her best school friend Zara from being

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murdered in Tehran street protests. Against impossible odds, Shahrzad risks her life to save Zara. But she fails. Worse: an acid attack horrifically scars one of her breasts. Shahrzad survives with the memory of Zara’s murder embedded in her heart.

Scarred physically for life and traumatized, Shahrzad has to live the rest of her life burdened with the guilt of her failure to save Zara. Hence Shahrzad’s touching dialog in Beyond Paradise to her lover Sebastian: “I don’t deserve to be called Shahrzad” which she repeats in a poignant scene towards the end of the movie.

Sheherazade Symphony by Korsakov, 1888

Sheherazade’s’ tales of 1001 nights fascinated Europe and the rest of the world. The French Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire claimed he read ‘Les Mille et Une Nuits‘ (The 1001 Nights) fourteen times before he penned his Zadig ou la Destinée, a philosophical novel in the manner of 1001 Nights >> see reference at bottom.

In 1888, the Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov paid his homage to Sheherazade’s 1001 Nights by composing a splendid orchestral symphony suite entitled Scheherazade. In 1910, this symphony inspired the ballet adaptation Shéhérazade performed in Paris by Ballets Russes under the direction of Michel Fokine.

An evocative piece of Sheherazade’s music opens the movie. This sublimely sweet and poignant music becomes a recurring theme on the movie’s soundtrack- a counterpoint to the violent images of Shahrzad’s flashbacks to her past tragedy in Tehran.

Rumi and Lorca’s Poetry

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Shahrzad’s story about true love naturally led to the 13 C. Persian poet Rumi who had written about divine Spirituality and universal Love. Fortunately, Rumi also composed ecstatic romantic love poems, some 300 years before Shakespeare’s poetry about the magic of love. Rumi’s simple but breathtakingly romantic poems about sensual love needed to be celebrated in our movie.

To compliment Shahrzad’s love for Rumi, I developed her lover Sebastian, a Spanish-American. Thus the motivation to invoke Federico Garcia Lorca’s poems, to parallel Shahrzad’s passion for Rumi. Poetry became an additional attraction between the two lovers.

The complete list of Rumi and Lorca’s poems used is on the movie site at Poems .

Breast Cancer

Elana (Daphne Zuniga) endures breast cancer

About the time of developing these characters and themes, my London-based sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. Later my older sister was also discovered with breast cancer. I made Shahrzad’s piano teacher Elana to be also afflicted with breast cancer. Thus Elana and Shahrzad discover that in addition to their common passion for Tchaikovsky’s music, they both suffer from breast problems. By sharing their secret breast tragedies, Shahrzad and Elana gradually bond and become best friends... while both in love with Sebastian.

Qismat = Destiny. Love Triangle

Qismat or Destiny is part of the Iranian and the Middle East's culture and daily life.

Shahrzad flees Iran and marries an Iranian American stand-up comedian in Los Angeles in a kind of arranged marriage- a marriage of convenience. To escape to freedom, many girls hopelessly stuck under oppressive regimes, some even suffering, or threatened with, violent abuse, marry men of their own ethnicity who are already successful and established in the free West.

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http://beyondparadisemovie.com/special-features/poems/

Sebastian (Ryan Guzman) recites Rumi to Shahrzad (Francia Raisa)

By creating the Shahrzad character to be a classical music student, it gave the idea to create Elana. Elana becomes Shahrzad’s piano teacher. Since Shahrzad is Muslim, making Elana to be Jewish made the student and teacher relationship more interesting.

Young Sebastian is Elana’s handsome and poetic gardener. He’s also her secret beau. But it’s Coup de Foudre, Love at First Sight, when Sebastian by accident (Destiny) first sees Shahrzad. Later by the ocean waves, Shahrzad weeps over a Farsi word she had written in the sand: ‘Qismat.’

A complex love triangle ensues between Shahrzad, Sean her husband, and Sebastian, with Elana caught in the middle. Alluding to their complex situation, Shahrzad in a tender scene says to Sebastian: “Our Qismet is not be… Maybe it’s my fate…”

Classical Music

Shahrzad, Elana and Sebastian’s passion for music and poetry led to the natural use of both Iranian and Western classical music on the movie’s soundtrack.

Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sheherazade tender music opens the movie. This sweet music is replayed over the graphically violent beating of Shahrzad and Zara during the Tehran flashbacks, which may remind of Stanley Kubrick’s use of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 wonderful music on the soundtrack of A Clockwork Orange as counterpoint to the violent gang rape scene.

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Similarly, Korsakov’s Sheherazade music is repeated on Beyond Paradise’s soundtrack to contrast the beauty and poetry of life against the ugliness and absurdity of violence.

Shahrzad’s teacher Elana, the classical pianist, gave the chance to feature a few phrases from the classical music of Tchaikovsky, Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. For our cross-cultural love story, this parallels the use of classical Persian music played on ancient instruments of Iran: Setar, Ney, Robab, Santoor, Daf and Tonbak (some of which are about 4000 years old.)

Samples of music cues used are on the movie site at Music Soundtrack.

Equality Now

How is it that women who hundreds of years ago had such important roles in literature and society and were the objects and muses of high admiration, passionate poems, and splendid music, but now they are objects of fear, abuse, oppression, beatings, acid attacks, even being stoned to death? Why in the 21st C. are women still not allowed the same freedom as men? As Shahrzad says: "(Back home) I was not even allowed to sing in public."

