A Story of Trust and Redemption – 'Enora' premieres at Winter Film Awards Indie Film Fest

NEW YORK - Feb. 6, 2017 - PRLog -- "Are you lost?"  This question is posed by a concerned war medic to a cautious alien named Enora (https://winterfilmawards.com/film/wfa17-enora/) as she tries to navigate her way in a forest in Monte Cassino, Italy circa 1944 the morning after her spaceship crashes, leaving her to fend for herself in a foreign place. In this adventure narrative short directed by Swiss natives Sami Khadraoui and Benoit Monney via Bad Taste Pictures, the epoch is World War II, and through the dense woods, Enora (Isabelle Campiche) loses the instrument she needs to call home.

The night after the crash, a frightened Enora staggers into the woods. She comes across war medic, James McMurray (Sean Biggerstaff) who is tending to a dying soldier. Though Enora must rely on the help of McMurray to get back home, he too finds himself in need of an emotional rescue. Will the newfound alliances find their resolutions and get out of the woods? Find out at the NYC Premiere of this poignant, heartwarming film about trust and redemption, to be screened at the Winter Film Awards Indie Film Festival (https://winterfilmawards.com/wfa2017/about/) in New York City on Feb. 25 beginning at 9:45 a.m. at the Cinema Village Theater 1, located at 22 E. 12th St.

Q: Congratulations on your beautiful film! Your storyline is quite unique. What inspired it?

Thank you very much. The main theme in our film is the "fear of strangers", the fear of what is different from ourselves. We believe that this fear is what started the war. When Enora encounters James, they're afraid of each other. But they learn they aren't that different. They're both far away from home, scared. Finally, they help each other and prove that "strangers" are nothing to fear, but can help you when you need it.

We wanted Enora to be an alien to amplify this feeling of stranger. She is not human and is therefore a stranger for every human being. Furthermore we, as artists, really like the fantastic and sci-fi universe for the magic it brings in a story.

Q: The forest is a fitting backdrop to this contemplative film. Where was it shot?

The shooting took place in Fribourg area, a very rural Swiss region. We chose these woods because they looked like the Apennine Mountains in Italy where the Monte Cassino battle – the historical context of our film – happened. The forest gives a mysterious look to Enora's quest and shows her sensation of loss.

Q: The word "Enora" in French is loosely translated as "honor." Was that the idea for your character given the World War II epoch?

The idea was to find an uncommon name which could be associated to the idea of space. The name of Enora was selected because we found interesting that this could be the character's name but also her constellation.

Q: Enora's eyes turn red every time she is trying to protect herself from danger or having a flashback. Was that the intent?

The intent was to find something simple but efficient to show that she is using her powers. We chose the red color to give Enora some strength, some frightening aspect and show that she is able to protect herself.

We wanted an alien who looks almost human but with slight differences. The inspirations for our character's look are directly taken from Inca's era. Fun fact: our costume designer drew the Nazca lines on Enora's poncho.

Q: For an alien, it seems like Enora is very intuitive. What was the significance for this power?

Enora doesn't understand the human languages but she can feel our emotions. When she hears the voices of the dead soldiers, she understands it was their last thoughts. We wanted to transmit the idea that wherever you come from (in our case Italy and Britain) you're human and have the same thoughts when facing death. Death is universal. Enora's power allows her to feel the soldiers distress and understand what is going on on Earth. She also understands James' sadness during the hill scene without talking and gets that she should be afraid of the two Italian soldiers, not because of their weapons but because of their bad intention.

Q: My takeaway was that no matter what, everyone needs help from time to time.  Was that the message you want viewers to walk away with?

Yes exactly. It is for example what shows the last scene. Everyone can help each other even if sometimes we have to let go our fears to know how we can achieve that.

Written by Lianna Albrizio for Winter Film Awards. Lianna Albrizio has worked as a journalist in Bergen County, New Jersey for more than five years. She manages the Arts and Leisure section of a local newspaper interviewing filmmakers, artists, photographers, authors and musicians. One of her passions is conducting in-depth interviews with artists to craft creative, quality pieces for the education and enjoyment of her readers.

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