October 16, 2025 • 36 mins
Episode Summary
Lebanese-American filmmaker Zayn Alexandre joins us to discuss his journey from a small town outside Beirut to the heart of New York’s independent film scene. Known for his award-winning films Abroad and Manara, Alexandre shares how psychology, identity, and diaspora shape his storytelling. From the Venice Film Festival to the TIFF Filmmaker Lab, Zayn has carved a space for authentic Middle Eastern voices in global cinema. In this conversation, he opens up about cultural identity, representation, and the responsibility of Arab artists to tell stories that challenge stereotypes while embracing universal human truths.
In this deeply personal and cinematic episode, Zayn Alexandre—a Lebanese-American film director, writer, and actor based in New York City—reflects on his artistic journey and the transformative power of storytelling.
His voice reminds us that film is not only art — it’s empathy in motion.🏆 Awards & Recognitions Mentioned
Lebanese-American filmmaker Zayn Alexandre joins us to discuss his journey from a small town outside Beirut to the heart of New York’s independent film scene. Known for his award-winning films Abroad and Manara, Alexandre shares how psychology, identity, and diaspora shape his storytelling. From the Venice Film Festival to the TIFF Filmmaker Lab, Zayn has carved a space for authentic Middle Eastern voices in global cinema. In this conversation, he opens up about cultural identity, representation, and the responsibility of Arab artists to tell stories that challenge stereotypes while embracing universal human truths.
In this deeply personal and cinematic episode, Zayn Alexandre—a Lebanese-American film director, writer, and actor based in New York City—reflects on his artistic journey and the transformative power of storytelling.
His voice reminds us that film is not only art — it’s empathy in motion.🏆 Awards & Recognitions Mentioned
- Venice Film Festival – Giornate degli Autori (Venice Days)
- Khayrallah Art Prize for Lebanese Diaspora Art
- Silver Hypatia Award – Alexandria Short Film Festival
- Ahmed Khedr Award – ÉCU European Independent Film Festival
- Laguna Sud Award – Italy
- TIFF Filmmaker Lab ‘21
- Arab America’s 40 Under 40
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
You are listening to the IFH podcast Network.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
For more amazing filmmaking and screenwriting podcasts, just go to
ifhpodcastnetwork dot com. Zane, how are you today?
Speaker 3 (00:15):
I'm good? Thank you good good.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
I'm glad to hear it. I really am. Love watching
your work, love being on your website and reading and
finding out more about you. It's a real pleasure. And
I've watched Abroad I think twice now, two or three
times actually because a friend of mine watched it. Funny situation.
We were both on zoom. It was like, watch it now,
(00:38):
let me hear what you think. Because she's from abroad
as well, she'sn't based in London, and we both relate
to it in different ways for different reasons, and it
was such a great film to watch. But before we
get into the film itself, you grew up in a
small town outside Bea Roots before moving to the New York.
(01:00):
How was that journey from Lebanon to the US shaped
your story? Shaped you into the storyteller that you are today.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Well, it gave me the confidence to pursue what I
really love to do. I think growing up. I was
born and raised in Saido, which is on the southern
part of Lebanon, about twenty five thirty minutes away from Beirut,
and I just grew up in a small conservative town.
My dad wanted me to be a surgeon. I was
(01:30):
living to fulfill other people's expectations. I knew I always
had a creative streak. I did not know how to
ask for it. I did not know how to put
it into sort of action or motion. It was this
far fetched dream. And then when I got the chance
to move to New York, the dream didn't seem so
far fetched, and I was surrounded by all these resources
(01:52):
and opportunity, and also I was away from everybody that
knew me, so I didn't have this fear that I
needed to sort of fulfilled people's expectations. And it was
a you know, pressed this hard reset on my life
and gave me the confidence to really pursue what I
love to do. And it was from then on I
(02:13):
I started telling stories and stories that I wanted to tell,
and that the things that I felt like I needed
to to get out, to get out from my system.
So yeah, I think that's that's what started it all. Well,
I got into a master's program at Columbia university. I
(02:34):
was a psychology major. I my dad would not finance
a not arts degree, and I was failing pre med
So I felt like the closest thing to what I
love to do with psychology because I was very observational
by nature, and so I opted for that, opted for
that sort of scientific major, but that had a streak
(02:57):
of observational elements. And but it was kind of this
amateur interest that I had in the field, and that
was quite underbaked and premature at the time. And yeah,
I got into a mass spergam at Columbia and that
was the ticket in the gateway to New York. And
it was very very fortunate that it was that city
(03:18):
and that choice.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
And yeah, and how would your academic background in psychology
influence the way you approach character, story and filmmaking as
a whole, I mean so.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Much, But I think it's it's it's not really so
overtly felt. I think if you're if you tend to
be observational in nature, you tend to sort of be
drawn to the subtle elements of human behavior. I think,
you know, my work is also tends to be very
subtle and nuanced in a way where I like to
(03:54):
show what people are not doing and what they're not saying,
but what is really being said and done. I sometimes
I'm accused of being too subtle with because I tend
to focus so much on observational or behavioral elements in people,
and so I think it informs it quite a lot
(04:14):
without this overlink and correlation, certainly.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
And you mentioned that when you got to New York
there were more opportunities and things of that nature. Who
exactly did you come across and what type of opportunities
fell in your lap?
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Well, I started out as an actor in New York
and I am still an actor, but at the time
that was sort of my primary identity.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
In a way, I.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Felt disconnected from the world of academia in the early
stages of my master's degree. And I went back to
my dorm room and I said, well, this is the
time for me to sort of ask myself what makes
me happy and the stage and acting and cinema, all
of those combined make me feel alive. So I called
(05:03):
an acting studio and I said, I don't have any experience,
I don't know what this world is, and I'd like
to come audit the class.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
And I said absolutely, And.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
I started out and then went to audit that class,
and I said to myself, that's what I want to do.
