Emmanuel Benbihy Loves New York

by Kyle Rupprecht | Published October 12, 2009

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EB: We had a 10-month residency at Mega Playground, a large and extremely comfortable West Village production/post-production complex. Mega was a fortunate find and an important asset to the production. One of our DPs suggested we tour the facility. We met with company principal Eitan Hakami and chief technical officer Terry Brown, early in January 2008. We found literally every amenity and necessity we needed within a comfortable 45,000 square-foot complex in the heart of New York’s independent film scene: Production offices, Avid editing suites, DI color-correction, HD suites, telecine and dubbing capabilities plus a spectacular view of the Hudson River. We felt completely at home, and we had the added benefit of on site technical gurus like Terry Brown, who were able to help us iron out problems and solve those peculiar little glitches than can waste such an extraordinary amount of time.

Also, the intensity of our production schedule ebbed and flowed, overlapping one week, slacking off the next as some segments wrapped and other directors began their assignments. Eitan was very helpful in accommodating our needs for flexibility. We are also indebted to Pat Swinney Kaufman, Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Governor’s Office for Motion Picture & Television Development. I first met Pat at Cannes 2006; she is the first meeting I took on this film. She was amazingly helpful in opening the city to our production, and was completely supportive throughout our stay in New York. Katherine Oliver, commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater & Broadcasting, was another invaluable asset to our work. New York is a terrific place to shoot a film. This was an amazing experience for everyone involved.

MM: Looking back on New York, I Love You, is there a specific story in the film you’re particularly fond of?

EB: It’s really difficult to answer this question. You’re already enamored by all of them because you were there at their conception. And then, you spend such an incredible amount of time screening, editing, re-screening, re-cutting… both the individual segments and the overall film. I have probably watched the film 150 times in real time. Not just for story continuity, but for issues of color correction and sound, all the countless creative details and decisions that make up a film. I am still honestly moved by all of the segments. Not only because of their dramatic or humorous or romantic elements, but as the producer, each moment of the film calls up a memory of the production. Decisions that had to be made, suggestions that came from nowhere and made valuable contributions back stories… Great memories, some of which are quite painful, but the pain is part of the joy. One of the saddest was the loss of Anthony Minghella. He was kind and wonderful man to work with, an amazing artist with very clear ideas and very open to suggestions. Anthony was at our very first production meeting at Mega Playground. It is very sad to think that the segment he created and directed for New York, I Love You marks the last short script he wrote.

MM: What do you hope the movie conveys to foreigners about New York?

EB: It’s interesting that the people who live in the cities profiled in our Cities Of Love are probably the toughest audience for the films. I saw that with the reactions to Paris, je t’aime, and I am a Parisian. Our film cannot compete with the daily relationship of a New Yorker with their city, but I can guarantee that it is very “New York” for everyone else. I believe that people from other countries have no expectations of what they will see or feel when they go to our films. They are there for the adventure and the mystery and the emotional experience. I am certain that the international audience will fall in love with New York and want to go there and see it for themselves.

MM: The next City of Love in the anthology series will be Shanghai. Can you reveal any moviemakers who might have already joined the project?

EB: Actually, the next City of Love will be Rio, and then Shanghai and then Jerusalem. It is premature to mention the directors or stars for any of these productions. Our first priority is financing. We are committed to being fully financed for each film before we approach any artist. All I can tell you is that we have an exclusive deal within CAA on that film and the feedback we have from directors and talent is very promising. Shanghai fascinates people. We are asking them to take a huge leap of faith by trusting and contributing to the format we have devised. So far, we have worked with 35 major directors and 60 of the finest actors working in film today. The reality of this business is that it can take years for even a well-established director to get a greenlight for a project. We are offering an opportunity for them to create a genuine work of cinema without restriction or compromise, and we guarantee them the final cut of their segment. By waiting until we have all of our financing in place they have the added security of knowing the production will be completed.

MM: Anything else to add?

EB: We are beginning to licensing the City of Love to a select group of cities around the world, and we have great hopes for this franchise to have a long and successful creative life. Our next step is allow young filmmakers to post a short film on-line based on our concept and illustrating their city, whatever it is: we want to build an international city-driven community of directors.