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16 JULY 2008.- MEL GIBSON LOVES KL Grant Thornton Malaysia yesterday officially released its 2008 International Business Report (IBR) and presented its inaugural Corporate Leader of the Year award to Datuk Vinod B. Sekhar, the founder of Petra Group and Sekhar Foundation. “We have created an annual Corporate Leader of the Year award to acknowledge a special individual who has shown outstanding contribution and long-term dedication to corporate social responsibility,'' managing partner Datuk N.K. Jasani said at the ceremony yesterday. As part of the award, Grant Thornton has committed to promote and support a charity of the winner's choice through its global network in over of 100 countries. This year, the Foundation of Anthropological Research and Environmental Studies - chaired by Hollywood actor Mel Gibson - was chosen as the recipient of Grant Thornton support.
Source: Thaindia News
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Minister of International Trade and Industry Malaysia Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (2nd left) presents the leader award to the winner Datuk Vinod Sekhar (right) at KL Hilton Hotel. With them are Mel Gibson (2nd right) and Grant Thornton managing partner Datuk N.K.Jasani (left).
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16 JULY 2008.- WRITER REVISES "PASSION" LAWSUIT AGAINST GIBSON 
The judge ordered attorneys for screenwriter Benedict Fitzgerald
to rewrite the complaint last month.
Source: Associated Press
A screenwriter's lawsuit seeking higher payments from Mel Gibson and others for "The Passion of the Christ" has just completed its first edit.
The suit was originally filed in February. A judge ordered attorneys for screenwriter Benedict Fitzgerald to rewrite the complaint last month, saying it lacked specificity and seemed to take a "chain letter" approach.
Fitzgerald's lawyers filed their rewrite Monday against Gibson, Icon Productions, Marquis Films and others over payments for the screenplay. The suit seeks at least $10 million, claiming that Gibson and others vastly understated the budget for the 2004 blockbuster.
Fitzgerald claims the result is that he was underpaid for his work on the film, which he says began in 2001. His suit also claims that Gibson told him the actor didn't want to make any money off the film because he considered it "a personal gift to his faith."
Fitzgerald's amended suit seeks portions of the proceeds from home video, cable and other distribution outlets.
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The judge ordered attorneys for screenwriter Benedict Fitzgerald
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A screenwriter's lawsuit seeking higher payments from Mel Gibson and others for "The Passion of the Christ" has just completed its first edit.
The suit was originally filed in February. A judge ordered attorneys for screenwriter Benedict Fitzgerald to rewrite the complaint last month, saying it lacked specificity and seemed to take a "chain letter" approach.
Fitzgerald's lawyers filed their rewrite Monday against Gibson, Icon Productions, Marquis Films and others over payments for the screenplay. The suit seeks at least $10 million, claiming that Gibson and others vastly understated the budget for the 2004 blockbuster.
Fitzgerald claims the result is that he was underpaid for his work on the film, which he says began in 2001. His suit also claims that Gibson told him the actor didn't want to make any money off the film because he considered it "a personal gift to his faith."
Fitzgerald's amended suit seeks portions of the proceeds from home video, cable and other distribution outlets.
16 JULY 2008.- A BIT OF GOSSIP
Source: The Salem News
'Apocalypto' now?
Assistant Town Administrator Allison Jenkins had this juicy bit of gossip prior to the meeting.
It seems she was at Apple Tree Farm on Bridge Street over the weekend and ran into a movie scout who was inquiring about shooting an upcoming Mel Gibson movie at the farm.
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'Apocalypto' now?
Assistant Town Administrator Allison Jenkins had this juicy bit of gossip prior to the meeting.
It seems she was at Apple Tree Farm on Bridge Street over the weekend and ran into a movie scout who was inquiring about shooting an upcoming Mel Gibson movie at the farm.
17 JULY 2008.- MEL GIBSON CURVES A SPOON IN MALAYSIA
Click here to SEE PHOTOS
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18 JULY 2008.- MEL GIBSON SPEAKS ABOUT THE MIRADOR BASIN PROJECT
Gibson made his presentation on the Mirador Basin in Seri Kembangan, Kuala Lumpur, on Wednesday.
