The Jordanian family drama "May in the Summer" helps kick off the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.<br/> <br />The movie tells the story of a writer who returns to Jordan to get married to her Muslim boyfriend.<br/> <br />The film is written, directed and stars Cherien Dabis and Bill Pullman.<br/> <br />Pullman says he immersed himself in Middle Eastern culture and customs to perfect his role.<br/> <br />SOUNDBITE: Bill Pullman, actor, saying (English):<br/> <br />We actually shot during Ramadan so that was long days where you ... and I fasted for two days at one point to get that experience, the call to prayer five times a day, that was all part of the story."<br/> <br />And a part of Dabis' nature.<br/> <br />SOUNDBITE: Cherien Dabis, film maker, saying (English):<br/> <br />"I just wanted to tell a universal story in the Middle East so that we could see the context in the Middle East and yet a story that has nothing to do with the things that we see every day on the news."<br/> <br />For Dabis, participating in the festival's opening night was an uprecedented honor.<br/> <br />SOUNDBITE: Cherien Dabis, film maker, saying (English):<br/> <br />"I find myself always having an out of body experience and I keep saying to myself, 'Be here! Be here!' And it's so hard because it's so overwhelmingly amazing. It's actually difficult to take in."<br/> <br />The Sundance Film Festival runs from January 17 to January 27 in Park City, Utah.