The Ocean

The ocean is a constant metaphor from the start of the story to the end. The lovers rendez-vous are often on the beach. Their poignant, joyous and sad romance scenes occur by the sea; as is their final tragic scene. The backdrop imagery of the ocean echoes Life, and the lovers’ ideal of Love: beautiful, deep, turbulent, vast, ceaseless, and forever. The final scene of the script reads:

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http://beyondparadisemovie.com/special-features/music-soundtrack/

“Camera flies, chasing the gun down the cliff. It sweeps over the rocks, searching for Shahrzad and Sebastian’s bodies. Nothing is seen or heard except the sound of the wind and the sight of the ocean endlessly returning to embrace the shore over and over, as if nothing happened…”

This movie’s end may remind of Romeo and Juliet’s finale. Beyond Paradise ends with a surprise additional ending: a dream-like lovers’ embrace that fades to pure white- a divine wish that perhaps ‘true love survives even death’; thus book-ending with the opening ‘Sheherazade’ quote of the movie: “When nothing existed, love existed; and when nothing shall remain, love shall remain; it is the first and the last.”

In the same spirit, Rumi’s spiritual poem “Cycle of Life” is divinely sang by the actress/singer Fereshteh Dehghani in the final ending of the movie. Perhaps, with this poem Rumi in his spiritual manner poetically reflects the Buddhist philosophy of the Cycle of Life and Death that is remarkably different from both the Biblical and Quranic interpretations of Life.

I died as a mineral, I grew as a plant

I died as a plant, I arose as an animal

I died as an animal, I returned as a human

Why should I fear? When was I less by dying?

When I die as a human, I shall fly with the angels

When I leave my angel-soul, I soar higher

I shall reach the ecstasy of the Divine

All shall perish, except the Divine.

- Rumi, 13th C. Persian poet

*****

Notes:

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Persian Hazar Afsan or Hazar O Yak Shab, that’s ‘Sheherazade’s 1001 Nights’ was enhanced and expanded further during the golden age of Middle Eastern arts and literature. It’s translated into every language correctly with the original, mysterious and evocative title of ‘One Thousand and One Nights‘, including into Arabic Alf Layla wa Layla and French Les Mille et Une Nuits ## see reference at bottom.

One Thousand and One Nights book cover in Arabic

Except for the British who changed the marvelous and poetic One Thousand and One Nights to the banal and commercial title of 'Arabian Nights Entertainment' (later shortened to 'Arabian Nights') accentuating the sexuality of the stories, evidently to titillate and attract book readers in the repressed Britain under the reign of Queen Victoria.

The 1001 Nights influenced almost every writer of fame from Boccaccio (Decameron) to Cervantes, Voltaire, Proust, Stendhal, Dumas, Jules Vernes, Goethe, Hans Christian Anderson, Pushkin, Tolstoy, Wordsworth, H.G. Wells, Poe, Angela Carter... and Borges.

Some 20 years of research led to a brilliant book “The Arabian Nights- A Companion” by the British scholar Dr. Robert Irwin. He calls the last chapter ‘Children Of The Nights’ devoting over 60 pages to discuss the famous writers influenced by The 1001 Nights. Irwin concludes: “Indeed, it might have been an

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easier, shorter chapter if I had discussed those writers who were not influenced by The Nights.” << see reference at bottom.

In America, sadly the wonderful, fantastic, adventurous, witty, sensual, multi-layered, moral and diverse stories of The 1001 Nights, “the best story ever told”, is largely known only for a few of its tales, turned into simplistic and popular animation movies, such as Ali Baba, Sinbad and Disney’s Aladdin.

——————–

** Schéhérazade ou l’éducation d’un roi par Marie Lahy-Hollebecque, Paris, 1987.

<< The Arabian Nights - A Companion by Robert Irwin, London, 1994.

>> Zadig ou la Destinée ,“Zadig, or The Book of Destiny” par Voltaire, Paris, 1747.

## Les Mille et Une Nuits, par Antoine Galland, Paris, 1704 – 1707

*****

Cast

Francia Raisa (Shahrzad)

As a Gracie Award and La Femme Film Festival Rising Star Award recipient, 2012 Teen Choice, IMAGEN and an ALMA award nominee for her portrayal of ‘Adrian Lee’ on ABC Family’s critically acclaimed series “The Secret Life of an American Teenager,” Francia Raisa continues to prove herself as a star on the rise. Francia was featured on the August 2012 cover of Backstage magazine as one of Young Hollywood’s top Latinos in American TV and Film, further proving she is a unique talent to watch.

Francia was born and raised in Southern California to mother Virginia Almendarez of Mexico and father Maximo Renan Almendarez Coello of Honduras, (one of the most recognized radio personalities and #1 Latino DJs in Los Angeles). At the age of five, Francia began taking dance lessons to learn all styles from tap to jazz, acrobatics, hip- hop and Polynesian. In addition to dance, she trained in karate and ice-skating. Looking to expand her talents her junior year of high school, Francia decided to study both acting and modeling. She started to get noticed, and soon began to model for print ads and national

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commercials. A month into her senior year of high school, Francia booked her first lead role, starring opposite Hayden Panettiere in Bring it On: All or Nothing.

Not long after wrapping Bring it On, Francia booked the lead female role of MGM’s TV movie for ABC Family The Cutting Edge 3: Chasing the Dream, before ultimately landing her breakout role as ‘Adrian Lee,’ a series regular ABC Family’s award-winning The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Created by Brenda Hampton (7th Heaven), the program broke all records for an original series on the network, including taking the #1 spot in its time slot for cable TV when it premiered in summer of 2008. The show is one of the most popular teen TV shows on air. Up next, Francia will be seen on an upcoming episode of The Mindy Project, and she has been cast as a recurring player in The CW pilot The Company Town.

Adding to an even more exciting year, Francia stars as Tory Bell with WWE Superstar Mike “The Miz” Mizanin in the ABC Family original movie Christmas Bounty, produced by Michael Luisi (The Call) and WWE Studio. It premieres on November 26, 2013.

In addition to her success on television, the horror film Chastity Bites, in which Francia stars was released early November 2013 by Gravitas Ventures via Warner Bros.