Source: The Star
Hollywood actor and producer Mel Gibson flew across the world to speak about his passion – the Mirador Basin Project.
Unknown to many, the Mirador Basin in Guatemala is the last tract of virgin rainforest remaining in Central America. More importantly, it is home to the largest and earliest cities of the Maya world.
“This is indeed the biggest ‘green’ project that I’ve stepped into and I am very passionate about it.
Gibson made his presentation on the Mirador Basin in Seri Kembangan, Kuala Lumpur, on Wednesday.
“I am absolutely in love with the project and struck by wonders of what can be found,” said Gibson, who is here to address Malaysian corporate leaders and environmentalists on the project as well as to raise funds and create awareness.
“It is not developed and there are no roads. It is good that there are no roads so people will not be able to burn the landscape and log,” he said.
Gibson, who is chairman of Foundation for Anthropological Research and Environmental Studies (Fares), is already working with local company Petra Group and the Sekhar Foundation to further develop the project.
The 52-year-old actor of several blockbuster movies like Mad Max, Lethal Weapon, Braveheart and Apocalypto, and the producer and director of The Passion of the Christ said he first knew about Mirador Basin four years ago.
“I got myself involved in 2004 after my encounter with Dr Richard Hansen, an archaeologist who has devoted over 30 years of his life to this cause. I saw him one day on National Geographic and the rest is history,” he related.
Sekhar Foundation's Datuk Vinod Sekhar said much could be learnt from each other.
Apart from supporting the Mirador Basin Project, the foundation is also funding, supporting and facilitating an international research, training and environmental education programme in rainforest ecology conducted by the Royal Society South East Asia Rainforest Research Programme at the Danum Valley Field Centre in Sabah.
“We can share what we’ve done here and bring it to Mirador Basin,” Vinod said.
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Gibson made his presentation on the Mirador Basin in Seri Kembangan, Kuala Lumpur, on Wednesday. |
Hollywood actor and producer Mel Gibson flew across the world to speak about his passion – the Mirador Basin Project.
Unknown to many, the Mirador Basin in Guatemala is the last tract of virgin rainforest remaining in Central America. More importantly, it is home to the largest and earliest cities of the Maya world.
“This is indeed the biggest ‘green’ project that I’ve stepped into and I am very passionate about it.
Gibson made his presentation on the Mirador Basin in Seri Kembangan, Kuala Lumpur, on Wednesday.
“I am absolutely in love with the project and struck by wonders of what can be found,” said Gibson, who is here to address Malaysian corporate leaders and environmentalists on the project as well as to raise funds and create awareness.
“It is not developed and there are no roads. It is good that there are no roads so people will not be able to burn the landscape and log,” he said.
Gibson, who is chairman of Foundation for Anthropological Research and Environmental Studies (Fares), is already working with local company Petra Group and the Sekhar Foundation to further develop the project.
The 52-year-old actor of several blockbuster movies like Mad Max, Lethal Weapon, Braveheart and Apocalypto, and the producer and director of The Passion of the Christ said he first knew about Mirador Basin four years ago.
“I got myself involved in 2004 after my encounter with Dr Richard Hansen, an archaeologist who has devoted over 30 years of his life to this cause. I saw him one day on National Geographic and the rest is history,” he related.
Apart from supporting the Mirador Basin Project, the foundation is also funding, supporting and facilitating an international research, training and environmental education programme in rainforest ecology conducted by the Royal Society South East Asia Rainforest Research Programme at the Danum Valley Field Centre in Sabah.
“We can share what we’ve done here and bring it to Mirador Basin,” Vinod said.
