Ziad H. Hamzed is a director, producer and writer with 19 films and more than 50 awards and honours under his belt. The LA-based artist is a member of the Producer’s Guild of America, serving on the Diversity Committee. He recently finished the feature drama Hello Beautiful, which is based on Christine Handy’s semi-autobiographical novel Walk Beside Me. Actor Tricia Helfer takes the lead as Willow is a loving mother and a successful model. She is on the cover of magazines around the world, and celebrated for her beauty, until cancer strikes and compromises nearly every aspect of her life.

They discuss the impact of a young-age breast cancer diagnosis on a woman’s life, challenging the pessimistic view that the disease culminates in death (and that cancer movies should wrap up with a funeral), the implications of having the original writer on set, combining the emotional dexterity with consummate professionalism, and creating a movie that will inspire and help people all over the world.

Hello Beautiful is out in festivals soon. Stay tuned for an exclusive review soon.

…

.

Victoria Luxford – How did you come to be involved with the film?

Ziad H. Hamzeh – The best-seller Walk Beside Me by Christine Handy was brought to my attention several years ago with the suggestion that I write a screenplay based on the book. The diary-like account chronicled the turmoil and challenges faced by Christine, the main character, as she struggled to survive, and reading it was a heart-wrenching experience that captured every fibre of my being. Particularly gripping was her obsessive dependance on her looks – a super model at the top of her career – and how a diagnosis of breast cancer threatens her perfect body and her sense of self. I wondered, how does someone who feels she has lost everything think and feel? Where will she find the strength to go on? Will she? Is it possible to be so near death and still rise up again like a phoenix from the ashes? These questions and Christine’s determination drew me to the project. With her guidance and my wife’s support, I wrote, revised, and rewrote the screenplay for five years. It was a labor of love.

Christine Handy – This is my story. I was diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age and had no contemporaries with the disease. As the patient, I was inundated with medical information but what I wanted – and in many ways needed – was to see and read about a true story about the disease. I couldn’t find any books. Half way through the 15 months of chemo, I decided if I needed a novel, maybe others did as well. So I decided to write it myself. Once the book was published, the impact it had on men, women, families of breast cancer patients, and on and on was tremendous. I also sought to watch films about cancer during my illness. What I found was troubling. The common narrative was fear. Most of the films about cancer ended in a funeral. I thought that If I could get my story made into a film, I would give millions hope and change the narrow focus of fear in film. When there is a need, and we have the ability or opportunity to fill it, we should.

VL – Adapting a novel, particularly a successful one, can be a daunting task. How did you approach the process of adaptation and collaborating with the book’s author, Christine Handy?

ZH – The most daunting aspect of this work was doing justice to Christine’s lived experience. To accomplish this, I endeavoured to get to know her very well. Near-daily conversations and extensive research enhanced my understanding of and appreciation for her ordeal, her courage and fortitude, and ultimately her humanity. It was then that a focus for the story revealed itself. Christine granted me tremendous freedom in crafting the script, and I committed myself to ensuring that it remained faithful to her intense and transformative journey.

CH – Ziad and I decided that all of the illnesses I experienced and wrote about in my book would be confusing to the audience and not important to show. We cut a variety of other peripheral storylines out of the film and focused on the central and more important angles such as breast cancer. In addition, in my novel, my friends played a significant role in my recovery, but instead of portraying all of them, Ziad focused on three. Ziad creatively combined some of the personalities and antidotal stories of several characters into the three characters we brought to life. I am not sure how Ziad did that so seamlessly but the creation is touching and powerful. Ziad consulted me throughout the screenplay process, but in general, he is the expert and I trusted his judgement implicitly.

VL – Many of the Behind-the-Scenes shots on social media show Christine on set. How did she react to seeing her book come to life?

ZH – Being on set, seeing her story relived, was an emotional, affirmative, and empowering experience for Christine. The cast and crew enjoyed and appreciated her presence, and she became an important asset to the lead characters. When they 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.

CH – I was on set a great deal. It was surreal to say the least. But on some days being on set was quite hard. The film is not portraying the happiest seasons of my life. We are portraying the toughest. Some of the scenes are not only intimately personal but also traumatic. I did not go to set for the under the table scene or the diagnosis scene. I loved being on set in general. Ziad and I really built a community of actors, creators, and crew. Ziad and I decided early in this process that we wanted everyone to feel safe and equal. We definitely accomplished that. Although our set was hectic because of the tremendous scenes we wanted to film, the sentiment was inclusive, happy and safe above all.

VL – The film is based on real life experiences. Is there extra pressure to honour those experiences through the storytelling?

