Arienne Mandi chatted about starring in the sports thriller “Tatami,” which will be in theaters on June 13th.
Set during one nail-biting day at the World Judo Championship, Leila, an Iranian Judoka, faces a chilling ultimatum outside the ring while trying to bring home the gold.
This marks the first feature that was co-directed by Academy Award winner Guy Nattiv and Cannes Best Actress winner Zar Amir Ebrahimi. It was inspired by true events. It’s a talent of freedom vs. oppression set in a judo arena.
Making this sports movie
On making “Tatami,” Mandi remarked, “Honestly, doing this film was a dream come true, especially being able to embody an athlete; that is something that is very near and dear to my heart, and also my Iranian culture.”
“Doing a whole film in Farsi was a challenge that I was very excited for and a little concerned about,” she admitted. “I had Guy Nattiv and Zar Amir Ebrahimi guiding me the whole way, and it was such a wonderful experience.”
Working with Guy Nattiv and Zar Amir Ebrahimi
“Guy is so clear on his vision; he knows exactly what he wants,” she said. “Guy is also very open to collaboration. As an actor, it is great to have that North Star. He was just very fun.”
“Also, getting to know Zar Amir Ebrahimi was one of the highlights of the whole experience. She has such a rich story and past, and she is such a wonderful, kind, and hilarious person,” Mandi admitted.
“Getting to have Zar as both a director and an actor was really such a treat for me,” she said.
“I got different sides of her through that. She is very generous as both an actor and director; she gave me great stories that lent to my performance of Leila,” Mandi added.
Lessons learned from the ‘Tatami’ screenplay
On the lessons learned from the “Tatami” screenplay, she reflected “Honestly, my body can tolerate a lot more than I thought it could. Also, just staying true to my values even when the stakes are incredibly high.”
“It was a reminder because my life, personally, is not on that scale of some of the athletes in real life as well as Leila,” she noted.
“Just remaining true to what it is that you believe in and what it is that you want to fight for even if when you are absolutely terrified,” she elaborated.
Working with Erik Fellows in ‘Break Even’
On working with award-winning actor Erik Fellows in “Break Even,” Mandi said, “Oh my God, filming ‘Break Even’ was such a long time ago. While I was only on that project for a few days, Erik Fellows was really lovely. We still keep in touch on social media.”
Arienne Mandi on working with Marjan Neshat in ‘The Night Agent’
Mandi had great words about working with Tony-nominated actress Marjan Neshat in “The Night Agent” on Netflix. “Marjan is great. I love her,” she exclaimed. “She is such a gem. I love her so much.”
In return, Marjan Neshat returned the compliments. “Working with Arienne Mandi was great; she is such a hard worker, and she is so rigorous. She is so wonderful and she brought so much. I just loved working with her,” Neshat said about Mandi.
‘Your Friends & Neighbors’
Presently, she is working on the series “Your Friends & Neighbors” for Apple TV+ with Jon Hamm and Olivia Munn. “I’ve been working on that project, and it has been going well,” she admitted.
New film ‘Hostage’
“I also shot a film not too long ago called ‘Hostage,’ which is something different and I am really excited for that to be released,” she said.
Closing thoughts on ‘Tatami’
For fans and viewers, she expressed about “Tatami,” “I want people to understand that there is a whole world that they don’t see. Being in the United States, we don’t realize how much is at stake for people to go and chase their dreams.
“We have the freedom to do so here every day in whatever way we want. In other countries, something as simple as going to win the gold for your own country is not something that you are allowed to do in the way that you want to. Again, remain true to your own values,” she explained.
“I really hope that people have empathy for people that are trapped in these situations and under the thumb of political regime, and to dig a little deeper in the understanding of it all,” she concluded.
To learn more about Arienne Mandi, follow her on Instagram.
