In our latest interview, we spoke with Simone Smith, the editor behind the SXSW select The Queen Of My Dreams, which premiered on March 9th at the festival.
Premiering for the first time in the United States, The Queen Of My Dreams follows the story of Azra, a queer Muslim grad student who returns to her ancestral home in Pakistan after her father's death. Her stern mother, Mariam, demands that she play the role of the perfect grieving daughter. As the story progresses through flashbacks, Azra and her mother form a connection.
Simone collaborated closely with director and writer Fawzia Mirza to establish the tone of the film from the beginning. The film features a unique blend of various elements like old Bollywood, flashbacks, doubling, queer themes, and Edgar Wright's influence of punchy transitions. Simone managed to balance all these disparate elements by knowing when to pull back and make the scene more subtle. For example, in the opening scene, Azra and her partner Rachel are watching the Bollywood film Aradhana, which is heavily referenced in this film. Simone put a lot of effort into hitting all the beats by creating momentum, quickening the pace, and setting up the doubling that happens later on. The scene then quickly transitions to Pakistan, where the story takes off.
PH: The Queen Of My Dreams explores complex themes such as identity, family dynamics, and cultural heritage. As the editor, how did you ensure that these themes were effectively communicated through the editing process?
Simone Smith: I was fortunate enough to be set up for success with Fawzia's richly conceived script as our starting point. This continued through our cast's incredible performances, so by the time we got the edit, these elements were already very strong. I would say the family dynamics were shaped the most in the edit, largely in choosing performances and also dropping some elements from the film to strengthen what was there. We cut a scene out of the film that was this large argument with the whole family, but we felt it was just the characters verbalizing what we already knew. It was much stronger to let things simmer under the surface instead of having a big blowout.
PH: The film incorporates elements of old Bollywood and pays homage to films like Aradhana. Could you elaborate on your approach to integrating these references into the narrative while maintaining the film's originality and contemporary relevance?
Simone Smith: I think the use of these references is partly what helps the film feel original. The juxtaposition of old Bollywood and contemporary filmmaking really makes the film feel like a fresh take on a queer coming-of-age story. We also cut to select moments from Aradhana that were relevant to what was happening in our film. This was a choice we made pretty late in the process, maybe a week or so before we picture-locked. The film technically “worked” without the scenes, but they added a nice additional texture. It also keeps Aradhana in our minds, which is really an important link between Azra and Mariam.
PH: Balancing the pacing and rhythm of the film seems crucial, especially given its mix of genres and storytelling techniques. Can you share some insights into how you managed the pacing to keep the audience engaged and emotionally invested throughout the film?
Simone Smith: Finding the ideal pacing in a film like this is challenging since it is both light-hearted and fun but also has themes of grief and childhood trauma. We are also juggling three different timelines and two main characters throughout. We really had a lot of freedom to play with the order of scenes since we change time periods, and it took us a while to nail down the scene order in the film. I think we tried virtually every option, including going to the scenes in the 80s before the 60s, but we ultimately found the pivotal moment with Mariam and young Azra in the 80s served as the emotional climax of the whole film. It was also important that we gave enough space for the more somber and reflective moments in the film so nothing felt rushed or forced.
PH: The relationship between Azra and her mother, Mariam, is central to the story. How did you approach editing their scenes to capture the nuances of their dynamic and the evolution of their relationship over time?
Simone Smith: We examine their relationship at two very different points in time, starting with the '90s, the film's “present day.” We start with them being very at odds and combative, which we played with performance and pacing in their first phone conversation to feel tense but also still grounded and real. On the flip side, we see how they interact in the scenes in the 80s, how strong their relationship was, and what had been lost. The scenes where their relationship is in a good place were all very fun to cut, especially the Tupperware party scenes. Then, as their relationship starts to change, it's really heartbreaking to witness. We played with performance and cut some dialogue because less was definitely more here. It's painful enough that we never needed to be heavy-handed.
PH: "The Queen Of My Dreams" features dance sequences and "chai" sequences that are intricately edited, reminiscent of Edgar Wright's style. What were some of the specific challenges you encountered in editing these sequences, and how did you ensure they enhanced the storytelling rather than becoming distractions?