And I started auditioning. And at the time was twenty
twelve and twenty thirteen, nobody was talking about diversity. At
the time, I was the Arab actor in New York
and no one was talking about inclusion writers. And now
it's the norm. And I was quite frustrated with a
(05:34):
lot of the auditions that were coming my way. It
was very stereotypical roles for Middle Eastern male actors, which
as you can imagine, they're quite stereotypical in every sense
of the word. And I did not just want I
didn't it didn't feel organic or natural to me to
(05:57):
just spend my life waiting for a phone call from
an agent or a cast director and just waiting for
somebody to create a role that is nuanced enough for
my culture or for my region or or so. That's
where Abroad was born. Me and my fellow colleague and friend,
Pascal Sini, and we got together and we created something
(06:20):
based on our shared experiences in this business as Middle
Eastern actors. And yeah, that's where Abroad came from.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Can you tell us a bit more about abroad. Do
you have a log line or or something go along
those lines you can give us.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
I mean, it's the story.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
It's a story of an immigrant Arab couple in New
York and they're both navigating this the sort of American
and film television industry and the stereotypes that aerobactors are facing.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
But it's also a couple.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Story about two people who grow apart with time. I
think my biggest fear in life is to be with
somebody then wake up one day and realize they're they're
completely They're a completely different person. And I think we
sort of wanted to explore our shared experiences in the
business and our separate experiences as well in life, as
(07:15):
also people who are who think differently and might think
similarly in ways. But yeah, it's also a couple story
and a human story at heart.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
I could relate to so much of it. The opening
scene is fantastic. I won't give it away, but having
that kind of conversation and the lines she delivers but
her self tape is just like hilarious. It's it's on
on the nose brilliant in that sense. I really enjoyed
it and I believe a lot of people that are
(07:44):
ethnic minorities or from maybe marginalized communities can relate and
feel that film the scene that try not to give
any spoilers away, but I want to, you know, talk
about the film itself. There's there's a bit that so
many people can relate to when your character turns around
and says to her about working in the diner and
(08:08):
even the bad guys passing you by, the ones that
were supposed to be the absolute eff ups, and you're
in a really shaky position because what are you doing
it for? To play some terrorists at an airport or
you know those type of things. And I've had that
conversation basically in my own Black British way with an
(08:31):
ex girlfriend because I am a former actor. How many
conversations like that are happening between actor filmmakers from the
Middle East? And what are some of the things that
are happening right now to try and overcome the barriers
that you face.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
These are sort of ongoing conversations and they don't stop.
But I think now things are a lot better now,
you know, sort of people just use the word diversity
left and right, but I still don't think that it's
being done right, and it's not just green lighting a
(09:08):
story and it's diversifying the cast in terms of skin
color or ethnicity or sexual orientation or whatnot. It really
is about the story and how much the story can
be tailored and fit the nuance of the culture that
is trying to address. And that goes to just whether
(09:31):
they care or not, and who's watching this?
Speaker 3 (09:34):
And I think.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
I had there was a little moment of silver lining
where things were getting better, and now the industry is
changing so rapidly and there's no more money to sort
of accommodate. Less and less things are being made and
there's no more budgets and there's no so I think
it's just kind of this pendulum in this thing that
keeps oscillating back and forth. But definitely the world has
(10:01):
opened up now and it's gotten a lot better and
those conversations are happening.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
I guess less and less.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
And went abroad premiere at Santa Barbara and later on
an Art Prize. What did that recognition mean for you
personally and for the stories you want to tell?
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Santa Barbara was my first festival abroad. Was it was
a very I would say It was my first film
as director. It was my It was also a modest
film in terms of the scope of it. This was
I'm a big believer in picking up your camera and
making a story with your friends and family. That's what
film is all about. And then we believed in what
(10:39):
it was trying to say. It had enough truth and
heart that I believe was worth submitting to film festivals
and Santa Barbara was the first to embrace it, and
I had I was, you know, I did not know
what the film festival world looked like, and Santa Barbara
raised the bar really high. That was such a film
maker focused environment. They really took care of me. Sometimes
(11:02):
it's a mess with film festivals, especially with short films,
because you'd never know of enough resources or attention or
as given to short filmmakers. But they treated me no
differently than anyone else, including their top tier celebrity talent,
and sharing it with that audience was really special. I
made a lot of friends and colleagues that I am
(11:23):
still in touch with and I'm sorry, what was the
second part of Oh the prize? I you know, also
the film picked up a very prestigious national prize awarded
annually to Lebanese immigrants and their contribution to the Lebanese
community in terms of arts and arts and culture. And
(11:44):
that was meaningful because I think people don't realize I
moved here when I was twenty years old, and you're
not just dealing with the competitiveness and the business. You're
not just the immigrant or someone the actor director. There
was a whole other sort of string of struggles that
I had to sort of navigate immigration struggles on one,
(12:06):
and there's so many that you have to figure out
because the industry in the world is changing so rapidly.
So you make one strategy in terms of how you're
going to make a dent in the business or the
subculture of the business, and then the business changes rapidly
the next day. When I was auditioning, it was all
network TV, and then streaming came along, and then we
had COVID and less unless people were going to the theaters.
(12:26):
And then now we're dealing with AI actors and agent
circling AI actors and publicists trying to represent someone who
isn't a human being in an art form that requires
so much truth and humanity and and so. And on
the one hand, you feel like, oh, I need to
fight the do I need to fight these philosophical battles
of streaming and theatrical and AI and and On the
(12:48):
one hand, I'm like, I got to stay focused on
what I'm doing and what I need to do. So
being recognized in not only in this business, but somebody
who's proudly Lebanese is trying to make a difference is
incredibly is such an incredible honor.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
So with Manara, you shifted to Lebanese filmmaking story that
resonated globally, premier in Venice and winning awards in Alexandria
and Paris. How do you approach making a film that
was deeply local yet universally powerful.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
I my personal take is the you know, the more
specific the film culturally or on a human level, I
believe the stronger it will resonate because at the basis
of all humanity, the emotions are all similar. We go
through the same things, and we feel the same things,
and we deal with the same things. So I didn't
(13:46):
set out to do something. There's hardly any strategy when
I approach something in terms of where and how it
will resonate. My main focus is to tell something that
is truthful and honest, and I hope that people receive
it well. Art is subjective, but Manaro was my second
collaboration with Pascalsnuri, my dear friend and colleague, and and
(14:11):
it was we wanted to explore this generational divide between
an older generation, who is who prioritizes appearances and how
they are perceived and the family is perceived to the
outside world at the expense of the well being of
the family itself, and how healthy the dynamic between the
(14:33):
children and the parents are. And I can relate to
a lot of those elements having grown up in a
small town, and obviously I dealt with that kind of
generational divide and how that the facade was more important
(14:53):
than whether we are healthy intact family.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
So the film features themes of absence, judgment, and family silence.
