FILM FRENZY

Ziad H. Hamzeh (left) is the writer-director of Hello Beautiful, starring Tricia Helfer (center and right) as a cancer survivor (Photos: Hamzeh Mystique Films)

By Matt Brunson

(Q&A Corner is a semi-regular feature on Film Frenzy that focuses on those both in front of and behind the camera: actors, directors, writers, and other cinematic movers ‘n’ shakers of all stripes. In this installment, I interview writer-director Ziad H. Hamzeh.)

First debuting in 2016, Walk Beside Me finds author Christine Handy drawing from her own personal experiences to fashion a fictional story about Willow Adair, a woman blessed with a full life. She’s happy as a wife and mother, and she enjoys a successful career as a model. But life takes a downward spiral as she’s rocked by a series of mishaps, culminating in being diagnosed with breast cancer. She suffers severe depression, and it takes those around her — not to mention her own inner fortitude — to rise up to all challenges.

Ziad H. Hamzeh is the writer-director of Hello Beautiful (release schedule TBA), the new screen adaptation of Walk Beside Me, with Handy serving as an executive producer.

Film Frenzy: How did you and Christine Handy come together to work on this picture?

Ziad H. Hamzeh: Walk Beside Me was brought to my attention by a friend several years ago with the suggestion that I turn the book into a film. The story chronicles the turmoil and challenges faced by the main character as she struggles to survive. Reading it was a heart-wrenching experience that captured every fiber of my being. Particularly gripping was her obsessive dependence upon her looks — a model at the top of her career — and how the diagnosis of breast cancer threatened her perfect body and ultimately her sense of self. I wondered, how does someone who fears she has lost everything think and feel? Where will she find the strength to go on? Will she? Is it possible to be so close to death and still rise up again like a phoenix from the ashes? These questions and Christine’s determination drew me to the project.

What was behind the decision to change the name of the film from Walk Beside Me to Hello Beautiful?

Hello Beautiful was chosen as the title of the film because it spoke to the core challenge Christine faced as she battled breast cancer. Before the diagnosis, her physical beauty dominated her identity. She was revered and celebrated for her beauty. This is who she was. After the diagnosis, Christine struggled not only with breast cancer but with the loss of her looks, her hair, her beauty, who she believed herself to be. Throughout her fight for survival, Christine realized that she should not be defined by her looks, and instead she discovered her true self.

As Willow, Tricia Helfer is excellent in all the different facets of the role. How was she chosen for the part?

Choosing the right actor to embody the intricacies of Willow’s character was, without question, the most challenging aspect of casting. Many talented actors were considered, but only Tricia Helfer demonstrated the exceptional depth and range needed to portray the extraordinary transformation — both physical and emotional — that was required. Her dedication to her craft, her genuine kindness, and her exquisite performance earned her the love and respect of the entire cast and crew.

Helfer does a great job of selling the scene where Willow is receiving a painful breast biopsy. I don’t ever recall seeing such a scene in a fictional film — ditto the film’s final shots. Was it a conscious decision to show the effects of breast cancer as boldly as possible?

Yes. Absolutely. Our intention was to portray the traumas related to breast cancer as fully and honestly as possible as the disease impacts the patient and those who love her, including her husband, her children, her mother-in-law, and her friends. Our greatest advantage was having Christine on set. She made herself available to answer questions and in doing so ensured the truth of her experience was upheld to the highest standards.  When the actors were tackling sensitive choices for their characters, they could turn to Christine and ask her directly. Her insights provided an authenticity that was invaluable to their performances.

What’s interesting in the film is how, when dealing with Willow’s cancer, some characters show pity, some offer friendly support, and others provide tough love. Do you believe there’s merit in all these approaches, or does one take precedence over the others?

There is merit in all forms of love, and how that love was expressed in Hello Beautiful is unique to each character. Some comforted her, others chided her, and still others challenged her. Each demonstrated love in their own way with their own voice and method, and certainly it was all that love that inspired and empowered her to find the strength and courage to fight for her life.

While Willow’s husband Khalil (played by Tarek Bishara) ultimately proves to be a good guy by staying with his wife, he’s often infuriatingly idiotic and self-absorbed. What are your personal views of Khalil as a person and as a husband?

Drawing out the truth of how men function when faced with their wife’s diagnosis and treatment was a real challenge and one that we were committed to representing as truthfully as possible. A man’s journey through breast cancer, anticipating the loss of his wife and recognizing his own inability to protect her, is not linear. Emotions erupt, vulnerabilities are exposed then suppressed, actions can seem sterile and then full of feeling. It is messy, very messy. In Khalil’s case we witness the character’s turmoil and evolution as he faces his own fears and ultimately renews his love for her.

A lot of emphasis is placed on Willow’s daughter Isabel (Sara Boustany) — not only her strained relationship with her mother but also her drug use and her relationship with her creepy enabler. What was the primary motive for including these interconnected plot strands? Do you feel they inform the main story?

Isabel and her struggles are an important part of the tapestry of the story. The tension between mother and child was an integral element of the book as well. It highlights the neglect a teenage daughter feels when her parents are not fully present in her life. Her father is busy working, and her mother is busy traveling. Both for their careers, but they are not always there for Isabel. Like her grandmother, she blames her mother for not fulfilling her traditional responsibilities. By highlighting this we show Willow as a caring and loving mother who fears for, and fights for, her child.  Knowing that her daughter needs her caused Willow to fight even harder to survive, so she would be around to care for her children.

Movies of this nature often focus heavily on the spiritual — i.e. in most cases Christian — aspects of the tale, with characters frequently turning to God for support, angrily cursing Him/Her out at low points, attending church more often, etc. Even some of the promo material for the novel makes it sound like God was more prominent on the written page. Was it a deliberate attempt to minimize this for the film — perhaps so as not to be pegged as a faith-based flick — or did other factors crowd it out?

Breast cancer affects the faithful and nonbelievers in equal measure. The film does suggest a hint of Christine Handy’s strong religious convictions, but it never goes beyond the personal characteristics of Willow. Our intention was to honor and elevate the dignity of all women who are impacted by breast cancer without preaching in favor of one faith over another.

What’s on your plate for the future?

I have several projects in the works, both here in the US and abroad. Right now, however, my primary focus is on ensuring that our film gets released and that this important topic gets the attention it deserves.