19 JULY 2008.- EL MIRADOR
"El Amanecer de los Mayas"
Click here to WATCH Video
"El Amanecer de los Mayas"
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20 JULY 2008.- "EDGE OF DARKNESS", SOME GOSSIPS
- Mel Gibson in Roslindale next August
Source: universalhub
Brian Keaney of myDedham e-mails in a report that while scenes for Mel Gibson's next movie, "Edge of Darkness," will be filmed on Bradfield Street in Roslindale next month (in fact, filming of still shots started there today), crews will have to find a different way to light a key scene:
They wanted to pay (my uncle) to use the front porch for lighting or something, but Mel Gibson is involved and so my Jewish aunt nixed that. ... My uncle told the movie people exactly why he wasn't allowing them, but they are still trying. The tenants are upset, too, because they were going to get paid as well. I guess in the movie Mel Gibson's daughter is going to be shot on the front porch across the street.
- On the Hunt for extras
Source: Boston Herald
Boston Casting is on the hunt for experienced medical examiners, forensic photogs, cops, detectives, morgue workers, nurses, toll booth collectors, fishermen, videographers and a teenage girl equestrian with a horse for Mel Gibson’s flick “Edge of Darkness.” The dark mystery begins filming in Northampton in August.
Source: universalhub Brian Keaney of myDedham e-mails in a report that while scenes for Mel Gibson's next movie, "Edge of Darkness," will be filmed on Bradfield Street in Roslindale next month (in fact, filming of still shots started there today), crews will have to find a different way to light a key scene: They wanted to pay (my uncle) to use the front porch for lighting or something, but Mel Gibson is involved and so my Jewish aunt nixed that. ... My uncle told the movie people exactly why he wasn't allowing them, but they are still trying. The tenants are upset, too, because they were going to get paid as well. I guess in the movie Mel Gibson's daughter is going to be shot on the front porch across the street. Source: Boston Herald Boston Casting is on the hunt for experienced medical examiners, forensic photogs, cops, detectives, morgue workers, nurses, toll booth collectors, fishermen, videographers and a teenage girl equestrian with a horse for Mel Gibson’s flick “Edge of Darkness.” The dark mystery begins filming in Northampton in August. |
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20 JULY 2008.- "THE HERO" 1979
WATCH Video 1
WATCH Video 2
WATCH Video 3
Australian ABC TV children's educational program titled "The Hero" starring Vivienne Garrett and Mel Gibson.
WATCH Video 1 |
WATCH Video 2 |
WATCH Video 3 |
Australian ABC TV children's educational program titled "The Hero" starring Vivienne Garrett and Mel Gibson.
23 JULY 2008.- "EDGE OF DARKNESS", NORTHAMPTON
THE OLD HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COURTHOUSE
Source: The Republican - MassLive.com, MA
NORTHAMPTON - Directors bent on filming dark movies know where to go. We call it Northampton. It's no mystery, then, that the makers of the new Mel Gibson flick, "Edge of Darkness," have scoped out the place once dubbed "the Paradise of America" for some creepy scenes.
Production people from the movie have been talking to police and other local officials about the possibility of shooting in Northampton this fall. The Hampshire County Courthouse is one prospective setting, although other prominent locales have also been mentioned.
Police Capt. Joseph W. Koncas said film officials have been in touch with his department to discuss issues such as traffic control and security for possible filming. Hampshire County Clerk of Courts Harry Jekanowski Jr. said there have also been inquiries about using the old courtroom in the original courthouse for a scene.
According to the Web site for the entertainment magazine Variety, "Edge of Darkness" will be a film adaptation of the popular British television serial of the same name. The story revolves around a policeman who witnesses the brutal killing of his daughter. His investigation leads him into a murky world of government cover-ups and corporate intrigues.
Studio officials could not be reached for comment. Reportedly, Gibson will play the lead role as a Boston police officer.
Gibson's character's descent into darkness will apparently take him to Northampton. Mayor Mary Clare Higgins' office said the city has been notified that there will be a casting call here for extras in the movie.
According to a published report, a Boston casting agency is looking for extras to play medical examiners, nurses, forensic photographers, police officers, toll booth collectors, fishermen and videographers.
Northampton has been a choice location for major motion pictures in recent years. The 1993 movie "Malice," starring Nicole Kidman and Alec Baldwin, was filmed at Smith College and other local sites. In the film, Kidman cons her husband with the help of the evil doctor (Baldwin), whom she later knocks off.