Why were those themes important for you to explore?
Speaker 1 (15:09):
It was a reflection of society that is still very
much prevalent today. I think when you care so much
about something, you tend to critique it, and people tend
to misconsue that as an attack, but it's really wanting
it to evolve and putting a lot of question works
(15:31):
and asterisks on things that do that you think are problematic,
that could lead to a better society. I think you
know in Lebanon we have a lot of problems, be
it from a failed political class, to a failed state,
to to too to endless endless wars and instability, moments
(15:53):
of instability. But I do my work focuses on what
happens inside the house and within the family in terms
of value and morals and dynamics. And I think that
seeps into the larger community, that seeps into the larger
socio political.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
State and reality.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
And so it was important for me to shed light
on the things that I believed were problematic. A fear
of judgment at the expense of your kids well being,
staying silent when seeing your kids are in trouble because
you don't want your daughter to get a divorce because
God forbid, divorce is such a subject of shame, or
(16:35):
all of these things that contribute to just more trauma.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
So do you feel whenever you're speaking to someone from
Lebanon or when you go back to Lebanon, there's something
about your career that you can't share with other people
because the family, your family, sorry, might want you to
have been a doctor or a lawyer or something a
bit more traditional.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
At first, I did not disclose what I was doing.
They thought I was pursuing a master's to PhD program,
and I was secretly kind of trying to figure out
whether I can live my dream and.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Do the thing that makes me happy.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
So I made this conscious decision not to share prematurely
what I was trying to do, because I knew it
would be it would not be approved of. And till
this day, I have an issue not with my family,
but you know, some people who quite fail to understand
what I do and what artists do in general. And
(17:36):
a lot of the times, I think because people who
come from these archaic mindsets tenements or success with financial
means and money is great, but that's not why we
do what we do. And money comes and goes with
our business. And a lot of the times when we're
making our films, were asking for money and we're raising money.
(17:58):
And but you know, with short films, I'm developing my
first feature now, but short films are not. You don't
do them to monetize them. You do them to tell
a story in a medium format. You do them because
you have the budget to tell a short film because
you want to do a short film. Sometimes it's a
proof of concept to a feature, but you don't make
(18:18):
them to monetize them. So but also our progress as
artists tends to be incremental and only observed to us.
So it's not going to go and tell my family
at the early stages of my career, let's say ten
twelve years ago, oh, I'm just you know, I'm learning
(18:39):
so much in class or you know, this process and
this play and this, They're not going to get it.
I had to find my own sense of self confidence
first and figure out what my roadmap was going to
look like before and then when Abroad came out and
it premiered in Lebanon, that's when I finally told them, oh,
(19:00):
by the way, this is what I'm doing, my big
it's this rebellious streak in me that and stubborn streaking
me that it has gotten me into trouble, but it
is what it is.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
It seems like a smart way to go about it,
as for sure, to in your in your situation to
do it that way. Take my hat off to you,
and it's obvious that you are your work is honest
to you it's truthful, it's real, it's needed. Has there
ever been an occasion when you've had to the commercial
(19:30):
reasons kind of backed off on what you thought was
true for filmmaking.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
No, No, I haven't not yet, Not yet. I hope
I never sort of have to go through it with
with anyone. But I understand this is a business and
sometimes you know, you have to answer to a higher power,
to a bigger studio. But I'm not quite there yet
in terms of those in terms of those challenges or
(19:57):
but you know, my last, my my latest Saint Rose
is I'm in Canada right now. I had the pleasure
of screening it in Montreal yesterday, and something about again
how people respond to specifics in the work really just
(20:17):
validate validates me and just fills my heart with such
joy because again, you know, you you make a film
and you want to be honest, and you're not just
making it to tell a story, but you're also making
it to anchor your voice even more as a storyteller,
as a filmmaker, and your style and and and I again,
I genuinely believe the more specific the film is on
(20:40):
a human level, on a cultural level, the more it
will resonate. But I as an Arab filmmaker, there is
no shining away from talking about politics and and a
lot of the Arab films beat shorter feud. There's you know,
there's always identity, there's always a political elements and films.
(21:01):
My films have not addressed that directly. It's always been
about the family and what happens in said the house.
I've been in situations where a producer asked me to
include the shots of gunfire in the background to make
it pander to European audience, because I've also I talk
(21:25):
about middle class families in my work, and I've also
had people tell me, oh, they have to be poor
if so that it can resonate with this festival or
with this audience, And I go, I never, sort of, yeah,
I never felt the need to humor that or accommodate that.
And I don't know, I but very cognizant that it
(21:46):
is a business and those fights are not are not.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
I'm not there yet.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
And Costin, I think the chemistry between you and the
lead actress was amazing and abroad I really really came
through the screen in a brilliant way. What is your
process when it comes to casting actors and actresses and
do you enjoy it so much?
Speaker 1 (22:10):
I mean, so far, it hasn't been such a formal
casting process. And in my work in the free short
films that I've done, I think Pascal and I she's
a wonderful actress, writer, and we came in together. We
came together to play really in abroad, to really feed off.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
Of each other. And we continued that work in Manara.
But Manara was.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Quite we were heavy, it was heavier in subject matter.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
It was trickier shooting that film.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
We both have btst from that film because it's such
a It was such a tricky production, and I was
acting in it, directing it. She's the writer actress as
well in that film. But Abroad was so much fun.
And as she approaches the work with such humility, I
trust her, she trusts me. And again, this is a community.
You can't as actors, you can't can't work alone. You
surrender yourself to your fellow castmatee and vice versa. And
(23:01):
so in Saint Rose, I cast my own mom to
play the lead. That was that was That was a
big risk that ended up paying off because she did
such a wonderful job I like to work with family.