Simone Smith: From the outset, the film starts with a very poppy tone, opening with repeating images of Sharmila Tagore that evoke a mixed-media feeling. I think this sets up the idea that you are about to watch something a bit stylistic, and gives us permission to introduce different devices throughout. This opening was not scripted and was found in the edit. We borrowed a shot of Mariam from a later scene, and this was the first seed of the idea to use footage from Aradhana throughout the film.
The Aradhana individual fantasy dance sequences that Mariam and Azra have are all reflective of where the characters are at in their journey, such as Mariam falling for Hassan and Azra trying to understand her queerness. With these scenes being so rooted in the story, it always felt right for the film. For the “chai” sequences, it was a process of making them feel really energetic and propulsive, and each time it gets faster as we create a shorthand with the audience. This meant using speed ramps and digital push-ins to keep the momentum going.
PH: Could you discuss any particularly memorable or challenging moments from your experience editing "The Queen Of My Dreams," and how you navigated them to achieve the desired impact?
Simone Smith: Fawzia and I edited together remotely the entire time (Fawzia in LA and myself in Toronto), which I thought was going to be more of a challenge, but it ended up working out really well. We were editing over Evercast and had no delay; it was just as if we were in the room together. One of the hardest scenes to cut was one of the final moments of the film, where Azra is bathing her grandmother. There were production challenges, and the space where they shot the scene was very tight, so it was hard for them to get much coverage. This is a really pivotal scene in the film, so it was important we got it right. It took us a long time to find it, including revisiting it after a month with fresh eyes, which really helped. Luckily, Amrit Kaur and Gul-e-Rana gave us really moving performances to work with, so it was a matter of shaping the elements we did have to make the most effective version of the scene possible. The opening of the film was also a challenge, and we felt we needed to get Azra on the plane to Pakistan faster since that's where our story really takes off. We paced the first act up to be more efficient while maintaining all the setup we needed, including the reference to doubling being used in Bollywood cinema for viewers who may not be familiar with that device. It was also crucial to make sure it paid off once Amrit started doubling as her own mother in the 60s flashbacks.
PH: As an editor, how do you collaborate with other members of the creative team, such as the director, writer, and cinematographer, to ensure a cohesive vision for the film?
Simone Smith: Ideally, I always like to have a meeting with the director and cinematographer before the shoot just to make sure we're all on the same page and so I have an idea of what kind of footage to expect. After I finish my editor's assembly, then I start working closely with the director on the cut for the rest of the editing process. On The Queen of My Dreams we had a wonderfully collaborative environment where everyone was free to share ideas, and we were open to experimentation. Everyone had a voice, and their input was heard and valued.
PH: The film explores the intersection of queer identity and cultural heritage. How did you approach editing scenes that delve into these themes to ensure authenticity and sensitivity?
Simone Smith: Fawzia being at the helm really helped guide the way. The story is largely drawn from her own personal experience as a queer Pakistani Muslim, so authenticity was always part of the fabric of the film. Ultimately, it's my job to bring the director's vision to life, so I really took Fawzia's lead, especially regarding elements that are outside of my own lived experience. What I can do is work to strengthen and build upon the filmmaker's intention.
PH: Were there any specific editing techniques or strategies that you found particularly effective in conveying the emotional depth and complexity of the characters in "The Queen Of My Dreams"?
Simone Smith: Having the flexibility to move scenes around allowed us to experiment to find the best emotional trajectory for the whole film. The challenge was then transitioning between the different time periods, but in some cases, two scenes that weren't scripted to follow one another just fit perfectly. One particular transition starts from Mariam reciting the Quran in the '90s with a long cross dissolve to her flipping through a fashion magazine in the '60s. It feels like it was always meant to be that way, even though the scene order had changed in the edit. It's a lovely juxtaposition of who she is at two different points in her life.
PH: Finally, having worked on both "The Queen Of My Dreams" and "Float," how do you navigate the differences in tone, style, and genre when editing films with distinct narratives and themes?
Simone Smith: I like to be very fluid in my own work, where I adjust to what the film needs me to be. In the case of Float, it's a romantic drama with a very different style and tone, which also changes the pacing and my approach. It's a matter of staying true to the intention and visual language of the film, which is going to be different in its own way every time. Each project is a blank slate, where you go through the discovery process as you find the film. No two projects are the same, and that's what I find so exciting and rewarding about editing.
Comments
There are no comments on this blog post.