Even those who are consistently blown away by Jon Stewart's comedic talent as the satirical host of The Daily Show will be surprised at the sturdiness of his unexpected transition into moviemaking.
Rosewater, which stars Gael García Bernal as Maziar Bahari and premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival, was made with an adept feel despite Stewart's inexperience.
“This was not on my radar,” he said.
The film, which first screened earlier in the week at the Telluride Film Festival, has already been received warmly by critics and festivalgoers.
Stewart had an unlikely connection to Bahari's story. When The Daily Show sent its correspondent Jason Jones to do a piece out of Iran in 2009, all three of the people they talked to – including Bahari – were arrested. The footage from the show was used – laughably but also terrifyingly – as evidence of Bahari being a spy for the West.
“We were in very uncharted territory,” says Stewart. “There are sometimes real-world consequences to putting out satire. I think [Bassem Youssef, who hosts a Daily Show-like program in Egypt], my friend in Egypt, helped open my eyes to that.”
Bahari was released after 118 days in prison and went on to write a memoir about it, Then They Came for Me: A Family's Story of Love, Captivity and Survival. Stewart, who became friends with Bahari, sought to find a screenwriter to adapt it. After not finding anyone in four months, an impatient Stewart decided to write it himself.
Stewart shot the film last summer during an extended break from The Daily Show. He credits his cast, which included the Iranian actress Shohreh Aghdashloo playing (Bahari’s mother) and the Danish actor Kim Bodnia, with making things easier for him.
“We didn’t have much time,” he says. “We didn’t have much money. It was 95 degrees. It was Ramadan. I had never done it before.”
The film, produced by Scott Rudin, will be released on November 7 in the United States. There is no word yet on a UAE screening.
* AP