Annette Bening and Robert Downey Jr. starred in the 1999 film "In Dreams," which was also shot in Northampton and surrounding areas. In that one, Bening has dreams about her daughter's murder at the hands of a child serial killer.
Another 1999 movie shot in Northampton, "Cider House Rules," won Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (Michael Caine). Some of the film was shot on the campus of the former Northampton State Hospital. Much of the story involves characters who do or don't have abortions and how those choices affect their lives.
Perhaps the most renowned movie set in Northampton was "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," which was shot in and around Smith in 1966. It starred Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in their primes and told the story of a bickering academic couple and their extramarital affairs.
"Edge of Darkness" will be directed by Martin Campbell, whose films include the James Bond flick "Casino Royale." Producer Graham King and writer William Monahan both won Oscars for their work on the Martin Scorsese movie "The Departed."
According to city officials, Scorsese's production people scouted out the area earlier this year as a possible location for the upcoming film "Shutter Island," which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Ben Kingsley. After learning that some of the old buildings at Northampton State Hospital had been razed, Scorsese opted to shoot the movie in Boston.
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THE OLD HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COURTHOUSE |
NORTHAMPTON - Directors bent on filming dark movies know where to go. We call it Northampton. It's no mystery, then, that the makers of the new Mel Gibson flick, "Edge of Darkness," have scoped out the place once dubbed "the Paradise of America" for some creepy scenes.
Production people from the movie have been talking to police and other local officials about the possibility of shooting in Northampton this fall. The Hampshire County Courthouse is one prospective setting, although other prominent locales have also been mentioned.
Police Capt. Joseph W. Koncas said film officials have been in touch with his department to discuss issues such as traffic control and security for possible filming. Hampshire County Clerk of Courts Harry Jekanowski Jr. said there have also been inquiries about using the old courtroom in the original courthouse for a scene.
According to the Web site for the entertainment magazine Variety, "Edge of Darkness" will be a film adaptation of the popular British television serial of the same name. The story revolves around a policeman who witnesses the brutal killing of his daughter. His investigation leads him into a murky world of government cover-ups and corporate intrigues.
Studio officials could not be reached for comment. Reportedly, Gibson will play the lead role as a Boston police officer.
Gibson's character's descent into darkness will apparently take him to Northampton. Mayor Mary Clare Higgins' office said the city has been notified that there will be a casting call here for extras in the movie.
According to a published report, a Boston casting agency is looking for extras to play medical examiners, nurses, forensic photographers, police officers, toll booth collectors, fishermen and videographers.
Northampton has been a choice location for major motion pictures in recent years. The 1993 movie "Malice," starring Nicole Kidman and Alec Baldwin, was filmed at Smith College and other local sites. In the film, Kidman cons her husband with the help of the evil doctor (Baldwin), whom she later knocks off.
Annette Bening and Robert Downey Jr. starred in the 1999 film "In Dreams," which was also shot in Northampton and surrounding areas. In that one, Bening has dreams about her daughter's murder at the hands of a child serial killer.
Another 1999 movie shot in Northampton, "Cider House Rules," won Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (Michael Caine). Some of the film was shot on the campus of the former Northampton State Hospital. Much of the story involves characters who do or don't have abortions and how those choices affect their lives.
Perhaps the most renowned movie set in Northampton was "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," which was shot in and around Smith in 1966. It starred Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in their primes and told the story of a bickering academic couple and their extramarital affairs.
"Edge of Darkness" will be directed by Martin Campbell, whose films include the James Bond flick "Casino Royale." Producer Graham King and writer William Monahan both won Oscars for their work on the Martin Scorsese movie "The Departed."
According to city officials, Scorsese's production people scouted out the area earlier this year as a possible location for the upcoming film "Shutter Island," which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Ben Kingsley. After learning that some of the old buildings at Northampton State Hospital had been razed, Scorsese opted to shoot the movie in Boston.
23 JULY 2008.- CAUGHT IN THE ACT!!!
Video: Cirque du Soleil's Love
Video: The Mirage, Las Vegas
Source: People
CAUGHT IN THE ACT!!! Mel Gibson, checking out Cirque du Soleil's Love with his wife, Robyn, and seven children at the Mirage in Las Vegas. The family was there to celebrate Gibson's son's 21st birthday.