Francia stars alongside Ryan Guzman in Beyond Paradise, a drama cross-cultural love story executive produced by Gill Holland (Sweet Land, Hurricane Streets, FLOW: For Love of Water, Spring Forward, Loggerheads...), and directed by J.J. Alani (David & Layla.)

Francia resides in Los Angeles and continues to stay true to her dancing roots with weekly advanced classes at a dance studio in Hollywood. Francia strives to be a role model for all her female fans. In her spare time, she works to raise awareness on important causes such as hunger, domestic violence, sex trafficking and female empowerment.

Ryan Guzman (Sebastian)

Lionsgate/Summit Entertainment cast Ryan Guzman to play the lead role in ‘Step Up: All In’ the number 5 of the international franchise Step Up movies. Shot in 3D, it will be released in 2014. Lionsgate announced Guzman’s starring Step Up#4 (Step Up Revolution) grossed more than $140M worldwide.

Starring alongside Jennifer Lopez and Kristin Chenoweth, Guzman plays the titular role in The Boy Next

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Door, the Blumhouse thriller. Directed by Rob Cohen, the movie will be distributed worldwide in 2015 by Universal Studios.

Guzman can be seen as “Jake”, a principal role, on the international hit ABC Family TV series Pretty Little Liars.

A successful model, Guzman had sought out a talent manager and started the audition process for acting roles. A few months later auditioning for Step Up Revolution, he landed the coveted male lead, his first acting role.

He quickly followed with two indie projects: the action film April Rain directed by Luciano Saber and There’s Always Woodstock directed by Rita Merson.

Next, Guzman was cast as “Sebastian” the sought after romantic leading role in the cross cultural drama, Beyond Paradise, a poignant love story executive produced by Gill Holland (Sweet Land, Hurricane Streets, FLOW: For Love of Water, Spring Forward, Loggerheads), and written/produced/directed by J.J. Alani (David & Layla.)

A model and an MMA fighter, Guzman had caught the notice of Hollywood. He has been seen in television commercials for Old Navy, Gillette, Candies and the Oprah Winfrey Network. He was a successful print model in San Francisco signing with LOOK Modeling Agency at the age of 18 and in Los Angeles, where he joined the esteemed Wilhelmina Agency at age 22. He has modeled for Abercrombie & Fitch, Affliction and Reebok among others.

Born in Texas and raised in his hometown of Sacramento, Guzman never thought of becoming an actor. At the age of 7, he developed an interest in martial arts and earned his first black belt in Tae Kwon Do by the age of 10. This led him into the octagon as a MMA fighter in Sacramento until his fighting license expired in 2010, while also modeling. A gifted athlete, he was a sought-after left-handed pitcher with a fastball clocked between 87-90 miles per hour. A shoulder injury ended this career dream while Guzman was still a teenager.

Guzman is represented by a CAA team led by Matt DelPiano. His manager is Tim Taylor, Luber Roklin Entertainment.

Daphne Zuniga (Elana)

Daphne Zuniga is beloved by generations of moviegoers for her performances in such classic films as Mel Brooks' Spaceballs, and The Sure Thing, in which she starred opposite John Cusack. On television, she starred as Jo Beth Reynolds on the hit series Melrose Place, played the scheming Victoria Davis for five seasons on One Tree Hill, and starred on the ABC Family series Beautiful People.

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Over the past several years she has also starred in a number of highly rated movies for television, including On Strike for Christmas, A Family Thanksgiving, and her latest, Gone Missing. On stage, she starred in the world premiere of Theresa Rebeck's play The Scene, and will soon be seen in the film version.

Zuniga stars in a new cable TV Signed, Sealed, Delivered, which premiered as a TV movie on cable's Hallmark Channel in November 2013. It will become a 10-episode weekly series in 2014. Signed, Sealed, Delivered also stars Eric Mabius (Ugly Betty), and Kristin Booth (The Kennedys.)

Outside of acting, she is deeply committed to environmental issues, and was a founding member of Earth Communications Office (ECO), an organization that harnesses the power of the environmental movement and the entertainment community. In 2009, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa appointed her to the founding board of the LA River Revitalization Corporation. She is a native of Berkeley, CA.

Misha Crosby (Ray)

Misha Crosby (born 28 January 1987) is a British actor based in Hollywood, California.

Crosby was born and brought up in London. He was a music scholar at school and led a world premiere on the violin at the Wigmore Hall at 14 years old. He performed for the National Youth Music Theatre and went on to train at Drama Studio London.

He previously starred in the BBC television series Holby City as Sam Strachan's son Kieron, in Channel 4's Hollyoaks and has had various guest appearances in other TV shows. In 2011 he was cast as Ryan Harwell in the Warner Brothers television series The Lying Game.

Film roles include, Abbas in the award winning British feature film Life Goes On, and he stars in Beyond Paradise playing the pivotal role of the traumatized loner Ray. Beyond Paradise is a drama cross-cultural love story also starring Francia Raisa, Ryan Guzman and Daphne Zuniga, a drama cross-cultural love story executive produced by Gill Holland (Sweet Land, Hurricane Streets, FLOW: For Love of Water, Spring Forward, Loggerheads...), and directed by J.J. Alani (David & Layla.)

Max Amini (Sean)

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Max Amini was born in Tucson Arizona and was raised on the East Coast. He graduated from UCLA’s school of Theater, Film and Television in 2004. As an actor, Max has over 50 film and television credits including NBC’s Heroes, regular appearances on Comedy Central’s Mind of Mencia, and a leading role in the upcoming feature film Beyond Paradise.

Max began his standup comedy career in 2002 at the LA Improv. In 2009 Max was chosen as one of the finalists for

NBC’s Diversity Showcase. Through an array of eccentric impressions and novel storytelling, Max expresses his comedy by delivering a strong message about family ties, cultural aspects, and social topics. What really sets Max apart from most comedians is his ability to improvise and create on the spot. It's not uncommon for an audience member to sit through two Max Amini shows in one night and find two totally different performances.