I think a lot of the things that I write
and and creators based and inspired by personal experiences and
(23:25):
my family. So yeah, I take risks with Manara. I
cast my aunt. So it's a big and it's not
these random decisions. They're heavily informed decisions based on the
characters that I have and I feel well who in
my family and in my immediate surrounding. I can embody
(23:48):
these characters. But also there's a sense of familiarity that
puts me at ease working with them because I know them,
I know how they look on camera, I know ins
and outs of their behavior.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
So I enjoy that.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
There's a rapport that's already established that I enjoy working with.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
So even so, directing your aunt, for example, or your
mom is like telling them what to do to a
certain degree. If you go what I mean, how was
that experience?
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Like, it's challenging because I, you know, I was not
only the director. I had to separate that from the
role of sun or nephew or so it was really stricky.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
But I don't know.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
In these moments, there's some switch that happens in the
brain that automatically just gets you to adjust to the
current reality, and that is I don't have time to
explain everyone's role. This is what we're doing, and of
course you approach it with care and caution and make
sure everyone is comfortable. And I when't working with family
(24:54):
and they're not professional actors and they don't know how
this medium works and how difficult it is on the
technical A lot of people who are not really informed about.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
How film works.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
They don't know that it takes three hours to set
up to do two lines. And I think you have
to sort of constantly make sure to lift that pressure
that we're making something or we're just playing in a way.
And so yeah, it's it was tricky, but you make
(25:24):
it work.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
You certainly do. Yeah, yeah, you're right. And being selected
for Tip's Filmmaker Lab and being named to the forty
under forty Arab American Class, How are these platforms open
your doors for you so much?
Speaker 3 (25:40):
I think all of these.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
Well, all of these accolades America's forty under forty. I
think adding into the real Luprize is another recognition of
me being here working hard to contribute something to the
community and to our stories and to our culture, to
our heritage, and with Tiff, it was such a it
was such a valuable experience because it's Tiff and and
(26:06):
and be. It's such a prestigious platform in a prestigious lab.
And I made a lot of friends that I'm still
very in touch with today. And it's all an added
plus to the work that I've done, the work that
I'm developing. And you get to be part of that
community and that organization and part of that legacy, which
is and I just any opportunity, any kind of milestone
(26:30):
or success, be it mini school or of large magnitude,
I tend to appreciate.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
And value.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
So, and what lessons have you taken from moving between acting,
writing and directing, and how did those different roles feed
into one another.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
That's a lot.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
I wish I could just stick to one thing, but
I but I but I can't. But acting and directing
in my films, that was tricky, especially with Manata. I
think I don't know if I would had you know,
had I if I could go back in time, I
don't know if that specific film I would have I
would have acted in the film, But it was very
(27:13):
tricky to you know, we would face face with such
limitations from logistical standpoint, We had two days to shoot
this film, and I think that it needed at least
five days, And and we were shooting at a hotel,
and we couldn't really we couldn't rehearse in any of
our spaces because there were guests staying in the rooms
and we were trying to make our schedule in our
(27:36):
and and to to accommodate people's checkout times and whatnot.
So we would go in the room, we would do
a brief block rehearsal and camera rehearsal, and but we
would But had we had the time to really let
those moments really just breathe, I would have been there.
I would have been more satisfied with the outcome. But again,
(27:57):
these things people don't seek. It's my own personal like experiences. Actually,
I'm rewarding that if I go back in time, I
would allocate five days for that film and not take
myself out as an actor, because it was very valuable,
you know, acting that film and the directors acting in
their films. And sometimes that's frowned upon because people tend
(28:17):
to see it as some sort of narcissistic or this
vanity thing. No, it's no For me, it's this is
a character I know, and this is a character I
want to play. And it's not some you know, vain
or selfish reason or camera whatever. No, it's a need
(28:38):
to play this person because I relate to what the
person is going through and I have to get it
out in my own way. But juggling all these juggling
all these capacities, I enjoy writing a lot, as excruciating
as it can be. Sometimes you're flushing these characters and
you're giving them lives and and I just enjoy them
(29:02):
all of these different.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
Capacities, and it is tricky.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Another reason why some people direct and act in their films.
I mean, I've done it years back in some of
my shorts. Is cost cost really you know why sometime
for most of the time I direct and shoot at
the same time that the cost can you know, you
can get expensive as you know, and a lot of
(29:26):
the listeners now, so that's that's one of the reasons
I would love to on some of the films that
proves he made of just directed and had someone act
and had a cinematographer and had the extra days as well.
Sometimes using locations, real locations. They might say Okay, you've
got a day, and you know, deep down inside you
(29:47):
know you need that location for at least double that
amount of time. So it really does get complicated in
that way for us kind of actor writ directors and
if you're you know, I said acting, writing and directing,
but of course by accident I left out producing because
the very nature of what you're doing Mekshi.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Yeah, I would. I wouldn't classify myself as a producer.
I mean I did produce my films, I did self
produce them, but I wouldn't. I mean, I do have
my inn production company. I do have a passion for
really trying to find and curate and create this hub
of the work that I that I respond to, that
(30:30):
I resonate with. But no, I wouldn't say it's for
differently well as I wouldn't. But going back to what
you were saying on acting and directing and cause that, Yeah,
I mean these things. If you want to direct something
and you feel like if you're acting in it, you're
not giving it one hundred percent and you're not able
to because you have to manage all these different different aspects.
(30:53):
I understand, But also if you want to act in it,
because you do want to act in it.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
Why not?
Speaker 1 (30:58):
And it's all a learning experience one after the other.
And it's people do it, and people do it successfully.
People do it successfully, and it's not unique directors acting
in their projects, or writers acting in their own projects
or television projects.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
And looking ahead, what kinds of stories do you feel
compelled to tell next? Are there certain themes or projects
you're particularly excited about.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Yeah, my features, it's in late development right now. The
script is complete and hopefully you get to shoot it
next year, and I'm excited about that. I'm developing a
doc series as well, and there's some projects on the burner,
(31:47):
but these are my main main two right now that
I'm focused on as well. And yeah, so we'll see.
I'm excited about the future.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
You at Liberty to tell us what these projects are about.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
Saint Rose the short that I that I just uh,
that is on the tail end of its of its journey.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
The feature will be an extension of that, but it
will be it's a dark comedy drama. It's it's uh, yeah,
well I'm trying to not that I'm gatekeeping what it's about.
