(August 28, 2014 – Montréal, Québec) The Montreal World Film Festival is in full swing and holds its place of honour kicking of the annual fall film festival season. One of the shorts screening this weekend is worth paying attention to. Titled Sound of Tears, the short marks the directorial debut of award-winning actress Dorothy Atabong. Born and raised in Cameroon, West Africa, Atabong was educated in the USA and Canada. She obtained a BSc. in Biochemistry from Michigan before moving on to graduate from the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York with a degree in Dramatic arts. At 19 she published her novel The Princess of Kaya which she later adapted into a screenplay.
In addition to writing and directing the film, Dorothy Atabong plays the lead, Amina, a woman who finds herself at a crossroads and now must choose between a husband in a forced marriage and her lover. She must choose. There is no in between.
Amina and her family have fled Vancouver to Toronto to escape her estranged lover Josh (played by Canadian actor Edsson Morales) and the stamp of shame from their patriarchal community, but Josh tracks them down and drunk, crashes an engagement party with all eyes watching. Amina’s father, Mr. Saleh (Eugene Paul) invites yet another suitor, a village chief, Omar for dinner, in an attempt to get his wayward daughter off his hands. Omar accepts the proposition. Amina sends Josh a message to meet in secret to say goodbye; but Josh wouldn’t let her go easily, not when she is carrying their unborn child.
That`s a lot of story for a 15-minute film with a cast of 16 players. Executive Produced by Phyllis Brown, Sound of Tears was shot by Toronto-based cinematographer Joel Kim.
It screens the Saturday and this Sunday at the Montreal World Film Festival.
