Wonder Watchlist

Welcome back to another feature of More Than Movies, it’s wild to think that this is at almost 6 months of posting these. And if you have missed any check out the last one with Dave here. It’s a treat to keep doing these interviews with those who are willing to participate. And today I wanted to feature a woman who I connected with online not too long ago. She has left a huge impact on me, and has helped me along the way.

Farah Sadek is an inspiring woman I met through her work as a journalist. And instantly her love of movies and their stories was apparent. As an Egyptian woman she brings her perspective on film through reviews, videos, and interviews. Her answers below are a great glimpse into her work, and also what kind of films speak to her.

I hope you enjoy getting to know Farah as much as I enjoyed putting this feature together.

Megan Loucks: “I’m so so so so glad you agreed to do this because you’re the first person from outside of the states to be featured! Could you tell those reading a bit about yourself, and what first sparked your love of film?”

Farah Sadek: “What an honor! I am so happy to be featured by such a wonderful writer and woman. I’m Farah, I’m an Egyptian London-based journalist and interviewer. I have been super fascinated with films for as long as I can remember, but due to the geographics of it all, it was always at arms length for many years.

I was always obsessed with TV, particularly English and American. I would watch whatever films came on television because, although my parents are huge film fans, they didn’t particularly go to the cinema. Then my cousin introduced me to the Harry Potter books when I was 10, and up until that point I had no answer for “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I was so fascinated that I knew I wanted to write. The books led me to the film adaptations, which led me to films in general, and the rest was history. I began asking to go to the cinema from then on and have not stopped since.

The way I got into entertainment journalism is definitely kismet. I had been writing reviews for eight years at that point and after reading a lot about Nora Ephron and how her journalism helped her screenwriting career, I decided I would do the same. So I got my notebook out and wrote down five names of people I would like to interview in the next year. At the time, it felt incredibly far-fetched. A few days later, my friend reached out about an opportunity to interview the first person on my list. I’m a huge believer in signs, so this felt insane.“

ML: “I know social media has its issues, but it often leads me to people that I’d never cross paths with in real life. We connected while writing for the same outlet, and I admired your go getter attitude instantly. What made you take your love of movies online?”

FD: “I was always a techy girl. I was forever in the ‘”computer room,” listening to all the music my dad had downloaded or browsing through his massive pictorial archive. I’m actually glad my introduction to that world came before the internet really took off. It gave me a semi-normal relationship with it from the start.

That said, I took my love of films online because I didn’t have many friends who shared the same interests when it came to books and cinema. So I turned to Facebook, which I made when I was nine years old (not something I’d recommend even if it worked out for me) and that’s where I was introduced to the world of fandom. Everything else sort of followed from there. Twitter became huge for that kind of community.

I have such a love-hate relationship with social media because of it. I’d love to take a break, but at the moment, that feels almost impossible when your entire career exists online. At the same time, most of my closest creative friends are people I met through the internet and for that, I’m very grateful.“

ML: “What are some of your favorite genres? What are some of your favorite movies?”

• Comedy: I am going to sound like a broken record, but I love romantic comedies, but also the broader umbrella of comedy as a whole. Being Egyptian, comedy is such a huge part in the way we communicate and it also happens to be the most popular genre back home, so I have a real soft spot for it. I also just think comedy is one of the hardest genres to execute properly. It feels almost like a puzzle with the timing and the rhythm, all of it has to be methodical.
  • My favourites: When Harry Met Sally (1989), My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), Sleeping with Other People (2015), Sabrina (1995 — the Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond version, specifically!), and My Cousin Vinny (1992).

• Life & Relationship Dramas: I love stories about human dynamics, not just romantic, but the full spectrum: intrapersonal, platonic, familial. I love watching those movies and recognizing something real, even if I don’t expect accuracy from films. I also love movies that happen within a day or two because I am a nosy person.
  • My favourites: Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), A Single Man (2009), Phantom Thread (2017), Past Lives (2023), and Thelma & Louise (1991).

• Musicals: I couldn’t tell you exactly what drew me in or why I love them, but music has always been a huge part of my life. I love to sing badly.
  • My favourites: Mamma Mia (2008), Chicago (2002), The Sound of Music (1965), Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021), and The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992).

ML: “Do you remember the first film you watched that made you fall in love with story telling? What about that movie made it stand out to you? What is that movie, and do you think your taste in film has changed since then?”

FD: “I think it might have been The Devil Wears Prada. It was on TV constantly when I was a kid, but I’d only ever catch it in parts because I assumed it was a film for adults. When I finally sat down and watched it all the way through, I was very happy. Titanic is another one that I came across the same way.

As for whether my taste has changed, honestly, not that much. I think my taste matured but not changed. I also think kids are good at knowing what they like and who they will be very early on.“

ML: “I’ve noticed that you’re just not a movie lover, but a television lover as well. Your posts about Bridgerton gave me motivation to get back into the show. I have to know what your favorite romantic trope is? And what about period pieces do you enjoy the most? “

FD: “I will talk about Bridgerton to anyone who will listen. I HAVE SO MANY! I think the fake relationship trope is quite sweet and makes for very funny scenes. My second favorite is friends-to-lovers because I think enemies-to-lovers is overrated.