I think it's it's also it's it's it's out there
(32:28):
because you know, it's been thankfully, it's been on a
really nice journey with with Tiff and then we went
went to Reykiavik with one best pitch, and then I
went to Ontario Creates the Financing Forum in Ontario, which
was really nice and and the festivals have really been
embracing it. And hopefully it'll be out soon. But again,
it the feature is going to be an extension of
(32:50):
the themes that I that I like to talk about,
family dynamics, generational divide. There's gonna be a lot of
dark humor in this as opposed to my previous work.
And that's uh how we express our pain as we
make light of it and we use comedy to talk
about it. And life is absurd, especially our life in
Lebanon and the Middle East is quite absurd. And life
has become absurd in general, and it's become unpredictable. So
(33:14):
I'm trying to highlight those elements in the film as well.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
And what advice would you give young filmmakers, especially those
navigating questions of identity, culture, and representation in their work.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
I don't know if I'm qualified to give anyone any
any advice, Just do it and pick up your camera,
work with friends and family, make that make that film,
make that short filmmake that corporate filmmake any film. I
think we are so conditioned today to think that we
need to wait for this grant or this paycheck or
(33:48):
this amount of money for the film to be taken seriously,
it's not it shouldn't be a stigma that you're self
producing and you're working with It's all about honing your
talent and your technique, your craft, and your confidence. And
it's not about how people are going to receive it
artist objective, it's just about evolving as an artist and
(34:09):
allowing yourself a room to live. I think today is
very difficult to just live with social media and camera
phones and everybody's chasing an aesthetic and chasing envy, and
no one is really chasing an authentic life. And I
feel like that purpose that we all have on this
in this world is being lost on this new generation.
(34:29):
And so but now the technology is there too, and
social media is there, and I think, what's the positive
side to this? As much as I have a conflicted
relationship with today's reality, it's a camera phone and smartphones,
social media is the work can be visible and it
does have a platform outside of the gatekeepers of the industry.
(34:51):
So you can make a film, you can put it
out there, people can see it. And so yeah, that's
that's what.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
I have to say.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
And off the people have watched your films, say they
go to the theater to see one, for example, what
do you hope lings with them most afterwards?
Speaker 3 (35:07):
In general? I hope they're moved.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
I hope the questions that they need to ask are
being asked in self reflection, or they see themselves in
the characters or the question marks I'm trying to or
the then any sort of thing, any subject that I'm
putting into question, I hope they put into question as well.
It was a very special Q and A yesterday here
in Montreal amongst the Lebanese to ask for community here
(35:32):
because it's a large community, and it was a very special,
substantive conversation and about this broken system that we live in,
this patriarchal broken system that we live in, and so
that forced people to leave. That forced a lot of
(35:55):
people to question their own realities and their own dynamics
within their families. Yeah, I think a lot of self
reflection in putting things in people and dynamics into question.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Zan, thanks so much for coming on. I really appreciate
your time and your excellent answers in educating me enlightening
me on so many different things, and I really hope
to speak to you soon.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
Absolutely, thank you so much. This was such a pleasure
and thank you, thank you for doing this.
You are listening to the IFH podcast Network.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
For more amazing filmmaking and screenwriting podcasts, just go to
ifhpodcastnetwork dot com. Zane, how are you today?
Speaker 3 (00:15):
I'm good? Thank you good good.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
I'm glad to hear it. I really am. Love watching
your work, love being on your website and reading and
finding out more about you. It's a real pleasure. And
I've watched Abroad I think twice now, two or three
times actually because a friend of mine watched it. Funny situation.
We were both on zoom. It was like, watch it now,
(00:38):
let me hear what you think. Because she's from abroad
as well, she'sn't based in London, and we both relate
to it in different ways for different reasons, and it
was such a great film to watch. But before we
get into the film itself, you grew up in a
small town outside Bea Roots before moving to the New York.
(01:00):
How was that journey from Lebanon to the US shaped
your story? Shaped you into the storyteller that you are today.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Well, it gave me the confidence to pursue what I
really love to do. I think growing up. I was
born and raised in Saido, which is on the southern
part of Lebanon, about twenty five thirty minutes away from Beirut,
and I just grew up in a small conservative town.
My dad wanted me to be a surgeon. I was
(01:30):
living to fulfill other people's expectations. I knew I always
had a creative streak. I did not know how to
ask for it. I did not know how to put
it into sort of action or motion. It was this
far fetched dream. And then when I got the chance
to move to New York, the dream didn't seem so
far fetched, and I was surrounded by all these resources
(01:52):
and opportunity, and also I was away from everybody that
knew me, so I didn't have this fear that I
needed to sort of fulfilled people's expectations. And it was
a you know, pressed this hard reset on my life
and gave me the confidence to really pursue what I
love to do. And it was from then on I
(02:13):
I started telling stories and stories that I wanted to tell,
and that the things that I felt like I needed
to to get out, to get out from my system.
So yeah, I think that's that's what started it all. Well,
I got into a master's program at Columbia university. I
(02:34):
was a psychology major. I my dad would not finance
a not arts degree, and I was failing pre med
So I felt like the closest thing to what I
love to do with psychology because I was very observational
by nature, and so I opted for that, opted for
that sort of scientific major, but that had a streak
(02:57):
of observational elements. And but it was kind of this
amateur interest that I had in the field, and that
was quite underbaked and premature at the time. And yeah,
I got into a mass spergam at Columbia and that
was the ticket in the gateway to New York. And
it was very very fortunate that it was that city
(03:18):
and that choice.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
And yeah, and how would your academic background in psychology
influence the way you approach character, story and filmmaking as
a whole, I mean so.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Much, But I think it's it's it's not really so
overtly felt. I think if you're if you tend to
be observational in nature, you tend to sort of be
drawn to the subtle elements of human behavior. I think,
you know, my work is also tends to be very
subtle and nuanced in a way where I like to
(03:54):
show what people are not doing and what they're not saying,
but what is really being said and done. I sometimes
I'm accused of being too subtle with because I tend
to focus so much on observational or behavioral elements in people,
and so I think it informs it quite a lot
(04:14):
without this overlink and correlation, certainly.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
And you mentioned that when you got to New York
there were more opportunities and things of that nature. Who
exactly did you come across and what type of opportunities
fell in your lap?