Max is now headlining his own shows and his international tour is in places like Canada, England, Australia, Germany, Dubai, Sweden, and Malaysia and have been well received.Max plays the complex role of Shahrzad's husband in Beyond Paradise, a drama cross-cultural love story executive produced by Gill Holland (Sweet Land, Hurricane Streets, FLOW: For Love of Water, Spring Forward, Loggerheads...), and directed by J.J. Alani (David & Layla.)

Yareli Arizmendi (Parisa)

Award winning actress, writer and producer, Yareli Arizmendi is best known for her tour de force performances as "Rosaura" in Like Water for Chocolate and “Lila Rodriguez” in A Day Without a Mexican which she co-wrote and co-produced.

She plays the critical and principal role of Parissa in Beyond Paradise, a drama cross-cultural love story executive produced by Gill Holland (Sweet Land, Hurricane Streets, FLOW: For Love of Water, Spring Forward,

Loggerheads...), and directed by J.J. Alani (David & Layla.)

Her other films include: The Road directed by David De Leon both presently in post-production, Mariachi Gringo directed by Tom Gustafson, winner of the Guadalajara Film Festival 2012, América by Sonia Fritz with Eddie Olmos, Don’t Let Me Drown by Cruz Angeles, Fast Food Nation by Rick Linklater and Naco Es Chido by Sergio Arau which she co-produced as well.

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She has starred in numerous American episodic shows including House, Medium, 24, Six Feet Under, and Heroes and has lent her voice to many products, public awareness campaigns and audio books including The Alchemist, Like Water for Chocolate, The Law of Love and Malinche.

Her work with Luis Valdez at Teatro Campesino and Teatro de la Esperanza with Jose Luis Valenzuela helped shape the socially conscious work to come. A partial list of those interviewed by her includes: Noam Chomsky, Jesse Jackson, Naomi Klein (The Shock Doctrine) Junot Diaz (Pulitzer Prize winner - The Brief Life of Oscar Wao), Lila Downs, Maria Hinojosa, Rigoberta Menchú, Amy Goodman (host of Democracy Now), and John Perkins (Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.)

Yareli is presently working on a novel entitled The Story of Y. A curious autobiography, which brings a bi-national, bi-cultural political and social reality into sharp focus through the eyes of a young girl making sense of it. A Cuban-Mexican born in Mexico City, Yareli received her BA in Political Science and her MFA in Theatre at the University of California, San Diego.

Christopher Maleki (Hosain/Tehran flashback)

Christopher started acting professionally at the young age of 12.

With many films and episodic TV under his belt, Christopher signed on with the soap Passions, where he played the lovable bad boy "Spike Lester." While continuing his work on Passions, Christopher took notable roles on hit prime time shows such as CSI:NY, and the feature film Mcbride: It's Murder, Madam opposite John

Larroquette.

The increase in film and television roles during this time allowed Christopher to prove his diversity and talent as an actor. After several seasons on Passions, Christopher left to pursue other work, which has included roles on the Starz series Crash and the CBS mega hit, CSI.

On September 20th 1996, he was working on the TV show Sliders with fellow actor Ken Steadman when tragedy struck. Ken was the driver of a dune buggy with cameras mounted on; Christopher was a passenger when the vehicle flipped over killing Ken and seriously injuring Christopher. It was a life-changing experience. He decided to take a couple of years off and see the world.

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Since his return, Christopher has enjoyed much success taking roles on popular series such as Beverly Hills 90210, Party of Five and recurring roles on Santa Barbara, The Bold and the Beautiful, Pacific Blue, and Days of Our Lives.

Mel Fair (Dr. Richards)

Mel Fair has more than 25-years of award-winning experience in the entertainment industry. He has appeared in numerous feature films, including Beyond Paradise, Ragamuffin, Johnny, The Ultimate Gift, Atlas Shrugged: Parts I, II & III as well as J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg’s, Super 8, among others. Mel has made guest appearances on more than 45 episodic and daytime television shows including, True Blood, Body of Proof, Rizzoli & Isles, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Desperate Housewives, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Defenders to name a few. Mel

has also played recurring roles on Justified, Weeds, Revenge, Scandal, Chuck, Big Love, Dirty Sexy Money, The O.C., and many other hit shows on the small screen.

In addition, Mel has lent his voice-over talents to numerous video games, including Call of Duty: World at War, Command and Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight, Shrek 2 as the Magic Mirror, Everquest II and Tribes Vengeance, among others. He has also been heard on television and radio spots for Disney Live! Rockin Road Show, U.S. Cellular, Outback Steakhouse, Kawasaki, Polaris snowmobiles, KFC, and Golden Corral Restaurants, as well as numerous other voice-over projects nationwide and around the globe.

Kira Soltanovich (Kira / Standup comedian)

Kira has been a recurring character for seven years on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as the voice of “The Photo Booth.”

A Series Regular on the Oxygen and nationally syndicated show, Girls Behaving Badly, she has also appeared on such shows as PrankStars, Hell’s Kitchen, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Fresh Baked Videos on Spike. And also, listen for Kira as the voice of "Carla", in the animated series, Iggy Cool. You can catch her on two FOX shows, Red Eye and Reality Binge as a correspondent.

She’s written for Joan Rivers on the TV Land series How’d You Get So Rich? and for such Disney stars as Selena Gomez, Mitch Musso and Debby Ryan on the Disney show PrankStars. Most recently, Kira sold a pilot to Disney called Weekly Squeak, the network’s first clip style promotion show.

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Born in the former Soviet Union, and raised by immigrant parents in San Francisco, Kira Soltanovich has plenty to laugh about. "Like most kids, my parents took me to Disneyland… not for the rides, for the lines. They assumed there’d be food at the end of them."

