April 29, 2010 01:00PM EDT

Q&A: The Infidel

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Tribeca co-founder Jane Rosenthal told Festival audiences to “expect the unexpected” as the international premiere of The Infidel unfurled. The night’s comic mood began even before the movie started… and not just because Ben Stiller was spotted in the reserved seating area. The film’s producer Arvind Ethan David introduced the screenwriter David Baddiel. “David is, in England, an extremely famous man. He’s a comedian, a writer… he’s a television personality. We’ve all sort of been enjoying that in America no one knows who he is. But just for this moment, will you welcome him as if he was the cultural icon in your country that he is in ours?”  


Also present at the screening were the director Josh Appignanesi and actors Archie Panjabi, Richard Schiff and the Iranian-born comedian Omid Djalili, who plays the title character, a moderate Muslim who suddenly learns he was adopted and that his birth name was Solly Shimshillewitz. 

Arvind noted that it was a real experience to see the film with Americans who are, in some ways the film’s ideal audience. “America is the land of the hyphenate,” he said “and our film is about a Muslim hyphen Jew.” 

Not every joke translated, however. The filmmakers noted that some—such as those playing off of a local controversial cleric’s image and British sports teams—sailed over the heads of those in attendance. And one joke seemed more shocking than funny to the festival crowd: “Unless that gasp was a laugh…” Baddiel teased. 

Did this American audience laugh at different things than the British? Appignanessi noticed that “Jewish jokes were getting more of a laugh here.” 

The team repeatedly fielded questions about potential controversies and who might find the film too offensive. Were they frightened to show it to anyone? “We were worried about the reaction of both communities,” Baddiel said. “I say both communities. I mean Muslims. What are the Jews going to do, ban me from Katz Deli?” Baddiel couldn’t resist continued riffing on the film’s controversial subject, even sharing a tagline he dreamt up: “Funny, feel good and fatwa free!”

The comedian/screenwriter explained the outrageousness of the humor. “You can’t really do comedy without stereotypes. Stereotype is exactly what we’re supposed to not have and therefore we have it and therefore we laugh at it.”

His director backed him up. “Comedy is misanthropic to some degree. None of us are community relations officers. That would be rubbish.” They also found that early audiences had mostly taken the movie as it was intended, as a comic reflection of what disparate communities think of each other often out of ignorance. Nevertheless, they did change the ending to appease concerns that the film was courting too much controversy.

Lead actor Djalili thought the first draft ending was “sensational,” but they opted for something more “feel good.” As the Q&A ended, Appignanesi even (briefly) offered to act out that outrageous first draft ending for the amused crowd.

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See The Infidel on the beach—for FREE!—at Caesars Atlantic City on Saturday, July 10!

Click here to win a Caesars Atlantic City prize package (entries must be received by noon on July 6, 2010).



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