David & Layla at IMDB: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0424025/
Writer/Director at: http://www.MySpace.com/jay_jonroy
From an impossible romance, a hope (a fantasy!) for peace
DAVID & LAYLA - APolitical Romantic Comedy! Set in New York, star-crossed lovers David & Layla: Romeo & Juliet in New York with a twist- spice, comedy & politics...via Iraq, Kurdistan & Jerusalem.
Inspired by a true story
Distinguished by being invited not only to regular film festivals but also to 'Political/Human Rights' and 'Love'/'Romantic Films' festivals.
20 Official Festival Selections (including 2 from Israel), 5 wins.
David & Layla received Prix du Public/Audience Award at 23rd Int'l Amour Festival in Mons/Belguim during Valentinve week Feb 9-Feb 16, 2007
Film is invited to compete among 12 new "Romantic Films" from world cinema at Tahiti Film Festival, Nov 2007 in Bora Bora.
Mysterious Layla dances gracefully amid farcical characters!
"Shiva Rose (Layla) excels as a self-reliant damsel in distress worth rooting for."- Variety.
Lisa Nesselson, Paris, VARIETY (Variety.com on 6-28-06; Weekly Variety print on 7-24-06.)
"…an earnest, frequently funny comedy about stateless persons and the looming clichés that make Muslims and Jews so wary of each other. Completely accessible tale of the unlikely romance between a quintessential Jewish New Yorker and a lovely Kurdish refugee Painless intro to the customs and attitudes surrounding two of the world's great religions is a natural..."Shiva Rose (Layla) excels as a self-reliant damsel in distress worth rooting for."- Variety.
"This new comedy about young loves and the large ethnic families (on both sides) that stand between them could have been just another My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but its originality and insight set it apart. This outright charmer has the potential of being a broad crowd-pleaser, along the lines of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Only David and Layla is a superior variation on that film, with unexpected insights…" - Indie film critic Joe Baltake.
50 Diverse film reviews at: IMDB User Comments
In New York, David, a Jewish American TV host of "Sex and Happiness", falls in lust with sensual Layla, a Muslim immigrant. Faced with deportation, Layla must make a crucial life decision: to marry the exciting, witty Jewish David or the conservative Muslim Dr. Ahmed? David's lust turns to love as he discovers that behind the mysterious Layla is a strong, intelligent, sensitive human being with an ancient culture that parallels David's own Jewish tradition—spice, music, dance and humor, despite unspeakable tragedy. Will David and Layla follow their hearts to blast through centuries of religious animosity and war?
"…it shouldn't be missed by anyone. Mix in sex, spice, Charlie Chaplin, Saddam Hussein, belly dancing, a Seder and a little of Romeo and Juliet and you might start getting a flavor for this film that will challenge, make you laugh out loud, and get a glimpse into the human forces that are shaping our times." –J. Coleman
… An impossible romance that gets at the heart of the hypocritical stereotypes and illusions we all have about differing cultures and religions. David, a young Jewish man, finds Layla, beautiful Muslim immigrant, and can't get her off his mind. But her Kurdish Muslim culture doesn't mix with his Upper East Side origins, and both lovers can't help but mislead their families about one another… A true comedy of errors ensues from temple to mosque, from perversion to conversion, and all the while their passions increase regardless of this unlikely affair.
"Political & Sexy Entertainment: Even women fall for Layla and her cause!"
David is played by DAVID MOSCOW (vs. JESSICA ALBA in "HONEY" (2004.) As a teenager, DM played young TOM HANKS' character in "BIG' (1988.) Since then, DM has played diverse key characters in dozens of Hollywood and independent films.
Layla is played by Persian American, theatre-trained actress SHIVA ROSE McDermott. Voted one of the ten best dressed women in LA, Shiva is a vintage fashion aficionado and an Amnesty International activist. She was once arrested demonstrating against war. Her film & TV credits include: CSI MIAMI, LAS VEGAS, DYSENCHANTED, WOMAN AT THE BEACH and RED ROSES & PETROL.
Reflecting the film's 'cultural diversity', both the ensemble cast of 20+ actors led by the incomparable CALLIE THORNE (RESCUE ME , ER, WIRE, PRISON BREAK, LAW & ORDER, SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK) and the film's crew include some 20+ races and faiths of New York: Jews, Iranians, Arabs, Armenians, Muslims, Hispanics, Kurds, Greeks, Indians, French, Syrians, Israelis, Asians, Egyptians, Lebanese, Swedish, English...and Americans!
Judith, David's mother, is played by POLLY ADAMS (UNITED 93, Woody Allen's CELEBRITY). Mel, David's father is played by PETER VAN WAGNER (OFF THE BLACK, LAW & ORDER, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF) and David's gay brother, Woody, is played by the young rising star WILL JANOWITZ (THE SOPRANOS.)
Cinematography is by HARLAN BOSMAJIAN, acclaimed for many award-winning films including the successful independent, "LOVELY & AMAZING" starring Brenda Blethyn, Katherine Keener...
Original Score is by JOHN LISSAUER ("SEVEN") and RICHARD HOROWITZ- credits include OLIVER STONE's "Any Given Sunday" and Bernardo Bertolucci's "Sheltering Sky."
"I laughed and cried: it touches the funny bone as well as the heart."
Nietzsche & Chaplin vs. DAVID & LAYLA
Future screenings : Screenings
Festival schedule: Film Festivals
Complete info: www.NewrozFilms.com