Romance can be quite a problematic genre to execute, which is why a lot of producers don’t want to try it right now. I think period pieces give space to explore the politics of gender and relationships without all the modern dynamics. And sometimes you simply love a good corseted dress.”

ML: “What are some unique challenges you face as a woman in the film space that you don’t think are advocated enough for? What makes you want to keep posting through negativity?”

FD: “There’s always this assumption that you don’t know enough about the industry or films. And since we’ve talked a lot about romance, there’s a real stigma around being a woman who loves romantic or comedic storytelling. The assumption is that you’re not a serious writer or filmmaker, which is very silly. I also experience this as a woman of colour, because there are so many “classics” I wasn’t raised with. For a long time, that came with a feeling that I was constantly trying and failing to catch up.

Thankfully, I realized that most films reach you at exactly the right time. Not every person has seen every film, and that’s completely fine. I’m finally in a place where I don’t feel like I’m in competition with anyone, because there’s something so much more rewarding about actually sitting with the art you’re consuming and reflecting on it.

And that’s what keeps me going. There is nothing I love as much as this, so everyone else can deal. Besides, how is it ever going to get better for other women if we don’t keep showing up?“

ML: “If someone wanted to get to know you through films, what are five films that you would tell them to watch and why? What about them reflects who you are as a person?”

FD: “This is incredibly difficult but I will try:

1. Casablanca (1942): I watched this for the first time last Valentine’s Day, in the cinema, and it was genuinely life-changing. It’s so sweet and heartwarming, with a wonderful soundtrack, and it feels like the blueprint for every romantic comedy that came after it. It also happens to have inspired my all-time favourite romcom, When Harry Met Sally.

2. My Fair Lady (1964): I love Old Hollywood and I love musicals so this one was always going to find me. My dad owned the DVD because it was one of the films he saw in the cinema when he was my age, which makes it feel even more special. I do have my issues with the ending of the film adaptation, but the music is gorgeous. I also take great pleasure in telling people that Audrey Hepburn didn’t actually sing in it and I have enormous love for the Julie Andrews stage version.

3. Pride & Prejudice (2005): It has Mr. Darcy. But also, maturity is realising that Mr. Bennet was very irresponsible and spent years belittling his wife for quite reasonably worrying about their daughters’ futures in 19th-century England. She was always right!

4. The Princess Diaries (2001): Julie Andrews is one of my favourite people on the planet, and everyone should witness her in this film and her return to singing in the sequel. It’s just an incredibly fun watch. Garry Marshall was such an underrated director, and I will forever be upset about the death of the family film as a genre.

5. Synecdoche, New York (2008): I watched this the day before lockdown began and I was ready to go out and start living my life. I love asking people whether this film made them feel optimistic or pessimistic, because I believe there are two very distinct ways to digest it and the answer tells you a lot about a person. Philip Seymour Hoffman was a legend.

ML: “What has been your favorite movie going experience so far for you? What made it so special for you?”

FD: “Watching any film on opening night in a full house is wonderful every single time, regardless of the quality of the film. Rereleases are special in the same way too.”

Last summer I went to an all-nighter of erotic thrillers: Basic Instinct, In the Cut, Body Double, and Body Heat. Walking out of the cinema at 7 am with equally delirious, sleep-deprived strangers was a high I have yet to replicate.”

ML: “Let’s say that in 20 years someone wants to make a movie about your life, all the good times and bad times, who would you like to see bring that movie to life? Who would you choose to write it, and who would you choose to direct it?”

FD: “I never believe when people tell me who my celebrity lookalikes are, because it’s never consistent, but in this wonderful alternate universe, I’ll say Tessa Thompson anyway because I love her. Emma Thompson has to write it and Julia Jackman to direct it. I’ll be keeping my choice for the love interest to myself because the digital footprint is forever.“

ML: “One of the things I first saw on your instagram when we connected was that you have interviewed some incredibly talented people. My favorite being about Palestine 36, I think your work with that interview gives an important perspective that is refreshing to see covered in the way you do. When you are preparing for these kinds of interviews what do you hope readers get out of them?”

FD: “As cliché as it sounds, I just want something real and authentic. What I’ve come to realise is that I love doing interviews because I genuinely love talking to people and getting familiar with them. When I show up as myself and ask about the things that intrigued me about the film, I tend to get a more honest answer than if I were approaching it from someone else’s opinion. That’s all I want the audience to feel when they read it. I want them to walk away having learned something interesting or felt a feeling that they didn’t know before.”

ML: “The last question is always my favorite with this series, because everyone hates it but loves to answer it. So if you had to explain to someone about what movies mean to you, what would you say?”

FD: “Oh my God. Okay. I feel like in this line of work, burnout is so easy to come by, because other people’s source of entertainment is our job. Which I know is such a silly thing to complain about. But even so, I still want to watch films all the time. That hasn’t changed.

I remember watching Eternity and thinking that the only version of eternity that doesn’t terrify me is one where I get to watch every film ever made and every film that will be made long after I’m gone. In short, movies are the only way to live as many lives as you want. And to know that the things that happen to you are not so lonely.”

Thanks for reading another installment of More Than Movies! If you want to follow Farah you can find her instagram and TikTok for more.