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Well, I started out as an actor in New York
and I am still an actor, but at the time
that was sort of my primary identity.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
In a way, I.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Felt disconnected from the world of academia in the early
stages of my master's degree. And I went back to
my dorm room and I said, well, this is the
time for me to sort of ask myself what makes
me happy and the stage and acting and cinema, all
of those combined make me feel alive. So I called
(05:03):
an acting studio and I said, I don't have any experience,
I don't know what this world is, and I'd like
to come audit the class.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
And I said absolutely, And.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
I started out and then went to audit that class,
and I said to myself, that's what I want to do.
And I started auditioning. And at the time was twenty
twelve and twenty thirteen, nobody was talking about diversity. At
the time, I was the Arab actor in New York
and no one was talking about inclusion writers. And now
it's the norm. And I was quite frustrated with a
(05:34):
lot of the auditions that were coming my way. It
was very stereotypical roles for Middle Eastern male actors, which
as you can imagine, they're quite stereotypical in every sense
of the word. And I did not just want I
didn't it didn't feel organic or natural to me to
(05:57):
just spend my life waiting for a phone call from
an agent or a cast director and just waiting for
somebody to create a role that is nuanced enough for
my culture or for my region or or so. That's
where Abroad was born. Me and my fellow colleague and friend,
Pascal Sini, and we got together and we created something
(06:20):
based on our shared experiences in this business as Middle
Eastern actors. And yeah, that's where Abroad came from.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Can you tell us a bit more about abroad. Do
you have a log line or or something go along
those lines you can give us.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
I mean, it's the story.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
It's a story of an immigrant Arab couple in New
York and they're both navigating this the sort of American
and film television industry and the stereotypes that aerobactors are facing.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
But it's also a couple.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Story about two people who grow apart with time. I
think my biggest fear in life is to be with
somebody then wake up one day and realize they're they're
completely They're a completely different person. And I think we
sort of wanted to explore our shared experiences in the
business and our separate experiences as well in life, as
(07:15):
also people who are who think differently and might think
similarly in ways. But yeah, it's also a couple story
and a human story at heart.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
I could relate to so much of it. The opening
scene is fantastic. I won't give it away, but having
that kind of conversation and the lines she delivers but
her self tape is just like hilarious. It's it's on
on the nose brilliant in that sense. I really enjoyed
it and I believe a lot of people that are
(07:44):
ethnic minorities or from maybe marginalized communities can relate and
feel that film the scene that try not to give
any spoilers away, but I want to, you know, talk
about the film itself. There's there's a bit that so
many people can relate to when your character turns around
and says to her about working in the diner and
(08:08):
even the bad guys passing you by, the ones that
were supposed to be the absolute eff ups, and you're
in a really shaky position because what are you doing
it for? To play some terrorists at an airport or
you know those type of things. And I've had that
conversation basically in my own Black British way with an
(08:31):
ex girlfriend because I am a former actor. How many
conversations like that are happening between actor filmmakers from the
Middle East? And what are some of the things that
are happening right now to try and overcome the barriers
that you face.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
These are sort of ongoing conversations and they don't stop.
But I think now things are a lot better now,
you know, sort of people just use the word diversity
left and right, but I still don't think that it's
being done right, and it's not just green lighting a
(09:08):
story and it's diversifying the cast in terms of skin
color or ethnicity or sexual orientation or whatnot. It really
is about the story and how much the story can
be tailored and fit the nuance of the culture that
is trying to address. And that goes to just whether
(09:31):
they care or not, and who's watching this?
Speaker 3 (09:34):
And I think.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
I had there was a little moment of silver lining
where things were getting better, and now the industry is
changing so rapidly and there's no more money to sort
of accommodate. Less and less things are being made and
there's no more budgets and there's no so I think
it's just kind of this pendulum in this thing that
keeps oscillating back and forth. But definitely the world has
(10:01):
opened up now and it's gotten a lot better and
those conversations are happening.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
I guess less and less.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
And went abroad premiere at Santa Barbara and later on
an Art Prize. What did that recognition mean for you
personally and for the stories you want to tell?
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Santa Barbara was my first festival abroad. Was it was
a very I would say It was my first film
as director. It was my It was also a modest
film in terms of the scope of it. This was
I'm a big believer in picking up your camera and
making a story with your friends and family. That's what
film is all about. And then we believed in what
(10:39):
it was trying to say. It had enough truth and
heart that I believe was worth submitting to film festivals
and Santa Barbara was the first to embrace it, and
I had I was, you know, I did not know
what the film festival world looked like, and Santa Barbara
raised the bar really high. That was such a film
maker focused environment. They really took care of me. Sometimes
(11:02):
it's a mess with film festivals, especially with short films,
because you'd never know of enough resources or attention or
as given to short filmmakers. But they treated me no
differently than anyone else, including their top tier celebrity talent,
and sharing it with that audience was really special. I
made a lot of friends and colleagues that I am
(11:23):
still in touch with and I'm sorry, what was the
second part of Oh the prize? I you know, also
the film picked up a very prestigious national prize awarded
annually to Lebanese immigrants and their contribution to the Lebanese
community in terms of arts and arts and culture. And
(11:44):
that was meaningful because I think people don't realize I
moved here when I was twenty years old, and you're
not just dealing with the competitiveness and the business. You're
not just the immigrant or someone the actor director. There
was a whole other sort of string of struggles that
I had to sort of navigate immigration struggles on one,
(12:06):
and there's so many that you have to figure out
because the industry in the world is changing so rapidly.
So you make one strategy in terms of how you're
going to make a dent in the business or the
subculture of the business, and then the business changes rapidly
the next day. When I was auditioning, it was all
network TV, and then streaming came along, and then we
had COVID and less unless people were going to the theaters.