A staple on the comedy scene, Kira has worked in the entertainment world as a writer, actor and producer. Her first television option was with New Line Television for the hybrid comedy, Weren’t You Scott Baio? Her feature film What’s Your Sign? was optioned with Terra Firma at Universal later that year.

Kira is currently writing/producing two scripts for Moscow’s Channel One.

You can catch her on Showtime in the critically acclaimed comedy special Hot Tamales Live, and in her own half hour comedy special for the Showtime network called Here Comes Trouble.

She has shot several pilots this year for Comedy Central, The Food Network, Lifetime and VH1, including a brand new Celebrity, Sports and Entertainment pilot called Box Seat with Dennis Rodman and Jose Conseco. Kira has hosted shows on FOX, E!, and VH1. She headlines clubs and colleges, and tours the world entertaining troops in USO shows.

Lastly, she has performed in a myriad of comedy competitions and festivals, including Last Comic Standing, The Cape Town International Comedy Festival, Comedy Central's Laugh Riots, and several times at the prestigious Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal.

Rome Shadanloo (Zara / Tehran flashback)

Born in Tehran, Iran, Rome Shadanloo came to Los Angeles at the age of 2. Growing up she lived in a world of imagination, which prompted her to pick up her first paint brush at the age of 4. In High School she was deeply inspired to pursue acting but decided to attend art school instead. Rome made the difficult decision to leave art school and finally pursue acting.

She got her first break on How I Met Your Mother and has been working steadily since. Rome Shadanloo works

toward her artistic goals under the alias, Rome Apple. She has had several successful gallery shows and has found a way to successfully combine both her passions.

In 2012, she was asked to make scary dolls that were used in the psychological thriller The Cottage in which she also had a supporting role. She continues to pursue great roles, which inspire her artistically, such as in Beyond Paradise.

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Ali Olomi (Faraz / Tehran flashback)

Ali Olomi is an accomplished actor, independent filmmaker and Union SAG/AFTRA member working in Hollywood, CA. Born in Kabul, Afghanistan; he has lived in Germany, India and San Diego, CA. He later moved to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career. He has worked in Hollywood feature films, independent films, student Films, TV Series, commercials, voice over and ADR. He is fluent in five languages: English, Dari, Farsi, Hindi and German. His Lead Roles in short dramas have garnished him praise at the Cannes International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival,

Asian Film Festival, Berkshire Film Festival, as well as other International film festivals. He recently acted in InAPPropriate Comedy with Adrien Brody, Rob Schneider, Michelle Rodriguez and Lindsay Lohan released in theaters on March 22, 2013.

Olivia Zalevsky (Sara / piano student)

Born December 21, 2000, Olivia started taking classical piano lessons at the age of five and has been participating in Certificate of Merit and National Piano Guild competitions since age six.

Always musically inclined, Olivia began formal voice lessons at eight and is a soloist in her school’s award-winning show choir. She is actively pursuing her dream as a singer and songwriter. Her debut album of original songs will be

released in 2014.

Olivia has been performing in live theater in such roles as Annie, Miracle on 34th Street, Willy Wonka and performing competitively since 2010. For her portrayal of Wednesday Addams, she was recently chosen as part of the showcase performance at the Celebrity Dance Company’s Nationals at Sea Competition.

Playing Sara in Beyond Paradise is Olivia’s first film role.

Filmmakers

Gill Holland, Executive Producer

Spirit Award nominee for Producer of the Year, Gill Holland produced Hurricane Streets, the first film ever to win 3

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prizes at Sundance. He has over ninety (90) independent films to his credit on IMDb- Internet Movie Database.

His filmography includes other Sundance favorites FLOW: For Love of Water, Spring Forward, Loggerheads, Catechism Cataclysm, It Felt Like Love, the FOX sitcom Greg The Bunny, the Spirit Award winner and first carbon-neutral independent film Sweet Land, Al Gore’s 2008 Reel Current Award winning doc Mountain Top Removal, SXSW audience prize winner Maidentrip and the Emmy-nominated doc Dear Jesse.

Gill was the co-producer of J. Jonroy Alani's first feature David & Layla.

He produced three volumes of cineBLAST! short film compilations. He is partner at The Group Entertainment, the KY/NYC management/production company, and former adjunct professor at NYU Graduate Film School. Gill worked at the French Film Office and has been on the jury for shorts at Sundance and selection committee for the Academy Awards, Student Division.

Gill Holland and his wife Augusta were instrumental in turning an economically depressed and run-down east downtown Louisville area into NuLu - a thriving arts/design and sustainability district. Holland coined the term NuLu and serves as President of the NuLu Business Association. 5 years ago, Holland opened NuLu's flagship arts center "The Green Building", the only LEED "Platinum" commercial building in Kentucky. He is now working on developing Louisville’s Portland district.

J.J. Alani, Writer / Producer / Director

Based in New York, J. J. Alani aka J. Jonroy Alani also works in Los Angeles and Paris. A Directors Guild of America (DGA) member and a Writers Guild of America (WGA) member in New York since 1996, Alani is the writer/producer/director of David & Layla, a political romantic comedy. (He dedicated this film to his family members murdered in a genocide campaign.)

His new feature Beyond Paradise is a cross-cultural drama love story. See the genesis of the story at Director’s Inspiration.

Official Selection at 28 international film festivals, David & Layla won 8 Awards, including Mon Amour Festival’s Grand Prix du Public against La Vie en Rose, 2 Days in Paris and Lady Chatterley.

David & Layla received praise from the Nobel Laureate, Oscar nominee Screenwriter and Playwright, Harold Pinter: “A bold, politically relevant film against impossible odds.” Also, critical reviews in the New York Times, Variety, Washington Post, LA Times, etc.

