M HKA Ensembles

Book, 19.5 x 13 cm, 192 p., language : English, publisher : Cornerhouse / The Third Line, Manchester, ISBN : 9780956957191.

Collection: Collection M HKA, Antwerp (Inv. no. B 2027/566).

Literary synopsis

Composed of the novelisation of the script for Sophia Al-Maria's unmade feature film Beretta, this book is made of a cornucopia of material including emails, budgets, kit-lists, schedules, sketches, storyboards, headshots and excerpts from the script all illustrating what can happen when a young filmmaker's creative process comes into contact with the crushing forces of politics and money.

Relation of the novel to the artist’s practice

Published on the occasion of the exhibition Sophia Al-Maria: Virgin With A Memory at Cornerhouse (Manchester, 6 September – 2 November 2014), this novel, which was on display in the show, is predicated on Al-Maria’s idea that in today’s challenging environment for independent cinema, the only way to achieve an unadulterated director’s cut of a film is to write it as a novel, making it the director’s sole property. Darker and more introspective than the medium of film allows, the novel is written from the perspective of Suad and interspersed with entries from Al-Maria’s production diary. It also features production research, emails, budgets, kit-lists, schedules, sketches, storyboards, headshots and excerpts from the shooting script.

Novel's website