(12:26):
And then now we're dealing with AI actors and agent
circling AI actors and publicists trying to represent someone who
isn't a human being in an art form that requires
so much truth and humanity and and so. And on
the one hand, you feel like, oh, I need to
fight the do I need to fight these philosophical battles
of streaming and theatrical and AI and and On the
(12:48):
one hand, I'm like, I got to stay focused on
what I'm doing and what I need to do. So
being recognized in not only in this business, but somebody
who's proudly Lebanese is trying to make a difference is
incredibly is such an incredible honor.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
So with Manara, you shifted to Lebanese filmmaking story that
resonated globally, premier in Venice and winning awards in Alexandria
and Paris. How do you approach making a film that
was deeply local yet universally powerful.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
I my personal take is the you know, the more
specific the film culturally or on a human level, I
believe the stronger it will resonate because at the basis
of all humanity, the emotions are all similar. We go
through the same things, and we feel the same things,
and we deal with the same things. So I didn't
(13:46):
set out to do something. There's hardly any strategy when
I approach something in terms of where and how it
will resonate. My main focus is to tell something that
is truthful and honest, and I hope that people receive
it well. Art is subjective, but Manaro was my second
collaboration with Pascalsnuri, my dear friend and colleague, and and
(14:11):
it was we wanted to explore this generational divide between
an older generation, who is who prioritizes appearances and how
they are perceived and the family is perceived to the
outside world at the expense of the well being of
the family itself, and how healthy the dynamic between the
(14:33):
children and the parents are. And I can relate to
a lot of those elements having grown up in a
small town, and obviously I dealt with that kind of
generational divide and how that the facade was more important
(14:53):
than whether we are healthy intact family.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
So the film features themes of absence, judgment, and family silence.
Why were those themes important for you to explore?
Speaker 1 (15:09):
It was a reflection of society that is still very
much prevalent today. I think when you care so much
about something, you tend to critique it, and people tend
to misconsue that as an attack, but it's really wanting
it to evolve and putting a lot of question works
(15:31):
and asterisks on things that do that you think are problematic,
that could lead to a better society. I think you
know in Lebanon we have a lot of problems, be
it from a failed political class, to a failed state,
to to too to endless endless wars and instability, moments
(15:53):
of instability. But I do my work focuses on what
happens inside the house and within the family in terms
of value and morals and dynamics. And I think that
seeps into the larger community, that seeps into the larger
socio political.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
State and reality.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
And so it was important for me to shed light
on the things that I believed were problematic. A fear
of judgment at the expense of your kids well being,
staying silent when seeing your kids are in trouble because
you don't want your daughter to get a divorce because
God forbid, divorce is such a subject of shame, or
(16:35):
all of these things that contribute to just more trauma.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
So do you feel whenever you're speaking to someone from
Lebanon or when you go back to Lebanon, there's something
about your career that you can't share with other people
because the family, your family, sorry, might want you to
have been a doctor or a lawyer or something a
bit more traditional.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
At first, I did not disclose what I was doing.
They thought I was pursuing a master's to PhD program,
and I was secretly kind of trying to figure out
whether I can live my dream and.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Do the thing that makes me happy.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
So I made this conscious decision not to share prematurely
what I was trying to do, because I knew it
would be it would not be approved of. And till
this day, I have an issue not with my family,
but you know, some people who quite fail to understand
what I do and what artists do in general. And
(17:36):
a lot of the times, I think because people who
come from these archaic mindsets tenements or success with financial
means and money is great, but that's not why we
do what we do. And money comes and goes with
our business. And a lot of the times when we're
making our films, were asking for money and we're raising money.
(17:58):
And but you know, with short films, I'm developing my
first feature now, but short films are not. You don't
do them to monetize them. You do them to tell
a story in a medium format. You do them because
you have the budget to tell a short film because
you want to do a short film. Sometimes it's a
proof of concept to a feature, but you don't make
(18:18):
them to monetize them. So but also our progress as
artists tends to be incremental and only observed to us.
So it's not going to go and tell my family
at the early stages of my career, let's say ten
twelve years ago, oh, I'm just you know, I'm learning
(18:39):
so much in class or you know, this process and
this play and this, They're not going to get it.
I had to find my own sense of self confidence
first and figure out what my roadmap was going to
look like before and then when Abroad came out and
it premiered in Lebanon, that's when I finally told them, oh,
(19:00):
by the way, this is what I'm doing, my big
it's this rebellious streak in me that and stubborn streaking
me that it has gotten me into trouble, but it
is what it is.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
It seems like a smart way to go about it,
as for sure, to in your in your situation to
do it that way. Take my hat off to you,
and it's obvious that you are your work is honest
to you it's truthful, it's real, it's needed. Has there
ever been an occasion when you've had to the commercial
(19:30):
reasons kind of backed off on what you thought was
true for filmmaking.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
No, No, I haven't not yet, Not yet. I hope
I never sort of have to go through it with
with anyone. But I understand this is a business and
sometimes you know, you have to answer to a higher power,
to a bigger studio. But I'm not quite there yet
in terms of those in terms of those challenges or
(19:57):
but you know, my last, my my latest Saint Rose
is I'm in Canada right now. I had the pleasure
of screening it in Montreal yesterday, and something about again
how people respond to specifics in the work really just
(20:17):
validate validates me and just fills my heart with such
joy because again, you know, you you make a film
and you want to be honest, and you're not just
making it to tell a story, but you're also making
it to anchor your voice even more as a storyteller,
as a filmmaker, and your style and and and I again,
I genuinely believe the more specific the film is on
(20:40):
a human level, on a cultural level, the more it
will resonate. But I as an Arab filmmaker, there is
no shining away from talking about politics and and a
lot of the Arab films beat shorter feud. There's you know,
there's always identity, there's always a political elements and films.
(21:01):
My films have not addressed that directly. It's always been
about the family and what happens in said the house.
I've been in situations where a producer asked me to
include the shots of gunfire in the background to make
it pander to European audience, because I've also I talk
(21:25):
about middle class families in my work, and I've also
had people tell me, oh, they have to be poor
if so that it can resonate with this festival or
with this audience, And I go, I never, sort of, yeah,
I never felt the need to humor that or accommodate that.