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Video: Cirque du Soleil's Love |
CAUGHT IN THE ACT!!! Mel Gibson, checking out Cirque du Soleil's Love with his wife, Robyn, and seven children at the Mirage in Las Vegas. The family was there to celebrate Gibson's son's 21st birthday.
24 JULY 2008.- RETIRED STATIE WILL BE TECHNICAL ADVISOR TO DIRECTOR MARTIN CAMPBELL
Tom Duffy and Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Departed"
Source: Boston Herald
Director Martin Scorsese’s such a big fan of Tom Duffy, he had him play the Massachusetts governor in “The Departed” - and let him write his own speech! And this year, when the Oscar-winning director returned to the Bay State, Duff suited up as an asylum guard in “Ashecliffe.”
But now, the retired Mass. State Police investigator is wondering if being a technical advisor to director Martin Campbell will score him a small role when “Edge of Darkness” starring Mel Gibson starts shooting here next month.
“Well, I have heard him called ‘England’s Martin Scorsese,’ ” laughed Duff, the man who drove Southie gangster Whitey Bulger into exile back in the day.
The retired major, who says he’s seen a “few dead bodies in my day” - including those of Bulger victims the Staties dug up in Dorchester - will instruct Gibson, who plays a seasoned Boston homicide detective in the flick.
“It’s a murder mystery-type movie and they need to know how to act out a rudimentary homicide investigation and just the general demeanor of the officers and how they would act,” Duffy told the Track. “It’s all pretty straightforward.”
Duff said he’ll be on the “Darkness” set most of the time - like he was in “The Departed,” where Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg picked up more than a few tips from the seasoned statie. He’ll also reunite with William Monahan, who wrote the script for Mel’s movie and won an Oscar for his “Departed” script.
“I’ll be glad to do this whenever possible,” he said. “I think it’s great Hollywood is using Massachusetts as a second home. And even I think the people here are getting to be like the people in New York who are used to movies being shot in the city. I didn’t see a lot of crowds for ‘Ashecliffe,’ ” he said.
But who wants to spend the day gawking outside of creepy Medfield State Hospital when you already saw star Leonardo DiCaprio at the Celtics [team stats] game the night before???
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Tom Duffy and Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Departed" |
Director Martin Scorsese’s such a big fan of Tom Duffy, he had him play the Massachusetts governor in “The Departed” - and let him write his own speech! And this year, when the Oscar-winning director returned to the Bay State, Duff suited up as an asylum guard in “Ashecliffe.”
But now, the retired Mass. State Police investigator is wondering if being a technical advisor to director Martin Campbell will score him a small role when “Edge of Darkness” starring Mel Gibson starts shooting here next month.
“Well, I have heard him called ‘England’s Martin Scorsese,’ ” laughed Duff, the man who drove Southie gangster Whitey Bulger into exile back in the day.
The retired major, who says he’s seen a “few dead bodies in my day” - including those of Bulger victims the Staties dug up in Dorchester - will instruct Gibson, who plays a seasoned Boston homicide detective in the flick.
“It’s a murder mystery-type movie and they need to know how to act out a rudimentary homicide investigation and just the general demeanor of the officers and how they would act,” Duffy told the Track. “It’s all pretty straightforward.”
Duff said he’ll be on the “Darkness” set most of the time - like he was in “The Departed,” where Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg picked up more than a few tips from the seasoned statie. He’ll also reunite with William Monahan, who wrote the script for Mel’s movie and won an Oscar for his “Departed” script.
“I’ll be glad to do this whenever possible,” he said. “I think it’s great Hollywood is using Massachusetts as a second home. And even I think the people here are getting to be like the people in New York who are used to movies being shot in the city. I didn’t see a lot of crowds for ‘Ashecliffe,’ ” he said.
But who wants to spend the day gawking outside of creepy Medfield State Hospital when you already saw star Leonardo DiCaprio at the Celtics [team stats] game the night before???
25 JULY 2008.- LEIGH PAATSCH PICKS HIS TOP 30 AUSTRALIAN FILMS
AS the Australian Film Institute seeks votes for the greatest Australian films of all time, Herald Sun Online film critic Leigh Paatsch nominates his top 30.
The Australian film "Lantana", starring Anthony LaPaglia, tops the list. "Mad Max 2" is named second, while "Gallipoli" and "Mad Max" are in seventh and eleventh place respectively.
2. Mad Max 2 (1981)
Director: George Miller
Starring: Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Emil Minty
One of the all-time great action films, the second Mad Max is simply perfect in every way, making its powerhouse predecessor look like a mere dress rehearsal. The apocalypse hinted at in the first film has come and gone, and what is left of the human race will do anything to earn the only currency worth spending: motor fuel. Director George Miller attacks this barren, bleak new world with a genre-smashing panache, mounting an exciting and elaborately edited series of highway pursuits that remain the last word in road rage. Filmmaker James Cameron (The Terminator, Titanic) calls Mad Max 2 "the heavy metal template for the modern action movie'', a fitting testament to the seminal influence it has wielded ever since.
7. Gallipoli (1981)
Director: Peter Weir
Starring: Mel Gibson, Mark Lee, Bill Hunter
A brilliant piece of storytelling from the great Peter Weir, blending the epic tragedy of the Gallipoli landing with a timeless tribute to the thoroughly Australian concept of mateship. An unorthodox anti-war film which does not discredit the naive patriotism that sent so many young Australians to an unnecessary demise.
11. Mad Max (1979)
Director: George Miller
Starring: Mel Gibson, Steve Bisley, Vince Gil
The first world-class action film ever shot in Australia catapults us into a future rife with anarchy and ultra-violence. The mythic elements of a western, the raw emotion of a revenge drama and an iconic leading man in Mel Gibson are at the eye of a perfect storm of total social devastation.
Check out the complete list here
By the way, Australia Post will help the AFI celebrate its 50th year by featuring the top five Greatest Australian Films of all Time on a collection of commemorative stamps to be released in November ahead of the L’Oréal Paris 2008 AFI Awards in Melbourne.
Once the five films have been chosen and the commemorative stamp issue is available, one winner (with the highest number of votes) will be announced as the greatest Australian film of all time. The announcement will be made at the L’Oréal Paris 2008 AFI Awards in December, broadcast on the Nine Network.
The poll closes at 5pm Friday 8 August.
The Australian film "Lantana", starring Anthony LaPaglia, tops the list. "Mad Max 2" is named second, while "Gallipoli" and "Mad Max" are in seventh and eleventh place respectively.
2. Mad Max 2 (1981) |
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7. Gallipoli (1981) |
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11. Mad Max (1979) |
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Check out the complete list here
By the way, Australia Post will help the AFI celebrate its 50th year by featuring the top five Greatest Australian Films of all Time on a collection of commemorative stamps to be released in November ahead of the L’Oréal Paris 2008 AFI Awards in Melbourne.
Once the five films have been chosen and the commemorative stamp issue is available, one winner (with the highest number of votes) will be announced as the greatest Australian film of all time. The announcement will be made at the L’Oréal Paris 2008 AFI Awards in December, broadcast on the Nine Network.
The poll closes at 5pm Friday 8 August.
26 JULY 2008.- HOW TO BE A STAR AND APPEAR ON THE COVER OF YOUR FAV. MAGAZINE
Click here
Enjoy!!!
Click here
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27 JULY 2008.- "MONA´S DREAM"
Mona Mahmudnizhad
Source: malta independent online
The true story of Mona Mahmudnizhad, the courageous young Baha’i teacher who was martyred in 1983 along with 9 other Baha’i women in the Iranian city of Shiraz, a particularly resounding echo of the painful reality of human rights violations in today’s Iran, is due to start filming in October/November in Malta.
The film, entitled Mona’s Dream, is a $10 million project that entered pre-production last May with the financial backing of Mel Gibson’s Icon Productions film company.