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Alani is in development on a new independent movie entitled Amorous, and two epic films - the 5000-year-old epic historical allegory 'Gilgamesh' as two screenplays: ‘Gilgamesh’ and ‘Gilgamesh: In Search of Immortality.’

He studied at The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and at the USC School of Cinematic Arts (Advanced Screenwriting Practicum) in Los Angeles, 1985-1989.

Hollywood’s largest studio, Warner Bros, as well as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Turner Classic Movies, etc., continue the digital distribution of David & Layla. Its Musical score is on 60+ international music sites, including iTunes.

Following Creative Photography studies at the London Camden School of Arts, Alani worked briefly as a Fashion Photographer in London and Paris.

In Paris, he studied at the Sorbonne University, 1990-1994, receiving a “Diplôme Supérieur de Langue et Civilisation Françaises.”

In New York, he coached graduate students at the Graduate Department of New York University Film School-Tisch School of the Arts on their final thesis projects, 1996-2000.

He served as an Acting Coach at the Circle in the Square Broadway Theater School in New York where his then wife, Olga Alexandrova aka Layla Alexander was studying, 1995-1999.

Earlier in England, he had received a (B.Sc.) First Class Honors in Science and Sociology at Leicester University, (D.I.C.) Diploma of London Imperial College, and a Masters Degree (M.Sc.) in Cybernetics at London University.

In London, as a Marketing Executive with ICL, he worked with the creators of the Monty Python London TV series, while at night he studied ‘Acting, Speech, and Movement’ at the ‘City Lit’- the City Literary Institute.

A member of The Royal Photographic Society (U.K), Alani is an Art collector and a Patron of World Music Institute in New York.

He is the founder of ‘Human Rights For All – No Exceptions!’ featured on Facebook, which focuses on female empowerment and equal human rights for oppressed women and the minorities of the world, including gays and lesbians.

A dual American and British citizen, J.J. Alani was born in the Middle East. He is fluent in English and French, some Portuguese, and he speaks and understands a few Middle Eastern languages. He has lived and worked in Paris, London, Rio de Janeiro, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.

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Matthew Lessall, Casting Director

Born in London but raised in New York, casting director Matthew Lessall has made a solid name for himself, chalking up an impressive list of casting accreditations, memberships, titles and casting films that result in award wins and official selections at the World’s most prestigious film festivals.

He studied at DePauw University. Matthew’s casting experience is diverse, casting major network series as well as having held the position of Director of Feature Film Casting at 20th Century Fox and on the indie front, as in-house casting consultant for the Fox Searchlab Writer/Director Program.

Matthew's credits include Sundance Film Festival standouts, Rocket Science, Mean Creek, as well as the NetFlix Find Your Voice winner Almost Kings. In 2011, he chose to join the tech revolution and became go-to casting for Warner Premiere; Warner Bros. new media arm, casting the mega-successful web series, Mortal Kombat, follow up Mortal Kombat 2 and season 2 of Wonderland Sound & Vision’s Aim High. His Bait 3D (a/k/a “Shark”), garnered an Official Entry at the 2012 Venice Film Festival and this same year also saw him with two films at the inaugural edition of Paris’ Champ d’Elysees Film Festival, including the Liam Neeson starrer After Life.

After University, Matthew then lived for several years in London, before making Los Angeles his home. His dual nationality (USA/UK) affords him the broad vision imperative to cast in today’s global market. He has cast productions and co-productions for Canada, Germany, Holland, Italy and Mexico. Matthew is a member of BAFTA and a board member of the Casting Society of America. He is currently based in Los Angeles.

Sandra Valde-Hansen, Cinematographer / Associate Producer

Sandra shot the indie guru Gregg Araki’s latest feature White Bird in a Blizzard (a French-US production) starring Shailene Woodley, Eva Green, Angela Bassett, Shiloh Fernandez. and Christopher Meloni. It will premiere at Sundance Film Festival 2014. Previously she shot Araki’s Kaboom, which was an official selection at Cannes Film Festival 2010, Sundance Film Festival 2010 and released by IFC in 40 cities in the US.

Sandra’s narrative work has been seen in festivals spanning across the world from SXSW to Cannes. Her critically noted films Fly Away, Acts of Mercy and Christmas in Compton are in release via VOD.

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Sandra continues to shoot powerful stories in the realm of independent social and political narrative, as in Beyond Paradise, a drama cross-cultural love story executive produced by Gill Holland (Sweet Land, Hurricane Streets, FLOW: For Love of Water, Spring Forward, Loggerheads…) Beyond Paradise is directed by J.J. Alani (David & Layla.)

Sandra is also on the faculty for the American Film Institute Cinematography Department.

Sandra shot the last season of the popular MUN 2 Reality show, The Chicas Project, which brought Sandra across the country. Her camera has allowed her to be part of the political and socially conscience filmmaking of the "Brave New Films. " Her work on Street Knowledge 2 College was shown by PBS.org.

Sandra has been able to travel the world shooting in such locations as Paris for the relaunched MTV House of Style and Mexico for PBS Voices “Tales of the Masked Men” co-produced by Latino Public Broadcast and ITVS. Some of her other clients include Al Jazeera America, USC, MAX Films, TED, and Mastercard.

She got her start in documentary, working for an Emmy-award winning documentary cameraman, Tony Foresta, who taught her beauty of the image is found in simplicity.

After seven years as a camera assistant and operator, Sandra Valde decided it was time to pursue a full-time career as a cinematographer. She applied to the prestigious American Film Institute and was accepted into their MFA program in Cinematography.

While at AFI, Sandra honed her craft in the art of visual storytelling, learning from the master cinematographers and deepening her knowledge of light and composition. She has had the invaluable opportunity to mentor under Stephen Lighthill, ASC, Steven Poster, ASC, Larry Parker, and Alan Caso, ASC.

