Nestled in timeless Ischia, the volcanic island dominating the gulf of Naples, and real underdog of the Tyrrhenian Sea – bigger than Capri, more relaxed than Amalfi, and definitely less Jet-Set than Positano, we had the chance to hang out with the crew and friends of Electra, first feature film of Bahraini director Hala Matar.
Abigail Cowen, Maria Bakalova, Jack Farthing in “Electra”, 85 min, 2024, copyright Hala Matar, courtesy Hala Matar
Perched on the heights of the Aragonese Castle, the Ischia Film Festival beautifully unfolds inside the fortress facing the Mediterranean blue and its liquid sense of time. Bringing Italian and international films to the island since 2003, in what could very well be one of the most cinematographic open-air cinemas in the World. Eclectic and dense, this year’s edition included a selection of tremendously compelling shorts such as Elegy for a Village by Chinese director Weipeng Huang or the Greenlandic IVALU, along with an incredible selection of feature films counting Juniper, with the one and only Charlotte Rampling, the Iranian movie Cold Sigh and the real surprise of the 2024 international independent-film scene, Electra. The LA-based director Hala Matar, already widely recognized for her work with music videos (Interpol, The Voidz and Poolside), fashion and luxury commercials (Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Moncler, Kenzo, Vivienne Westwood, Issey Miyake…), short movies, TV and also (because why not) art curation– Matar runs the exhibition space of Dries Van Noten in Los Angeles– just made her European feature-film debut with electric brio.
Maria Bakalova, Jack Farthing, Daryl Wein, Abigail Cowen in “Electra”, 85 min, 2024, copyright Hala Matar, courtesy Hala Matar
Electra, starring Maria Bakalova (Academy Award nominee for Borat 2), Jack Farthing (Spencer), Abigail Cowen (Fate: The Winx) and Daryl Wein (Something from Tiffany’s) who also co-produced and co-wrote the film, lies at the prophetic gates of a genre that is yet-to-come. At the crossroads of what could be a thriller, a comedy, a tragedy, a tragicomedy, a perfume commercial, a video clip, a series and a myriad of other genres and subgenres, the picture is; however, none of the above. It is simply an incredibly entertaining movie that transports the audience into a very intimate situation, where spectatorship uncannily feels like part of the plot. What happens when you put together in an Italian Villa a depressed Rock Star dying to make a comeback, his exuberant artist-girlfriend; anthropomorphic characterisation of her Bulgari snake necklace, and an odd couple composed of a journalist and a photographer who aren’t what they say they are? Everyone has secrets, some more than others… and the Villa spares none.
Jack Farthing, Maria Bakalova, Abigail Cowen, Daryl Wein in “Electra” 85 min, 2024, copyright Hala Matar, courtesy Hala Matar
Written in a month, shot in less than three weeks, the crazy adventure of Electra firstly comes to form through friction with Hala Matar’s unconditional love for Italy… and the divine fact that she got offered an incredible Renaissance Villa in the Roman Countryside where she could shoot her twisted dreamscape. Electra might just be a prophecy stuck between locus and film, the product of an Italian myth-wave. Absolute protagonist of the film, the splendid Villa, hosts the four high on acid, extravagant characters in what should have been a lovely weekend in the country, but definitely turns out to be slightly more eventful than expected. The visual narrative is an exponential peregrination into the characters’ flaws and fears, flirting with baroque absurdity and colorful nostalgia; it starts and ends with the same phenomenal effect of subtle boldness. Sonically, the story espouses the Villa’s echoes and lets characters resonate within each other in a beautiful interplay of originals and repetitions. Brilliantly performed by all four actors, who masterfully caught paradoxical sides of their respective characters in a funny and yet surprisingly dramatic way, the movie is the epitome of entertainment and it unsurprisingly won the “Best Set Design” award (Alessandro Cicoria) at the Ischian festival.
Jack Farthing, Abigail Cowen, Maria Bakalova, Guicciardo Sassoli de Bianchi Strozzi in “Electra”, 85 min, 2024, copyright Hala Matar, courtesy Hala Matar
Homage to Italy and cinema, Electra has a bit of The Talented Mr. Ripley (Anthony Minghella), a bit of Marie Antoinette (Sofia Coppola), a touch of Fellini’s dreamy touch, a bit of Godard’s holistic vision and a lot of Hala Matar. Between the incredible original soundtrack played by a full orchestra paired with specific pop tunes, the photography, the script, the cast, the spectacular costumes (a real feast for the eye thanks to Hind Matar) and the set, Hala Matar did not want to make a boring movie, and she definitely did not. Electra is meant to travel around festivals before its public release later this year, first stop was Santa Barbara Film Festival, before Ischia, next ones are yet to be announced, brace yourselves… and keep an eye on the ruderal ideas that might come Italianize your mind.
Lidia Helou and Yasmine Helou
is a contemporary art magazine since 1980
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