Canadian musician and composer, Jack Lenz, was asked to collaborate with Mel Gibson a few years ago on the musical score of the film The Passion of the Christ. Lenz spent more than a year travelling around the world and researching ancient instruments, cultures and their music to come up with an idea of what kind of music would be historically accurate and appropriate for Mel Gibson’s magnum opus. It was widely expected that he would be named as composer for the movie but later on, Mel Gibson and his associates ended up choosing John Debney for that role. Nevertheless, Lenz continued to work on the project and ended up contributing to many of the original titles and songs in the movie.
Late last year, Mel Gibson and the other producers of The Passion of the Christ met with Jack Lenz in Los Angeles. They wanted to communicate their appreciation for the hard work he had put into the project and asked him how they could return the favour. Jack Lenz replied that it had always been a lifelong dream of his to make an original motion picture about the martyrdom of Mona, a 17-year-old Iranian Baha’i girl.
He then proceeded to tell Mel Gibson and his associates about Mona’s story; how she had been taken away by Iranian authorities and interrogated; how she had been told that she would be, along with nine other women, summarily executed; how she had asked to be hung last so that she would be able to pray for the other women; and how she had met her death with serenity and strength, never wavering in her faith. Lenz also showed them a letter that Mona had written herself...
An international cast as well as high profile Iranian actors include Keisha Castle-Hughes (Oscar-nominated actress from Whale Rider, also in Star Wars Episode III), Shohreh Aghdashloo (Oscar-nominated actress from House of Sand and Fog, also in 24, Lake House and X-Men: The Last Stand). Cas Anvar (Canadian-Iranian actor from Shattered Glass) as Khalid, Chief Interrogator, and Nazanin Afshin-Jam (Singer/Songwriter and debuting as actress; International Human Rights Activist, and Miss World Canada and Miss World runner-up) as Tahirih, have committed to the project.
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Mona Mahmudnizhad |
The true story of Mona Mahmudnizhad, the courageous young Baha’i teacher who was martyred in 1983 along with 9 other Baha’i women in the Iranian city of Shiraz, a particularly resounding echo of the painful reality of human rights violations in today’s Iran, is due to start filming in October/November in Malta.
The film, entitled Mona’s Dream, is a $10 million project that entered pre-production last May with the financial backing of Mel Gibson’s Icon Productions film company.
Canadian musician and composer, Jack Lenz, was asked to collaborate with Mel Gibson a few years ago on the musical score of the film The Passion of the Christ. Lenz spent more than a year travelling around the world and researching ancient instruments, cultures and their music to come up with an idea of what kind of music would be historically accurate and appropriate for Mel Gibson’s magnum opus. It was widely expected that he would be named as composer for the movie but later on, Mel Gibson and his associates ended up choosing John Debney for that role. Nevertheless, Lenz continued to work on the project and ended up contributing to many of the original titles and songs in the movie.
Late last year, Mel Gibson and the other producers of The Passion of the Christ met with Jack Lenz in Los Angeles. They wanted to communicate their appreciation for the hard work he had put into the project and asked him how they could return the favour. Jack Lenz replied that it had always been a lifelong dream of his to make an original motion picture about the martyrdom of Mona, a 17-year-old Iranian Baha’i girl.
He then proceeded to tell Mel Gibson and his associates about Mona’s story; how she had been taken away by Iranian authorities and interrogated; how she had been told that she would be, along with nine other women, summarily executed; how she had asked to be hung last so that she would be able to pray for the other women; and how she had met her death with serenity and strength, never wavering in her faith. Lenz also showed them a letter that Mona had written herself...
An international cast as well as high profile Iranian actors include Keisha Castle-Hughes (Oscar-nominated actress from Whale Rider, also in Star Wars Episode III), Shohreh Aghdashloo (Oscar-nominated actress from House of Sand and Fog, also in 24, Lake House and X-Men: The Last Stand). Cas Anvar (Canadian-Iranian actor from Shattered Glass) as Khalid, Chief Interrogator, and Nazanin Afshin-Jam (Singer/Songwriter and debuting as actress; International Human Rights Activist, and Miss World Canada and Miss World runner-up) as Tahirih, have committed to the project.
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