Arezou Zalipour

Come Together: A Symbiosis of Culture, Dialogue, and Creativity in a Script-writing Practice as Research Case Study

Auckland University of Technology (AUT), New Zealand

In this paper, I analyse and reflect on the complex interweaving of screenwriting strategies and the
seven levels of conversation that I designed in a New Zealand-German film co-production entitled
Come Together (working title), where I have contributed as a co-writer and cultural adviser. The film, slated for production in 2024-2025, is a feature-length drama centred around a Muslim refugeewoman who comes to Christchurch, Aotearoa to forget her past, a compelling narrative of fear andforgiveness.

Applying a screen practice as a research methodology, my goal was to explore the integration of
integrity and authenticity in the screenplay writing process from its inception. My research findings
posit that the role of conversations in cra]ing authentic screenplays is not only multifaceted and
integral to the creative process but also extends beyond the typical boundaries of the creative team – writer, director, and creative producer. Using primary interviews with several groups related to the Come Together project including the Muslim community in New Zealand as well as the creative team and in conjunction with my own reflection, I discuss how these dynamic collaborative conversations both converge and diverge, particularly in scripts like Come Together that navigate complex cultural, ethnic, and multi-racial contexts. The findings illuminate how the symbiotic layered conversations that I designed in the creative process can contribute profoundly to the screenplay’s authenticity, thereby enriching a culturally sensitive narrative. This study offers a significant contribution to the understanding of screenplay development, particularly in projects that involve cultural, ethnic and racial narratives.

Arezou Zalipour (PhD, Waikato; PhD, UKM) is an Associate Professor in Screen Production and
Cultural Studies at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). Author of Migrant and Diasporic Film
and Filmmaking in New Zealand (2019), she pioneered the conceptualisation of ‘Asian New Zealand
cinema’. Notably, Arezou is a key member of the New Zealand Film Commission’s Industry
Leadership Group, significantly contributing to NZ’s inaugural He Ara Whakaurunga Kanorau Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. As the Director of the AUT Centre for Screen Practice Research (SPR@AUT), she is a leading contributor to various national and international research organisations and ethnic communities and receives invitations from the screen industry as a cultural advisor and expert in multicultural filmmaking on various filmmaking projects. Her research and creative practice centres on minority, ethnic, and (cross)cultural screen storytelling and practice, and diversity in the screen industry policy, and transnational audiences. Arezou’s recent work includes her involvement in the NZ-German co-production project “Come Together” as a scriptwriter, and her most-read 2023 article in the Journal of Media Practice on her award-winning documentary “Shama”. Arezou enjoys teaching drama and documentary production and evolving modes of screen production at AUT.