Since graduating from AFI, Sandra has been able to take her passion of cinematography throughout all mediums of storytelling.

Jennifer Nash, Music Supervisor / Music Editor / Associate Producer

Jennifer Nash's first project was The Rich Man’s Wife starring Halle Berry on which she was the assistant to music editor Abbey Treeloggen. She soon moved into music editing on major motion pictures including ANTZ, Lords Of Dogtown, Pearl Harbor, In The Valley Of Elah, R.E.D, and The Perks Of Being A Wallflower.

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She began her musical journey at age 12, quickly becoming more and more entranced by playing the piano and singing. As a teen she developed an interest in how film scores can cast a spell over an audience and decided to pursue a career in film music. She moved to Los Angeles, initially working as a post-production mix tech before taking on the world of film music as a Music Editor.

Beyond Paradise has given Jennifer a unique opportunity to expand her skills as Music Supervisor as the film features on-camera musical performances which required her guidance during pre-production, production, and post production.

It also introduced Jennifer to the classical music and poetry of Persia. She worked closely with the director to combine European and Iranian classical music to help tell this complex, cross-cultural love story.

She worked with the director to select music for the characters to perform and dance to; as well as commission original material for the lead character Shahrzad (a songwriter/pianist like Jennifer herself) to sing and play on screen. She supervised the technical aspects of on-set musical performances and continued into post-production to select, record, edit, and pre-mix music for the edited footage.

In another close collaboration with the director to meet pressing deadlines, she designed and edited the music score for the movie's 2-min. Trailer and the 30-sec. TV Spot Promo.

She has also written and produced two albums of original music as well as performing and touring with her band. Given such a diverse career over the last 18 years, Jennifer naturally gravitated towards Music Supervision and began supervising independent films, including American Violet and Crusade in Jeans. Both films gave Jennifer an opportunity to create original music with her husband, composer and music educator Dan Ostermann.

Executive produced by Gill Holland (Sweet Land, Hurricane Streets, FLOW: For Love of Water, Spring Forward, Loggerheads…), and directed by J.J. Alani (David & Layla), Beyond Paradise is Jennifer’s first credit as Associate Producer.

Mark Kilian, Music Composer

South African born Mark Kilian has had a successful and eclectic film scoring career since moving to Los Angeles in 1994. He is most known for his ethnic flavored scores like the Oscar winning Tsotsi, Traitor and Rendition.

His most recent scores include Pitch Perfect, Bless Me, Ultima, John Carpenter’s The Ward and HBO’s 41, a portrait of George H.W. Bush.

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His TV series work includes Don’t Trust The B--- in Apartment 23, Body of Proof and Daybreak.

He has also written music for many TV commercials for Apple, Toyota, Budweiser and American Express. He has 3 albums out under the name ‘The Gravy Street’ which has received airplay in Los Angeles.

J.J. Alani, Production Designer / Art Director / Music Consultant / Line Producer / Post Production Supervisor

See above bio of the writer, producer and director J. J. Alani, or click the Director's Bio.

Phillip J. Bartell, Editor

Phillip J. Bartell edited the 2010 Sundance Award winner Undertow (Contracorriente.)

He edited such critically acclaimed films as Robert Cary’s Ira & Abby and Save Me, Q. Allan Brocka’s Boy Culture, Patrik Ian Polk’s TV series Noah’s Arc, and Tribeca Film Festival winner, Spork. His edited documentary I Am Divine recently premiered at South By Southwest, and feature film

G.B.F. premiered at this year's Tribeca Film Fest.

Phillip has worked with many established directors, serving as additional editor on Curtis Hanson’s In Her Shoes, Bill Paxton’s The Greatest Game Ever Played, and the Russo Brothers’ Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney produced, Welcome to Collinwood.

He has worked in editorial departments on films by Spike Jonze, Gus Van Sant, Robert Altman, Sean Penn, Diane Keaton, Vadim Perelman, and Adam Shankman.

Neguine Sanani, Editor

Neguine holds a B.F.A. from the USC Film and Television department in Filmic Writing, and an M.F.A. from AFI in

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Directing. As a director, she preferred to write with the camera, sculpting the story both as she filmed, and in the edit room. This talent led her to editing.

Early on in her career as an editor, she worked with directors Tamra Davis and George Huang through the IFP program Project Involve, and soon after contributed to the editing of several Lionsgate productions.

Neguine edited the IMAX film Hurricane on the Bayou, which documents the disastrous aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Other feature film work includes The Grey, which won the American Jury Prize at the Santa Barbara Film Festival; and Flip the Script and Love and Other 4-Letter Words, both of which premiered on the B.E.T. Network.

Her film, Bloodworth, starring Kris Kristofferson, who wrote an original song for the film, had its theatrical release May of 2011. Her latest film, The Ghost and the Whale, directed by Anthony and James Gaudioso will hit the festival circuit in 2014.

Crew + Companies

For the names of the entire crew, companies and vendors of this movie's pre-production, production and post-production, please click IMDbPro (Internet Movie Database Pro.)

Non-subscribes to IMDbPro: for the crew list, please click IMDb-c, and for the companies and vendors list, click IMDb-v .

PoemsRumi and Lorca's poetry in BEYOND PARADISE in sequence

“When nothing existed, Love existed; andwhen nothing shall remain, Love shall remain;

It is the first and the last.”

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- Princess Shéhérazade, One Thousand and One Nights.Ancient Persian collection of tales “Hazar Afsan.”

Rumi

Rumi was a poet, a philosopher and a Sufi mystic. His spiritual and love poems transcend all boundaries, races, religions and genders. His poetry and prose of spirituality and wisdom have been widely translated into many of the world's languages. In 2007, he was described as the "most popular poet in America."Wikipedia.

