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The interview: Traitor director Jeffrey Nachmanoff

Written by Stephanie Sadler
Thursday, 26 March 2009 00:00

Political thriller Traitor, leads us down a twisted path of conspiracy, giving an insider’s view of the lives and missions of both Islamic extremists and a special FBI counter-terrorism unit. Director Jeffrey Nachmanoff spoke to Seven about working with local crews, Muslim stereotypes and the big questions his film explores.

SS: Traitor lets us in to both sides – the FBI and the Islamist extremists. How did you research to make it as realistic as possible and how long did it take for you to feel like you could accurately portray these characters in the film?

JN: Great question. It wasn’t that long after 9/11 when I began researching, so there was a lot of information available in the news. I started by looking al-Qaeda and the history of terrorism. That led me back in time and I ended up reading about the foundations of terrorism in the 70s and 80s, the beginning of the movement and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. I read about the thinkers who drove the movement. This drove me back to where Islam got its principles and I read a lot of the Koran. I started speaking to Muslims about their beliefs and about how different theories play a part in the religion. This all built up a picture of the characters I would try to write. The extremists were more foreign to me than the FBI, so I researched for five or six months to get a handle on the characters. I wanted them to be real. I couldn’t wrap my head around how people could wrap bombs around themselves, walk into a mall and consider it justice. I found there is always a path. Decisions are made. Theories and philosophies penetrate the minds of young people.

The FBI was more familiar. There is more information available. I had written some espionage pieces in the past. I’m a fan of the spy genre. Plus, my father worked in the government, so I was able to speak to some of his old friends. I drew on my background to create the film. I also read books written by the intelligence community on their efforts and captures.

SS: Traitor was shot in just seven weeks, travelling through 17 cities on three continents and with a relatively low budget of $22 million. That must have been an experience! Was all the travel necessary and how much of the budget went toward travel?

JN: Definitely an experience. Whether it was necessary or not is up to the viewers. This story is very international. It’s not about one country versus another country. It’s about an ideology that transcends borders. I needed both sides to be able to play on a field that was large enough. It’s about how extremist groups spread and hide to strike at targets which makes them hard to catch. In order to portray all this on screen, I thought it was important that the audience feels they’ve been to a lot of places.

Actually, our biggest challenge was logistics, moving people and setting up again. Travel isn’t that expensive really, but the way we saved money was by working with local crews everywhere. It made it an international experience all around. It also forced us to interact with a lot of different people. In Morocco, we had a completely Muslim crew which was great.

Anyway, it’s just fun to travel around the world!

SS: Comedian Steve Martin wrote the original pages that the screenplay became based on and was one of the producers of the film. What was he like to work with?

JN: He was very much a gentleman. He’s very bright and a bit of a reclusive genius. Unfortunately, I have not gotten to know him well. We met on a few occasions. He’s such a legend; I couldn’t help feel a bit intimidated by his presence. As a younger filmmaker working with someone who has many years of experience, I found him very encouraging.

SS: What does the film say about typical Muslim stereotypes? Do you feel the film either breaks or reinforces them? I’ve read criticism about the “peaceful” Muslim being the exception rather than the rule at the end.

JN: Well, I can’t say what it says exactly; the audience has to decide that. But it was gratifying to have made a film with so many Muslim actors. We took pains to understand and make accurate their customs and religion. The film isn’t meant to educate people on what Islam is. That’s not the job of a movie.

I can say that we screened it to 250 Muslims in America and, when I went up there afterwards for the Q&A, it was silent. There was a very emotional response to the movie. A lot of the Muslims at the screening said they were very uncomfortable watching a movie about Muslim terrorists because that’s what a lot of people think Muslims are. This is probably the first Hollywood movie with a Muslim as the main character. When there is a first, there is always a reaction. Maybe eventually people won’t think these things, but right now, it provokes people a bit because they aren’t used to seeing it.

SS: In my opinion, Don Cheadle turns in one of his best ever onscreen performances in Traitor. What is his approach to acting like?

JN: Don Cheadle is an extremely naturally gifted actor and he’s a very smart man. For someone so naturally gifted, he takes a very intellectual approach. He thinks a lot about the part. He was very engaged with me and with the big picture, with what we were trying to do with the movie. But when it came to acting, he could throw aside these big ideas and immerse himself in the movie. He understands the script completely and is always emotionally connected to the moment his character is in.

SS: This is definitely a conversation-starting movie. It presents both sides of a real issue without preaching. It offers a glance into Islam for those who are unfamiliar with the religion. The characters have depth. Ideally, what do you hope people talk about when they leave the theatre?

JN: I’m a big fan of movies in the 70s like Three Days of the Condor and All the President’s Men. My goals were in the traditions of these movies. I love people to be so engaged with the movie, they are glued to their seats in the classic, suspense thriller way. But then, I would love it if afterwards, when they are leaving the theatre, they were to start thinking about the political, real world dilemmas the movie is playing with. I’ve found that people talk about the morality of the characters’ decisions and find themselves empathising with and liking Omar. It is rewarding to listen to people talk about the characters as if they are real people.
The movie does ask a lot of big questions: How far can a person go to combat terrorism? At what point do you become the thing you’re trying to fight? If you’re a religious man, how far do you go to protect your faith?

SS: Should Hollywood be producing more political/action thrillers?

JN: I would love it if they did; if you get all of your readers to go see Traitor, then yes, they will! There’s not much room in the marketplace for this type of movie so it is quite difficult, but I do hope we see more of them.

SS: Having lived in both London and the States, do you think there will be a difference between British and American reactions?

JN: I’m actually really curious! I don’t know. I think maybe the British audience may be more open to the idea of a movie like this. Having grown up in England during the 80s when the IRA bombings were happening, I’ve seen how there were two points of view in the conflict and people were caught in the middle. But I also remember there being dramas on TV and in the movies about the different points of view. That’s not something that’s been seen so much in the States. So, we’ll see if it will be easier for a British audience to accept the complexity and ambiguity of a movie on the War on Terror.

SS: Do you have any new projects in the pipeline after Prince of Persia? Will the mix of real world issues and entertainment continue to be a theme in the future?

JN: I would love to continue to do that, yes. There are a lot of opportunities there, though I can’t say what will happen in the future. I will actually be in London for a few weeks working on a TV pilot that takes place in Europe. It’s called Masterwork and comes out sometime next year.

Traitor will be released in the UK on 27 March 2009.

Check out the Traitor trailer below: