Two local filmmakers have created a short film illustrating author Paulo Coelho’s material and are eagerly awaiting the chance to share it with the community.
Tadeh Daschi of Glendale was the cinematographer, director, screenwriter, editor and composer for the film “The Witch of Portobello,” based on a chapter from Coelho’s book of the same name.
He shared producing responsibilities with Carolena Sabah of Tujunga, who plays the main character in the film and is the executive producer.
The 27-minute short is making its debut today in the Arpa International Film Festival in Hollywood.
It was one of 14 films that won the “Experimental Witch” film competition in August sponsored by Coelho. There were 6,000 films submitted to the competition, and each filmmaker adapted chapters from the book. The 14 films selected will be combined into one feature film and screened in May.
Daschi and Sabah were elated when they found out the film was one of the 14.
“We truly felt that we had accomplished something great,” Daschi said.
The joy for them now, he said, is promoting the work to the public.
“We’re reaching out to fans and giving them something in return with our own interpretation of Paulo Coelho’s material,” he said.
The project was inspiring for the filmmakers because Coelho is their favorite author, Sabah said.
“I love his writing and his books, and I always connect to it,” she said. “When I heard about the competition, I knew I had to be a part of it, whether I won or not.”
Daschi considers Coelho’s stories similar to Aesop’s fables for adults, he said.
“Because he incorporates life’s lessons, philosophies and different ideals mixed with spirituality all in one neat package,” he said.
This is the first festival the film has been entered in, but Daschi said he wrote the film so it could stand on its own, and he plans to enter it in other festivals.
The Arpa Foundation for Film Music & Art, named after the Arpa River in Armenia, is sponsoring the film festival.
Founded in 1995, the foundation promotes the arts, especially providing support to filmmakers exploring subjects of social and cultural importance through their medium, said Don Q. Hannah, festival executive committee member.
