Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Glamour magazine covers the Middle East

"GLAMOUR: In Miral, you play a Palestinian woman who’s orphaned. What drew you to this material?
FREIDA PINTO: The moment I read the script, I fell in love with the story, because it wasn’t just a story about four women; it was a story of the people of Israel and Palestine. I felt if there were any way I could be part of this peacemaking process by lending a human touch to the character, I wanted to be involved. I wish people would [remember]that there are children and soldiers dying on both sides. You can’t ignore the politics, but hopefully that won’t become the focus of the film.
GLAMOUR: You were filming in Tunisia when the uprising happened there. What was that like?
FREIDA PINTO: Terrifying. There was a civil war going on. People were burning down shops and malls; there was killing and bloodshed. I was stuck in this massive hotel with 354 rooms and only six guests. The lights kept shutting down, and there was a 5:00 P.M. curfew. But I wasn’t there by myself: Dev [Patel, her Slumdog costar and current boyfriend] came down to see me. I was so glad I had company." (thanks Rounwah)