Rumi wrote poems about the ecstasy of romantic and sensual love about 300 years before Shakespeare. Rumi wrote:

"The lover’s cause is separate from all other causesLove is the astrolabe of God's mysteries."

and this:"One day you will take my heart completely

and make it more fiery than a dragonYour eyelashes will write on my heart the poemthat could never come from the pen of a poet."

"A scholar does not understand what a drunk is feeling!Don't try to guess or figure out what

Lovers drunk with love might do next."

Rumi's spiritual, philosophical and mystic oeuvre is considered by many as the Persian ‘Holy Book.’

LocraLorca was a passionate Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director (‘Blood Wedding’, ‘Yerma’, etc.) He felt a deeper affinity for theatre and music than literature, training fully as a classical pianist, his first artistic inspirations arising from the scores of Debussy, Chopin and Beethoven.

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Considered a dangerous, outspoken liberal, Lorca was gay and a close friend of liberal thinkers and artists such as master filmmaker Luis Buñuel who fled to Paris. Lorca was only 38 years old when he was kidnapped and executed, probably by the dictator Franco’s Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War. His remains were never found.

This poem is recited in Farsi at the wedding off screen by actress and singer Fereshiteh Dehghani.

“They say that paradise is in high heavenWhere angels and elixirs await.Let’s now enjoy wine and love

In sweet anticipation of our destiny.”

- Rumi, 13th C. Persian poet.

Shahrzad sings this Rumi song in Farsi as she plays the piano for Elana, hoping she would become her piano teacher.

“Advice does not help Lovers!They are not a mountain stream

you could stop by building a dam across.A scholar does not understand what a drunk is feeling!

Don’t try to guess or figure out what Lovers drunk with love might do next.”


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On the beach, Shahrzad leaves Sebastian saying “I must go back…” Sebastian manages to pull her back by surprising her with this poem:

Sebastian“In your eyes I see the heavens.In the heavens I see your eyes.”


Sebastian picks up a seashell from the sand and hands it to Shahrzad, saying listen to this. Shahrzad holds the seashell to her ear. Holding an English translation of Rumi's poetry in his hand, Sebastian locks eyes with Shahrzad and earnestly recites this line:

Sebastian"After you (are gone), let dust cover this world."


Sebastian throws his nicest bird Kite “Parakita” into Shahrzad’s rose garden. Shahrzad goes to the Parakita, stuck in the rose bushes. Making cooing sounds, she retrieves Parakita and hands her to Sebastian, their hands tenderly touch. They whisper, trying not to be heard by Parissa, the mother-in-law:

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SHAHRZADYou must train her (the bird kite) to behave.

SEBASTIAN (playfully)“When Love steals into your alley,

he has no choice.He longs to kiss every lock of your hair,

he has no choice...”

She picks a Rose and hands it to Sebastian as a gift to give to Elana, her piano teacher who's his boss. Shahrzad leaves him. He blocks her way. Holding the red rose in front of her, he whispers:

SEBASTIAN“You are the Rose. I’m the Thorn.

Don’t show your beauty without me.”


By the ocean waves, Sebastian recites this poem in Spanish to Shahrzad as he teaches her how to fly a kite, which happens to be in green color.

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“Verde que te quiero verde.”“Green, how I love you green.”

- Federico García Lorca, Spanish poet 1898 –1936

Sebastian secretly throws a Red Paper Plane to Shahrzad who is reading her Rumi’s book in the garden. Shahrzad quickly picks up the kite, and hides it from her approaching husband Sean. Later at night, she secretly reads what’s written inside the rose-red paper plane. She smiles and whispers to herself “Rumi!”

“I slept well last night,But I woke up drunk.

I must have dreamt about you.”


On stage, Shahrzad’s husband Sean is performing his biggest Stand Up Comedy show. His young brother Ray plays his guitar wildly. Shahrzad laughs with the audience- all loving Sean’s sexy dancing to the rhythm of Ray’s guitar. Her iPhone vibrates. She reads:

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“Like the shadow of a rose,I must live close to the Rose.If I were separated from You,I would turn entirely to Thorn.”


Sebastian intercepts Shahrzad in the hallway of the Theater where her husband is performing the largest Standup Comedy of his career. Shahrzad anxiously whispers: “I thought you were joking!” Sebastian playfully replies:

“O Rose, the Thorn has no choice.”


Believing Sebastian is leaving her for good, Shahrzad sadly sings in Farsi this song solo at her piano, accompanied by the sweet chirping of her two red birds in a cage by her piano.

“Ruler of my Heart,Wherever you go,

Don’t go without me.”


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Towards the end of this tragic, cross-cultural love story, Shahrzad sings this Rumi song in Farsi to herself on her way to drown herself in the ocean.

“In the slaughterhouse of Love,they only kill the best, not the weak.

Don’t run away from such dying.Whoever is not killed for Love is dead meat.”


At sunset, after Sebastian saves her from drowning herself to death, Shahrzad and Sebastian sit by the ocean waves. As her dress is drying in the breeze in the background, she reads these two poems to Sebastian, from Lorca’s book of poems that he had gifted to her.

“Green wind. Green branches.She dreams on her balcony,

with eyes of cold silver.Green, how I love you green.”

Federico García Lorca, Spanish poet 1898 –1936

“The Rose was not looking for wisdom,

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or for shadow: the edge of flesh and dreaming...”

Federico García Lorca, Spanish poet 1898 –1936

Ending spiritual poem “Cycle of Life” is sang by the Actress/Singer Fereshteh Dehghani.

“I died as a mineral, I grew as a plantI died as a plant, I arose as an animal

I died as an animal, I returned as a humanWhy should I fear? When was I less by dying?

When I die as a human, I shall fly with the angelsWhen I leave my angel-soul, I soar higher

I shall reach the ecstasy of the DivineAll shall perish, except the Divine.


*****

[email protected]

+1 212 757 4743

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