ZH – Absolutely. I felt tremendous pressure to portray these real-life experiences as truthful, genuine, and relevant. Fortunately, Christine has been my partner on this journey. Our goal was to make a film that would resonate with anyone who has been impacted by breast cancer by telling her story with passion, vulnerability, and strength. It is a very personal story, and honouring the experiences of everyone who was impacted was of the utmost importance.

VL – The film takes a three-dimensional look at Willow’s journey, looking at the impact her illness has not just on her but her family. Was it a challenge to tell this story from different perspectives?

ZH – Indeed, yes. It was very challenging to incorporate the perspectives of many characters while maintaining a balance that respected Willow’s journey as the primary focus. Exploring their various thoughts, feelings, and actions was imperative to telling the full story, the true story, the real story. Whether a parent, child, spouse, or friend, experiencing cancer is traumatic. This reality does not belong to the sick alone. It belongs to everyone who comforts, supports, loves, or loses someone to this horrible disease. As humans, we are deeply connected physically and spiritually. As such, the inclusion of multiple perspectives is as valid and vital to the story as is that of the central figure. Our talented cast and crew understood, and they endorsed this vision fully.

VL – There’s a very powerful performance from Tricia Helfer. Can you talk about the process of casting her as Willow?

ZH – As you can imagine all casting was contingent upon first finding our Willow. Many beautiful, talented, and highly respected actors were considered, but only Tricia Helfer demonstrated the emotional dexterity and the consummate professionalism required for the role. She is beautiful, of course. Like Christine, Tricia was a top model, but beauty alone would not carry this role. From the very beginning of the casting process until the final wrap of picture, Tricia was uniquely qualified to portray Willow. Her bright eyes disguised a tinge of sadness, and her intelligent dissection of the character and her ability to be simultaneously vulnerable and strong was unparalleled. Tricia was always the first to arrive on set and the last to leave. She knew exactly what she needed to succeed, and she was very disciplined in achieving it. Her dedication and determination were awe inspiring. Of additional import was Tricia’s kindness toward the cast and crew. She contributed effortlessly, yet intentionally, to the sense of community I strive to achieve on my set. The cast and crew loved her, and she won not only my respect but my gratitude.

CH – Tricia Helfer was a joy to work with. I did not realize the depth and scope of her work until we first met her early in the casting process. Her performance is award worthy. I am still stunned by her dedication and professionalism. One thing we knew very early in the casting process was that we could trust her to show up on set with a determination to make this project special. We picked the perfect Willow.

VL – Sara Boustany’s character, Isabel, is also very layered, going beyond the tropes there can be of teenage characters in film. What convinced you she was right for the role?

ZH – The character of Isabel is intricately layered intentionally. This was imperative to evidencing the challenges of her life as a bicultural teen who feels abandoned by her supermodel mother and high-powered executive father. Sara Boustany embodied the rebelliousness, strength, vulnerability, and fear necessary for the role, and her Arabic language fluency was perfect. She was exactly what I was looking for in this role. Hello Beautiful is not a teen drama, but teen love is certainly an element of the story along with her desire to feel important to, and loved by, her parents. Sara was able to embrace the complex conflict, depth of angst, and terrifying fragility that makes her character so robust and compelling.

VL – Some moments, such as the biopsy scene and the resulting phone call, have a particular intensity to them. Were they tough to shoot?

ZH – Yes. Creating authenticity during those powerful moments was very difficult. To ensure the actors’ reactions would not be cliché or predictable, we rehearsed the scenes and created an environment on set that would support them in being truly vulnerable and honest in their performance. The actors exceeded my expectations.

VL – Has the movie been seen by those who have been through comparable experiences? What was their reaction?

ZH – Yes. The movie has been viewed by cancer survivors and the friends and family of survivors. Their responses have been overwhelmingly positive, and we are very grateful for their endorsements. Our goal was to create a film that would be inspirational in the face of darkness, and the comments we have received have echoed this over and over.

CH – The movie has been seen by many people in the film industry that have also been directly impacted by cancer and breast cancer specifically. They have praised the film, the film’s message of hope and the impact it had on them. They have also pointed out the enormous audience that will also be touched by this film. There is no ceiling to how many global will be moved by this movie. The final scene is one which has also had a profound impact on the people who have already watched this film. We don’t want to give that special scene away, but it is already a subject of great praise.

VL – What’s next for you? Do you have any new projects you are working on?

ZH – I have multiple projects in the works, but ensuring Hello Beautiful gets the attention it deserves is my primary focus. I will continue to work with our PR team, Christine, and others to fulfil its potential.

…

.

Ziad and Christine are pictured together on both images illustrating this article.