And I don't know, I but very cognizant that it
(21:46):
is a business and those fights are not are not.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
I'm not there yet.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
And Costin, I think the chemistry between you and the
lead actress was amazing and abroad I really really came
through the screen in a brilliant way. What is your
process when it comes to casting actors and actresses and
do you enjoy it so much?
Speaker 1 (22:10):
I mean, so far, it hasn't been such a formal
casting process. And in my work in the free short
films that I've done, I think Pascal and I she's
a wonderful actress, writer, and we came in together. We
came together to play really in abroad, to really feed off.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
Of each other. And we continued that work in Manara.
But Manara was.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Quite we were heavy, it was heavier in subject matter.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
It was trickier shooting that film.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
We both have btst from that film because it's such
a It was such a tricky production, and I was
acting in it, directing it. She's the writer actress as
well in that film. But Abroad was so much fun.
And as she approaches the work with such humility, I
trust her, she trusts me. And again, this is a community.
You can't as actors, you can't can't work alone. You
surrender yourself to your fellow castmatee and vice versa. And
(23:01):
so in Saint Rose, I cast my own mom to
play the lead. That was that was That was a
big risk that ended up paying off because she did
such a wonderful job I like to work with family.
I think a lot of the things that I write
and and creators based and inspired by personal experiences and
(23:25):
my family. So yeah, I take risks with Manara. I
cast my aunt. So it's a big and it's not
these random decisions. They're heavily informed decisions based on the
characters that I have and I feel well who in
my family and in my immediate surrounding. I can embody
(23:48):
these characters. But also there's a sense of familiarity that
puts me at ease working with them because I know them,
I know how they look on camera, I know ins
and outs of their behavior.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
So I enjoy that.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
There's a rapport that's already established that I enjoy working with.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
So even so, directing your aunt, for example, or your
mom is like telling them what to do to a
certain degree. If you go what I mean, how was
that experience?
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Like, it's challenging because I, you know, I was not
only the director. I had to separate that from the
role of sun or nephew or so it was really stricky.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
But I don't know.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
In these moments, there's some switch that happens in the
brain that automatically just gets you to adjust to the
current reality, and that is I don't have time to
explain everyone's role. This is what we're doing, and of
course you approach it with care and caution and make
sure everyone is comfortable. And I when't working with family
(24:54):
and they're not professional actors and they don't know how
this medium works and how difficult it is on the
technical A lot of people who are not really informed about.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
How film works.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
They don't know that it takes three hours to set
up to do two lines. And I think you have
to sort of constantly make sure to lift that pressure
that we're making something or we're just playing in a way.
And so yeah, it's it was tricky, but you make
(25:24):
it work.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
You certainly do. Yeah, yeah, you're right. And being selected
for Tip's Filmmaker Lab and being named to the forty
under forty Arab American Class, How are these platforms open
your doors for you so much?
Speaker 3 (25:40):
I think all of these.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
Well, all of these accolades America's forty under forty. I
think adding into the real Luprize is another recognition of
me being here working hard to contribute something to the
community and to our stories and to our culture, to
our heritage, and with Tiff, it was such a it
was such a valuable experience because it's Tiff and and
(26:06):
and be. It's such a prestigious platform in a prestigious lab.
And I made a lot of friends that I'm still
very in touch with today. And it's all an added
plus to the work that I've done, the work that
I'm developing. And you get to be part of that
community and that organization and part of that legacy, which
is and I just any opportunity, any kind of milestone
(26:30):
or success, be it mini school or of large magnitude,
I tend to appreciate.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
And value.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
So, and what lessons have you taken from moving between acting,
writing and directing, and how did those different roles feed
into one another.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
That's a lot.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
I wish I could just stick to one thing, but
I but I but I can't. But acting and directing
in my films, that was tricky, especially with Manata. I
think I don't know if I would had you know,
had I if I could go back in time, I
don't know if that specific film I would have I
would have acted in the film, But it was very
(27:13):
tricky to you know, we would face face with such
limitations from logistical standpoint, We had two days to shoot
this film, and I think that it needed at least
five days, And and we were shooting at a hotel,
and we couldn't really we couldn't rehearse in any of
our spaces because there were guests staying in the rooms
and we were trying to make our schedule in our
(27:36):
and and to to accommodate people's checkout times and whatnot.
So we would go in the room, we would do
a brief block rehearsal and camera rehearsal, and but we
would But had we had the time to really let
those moments really just breathe, I would have been there.
I would have been more satisfied with the outcome. But again,
(27:57):
these things people don't seek. It's my own personal like experiences. Actually,
I'm rewarding that if I go back in time, I
would allocate five days for that film and not take
myself out as an actor, because it was very valuable,
you know, acting that film and the directors acting in
their films. And sometimes that's frowned upon because people tend
(28:17):
to see it as some sort of narcissistic or this
vanity thing. No, it's no For me, it's this is
a character I know, and this is a character I
want to play. And it's not some you know, vain
or selfish reason or camera whatever. No, it's a need
(28:38):
to play this person because I relate to what the
person is going through and I have to get it
out in my own way. But juggling all these juggling
all these capacities, I enjoy writing a lot, as excruciating
as it can be. Sometimes you're flushing these characters and
you're giving them lives and and I just enjoy them
(29:02):
all of these different.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
Capacities, and it is tricky.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Another reason why some people direct and act in their films.
I mean, I've done it years back in some of
my shorts. Is cost cost really you know why sometime
for most of the time I direct and shoot at
the same time that the cost can you know, you
can get expensive as you know, and a lot of
(29:26):
the listeners now, so that's that's one of the reasons
I would love to on some of the films that
proves he made of just directed and had someone act
and had a cinematographer and had the extra days as well.
Sometimes using locations, real locations. They might say Okay, you've
got a day, and you know, deep down inside you
(29:47):
know you need that location for at least double that
amount of time. So it really does get complicated in
that way for us kind of actor writ directors and
if you're you know, I said acting, writing and directing,
but of course by accident I left out producing because
the very nature of what you're doing Mekshi.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Yeah, I would. I wouldn't classify myself as a producer.
I mean I did produce my films, I did self
produce them, but I wouldn't. I mean, I do have
my inn production company. I do have a passion for
really trying to find and curate and create this hub
of the work that I that I respond to, that
(30:30):
I resonate with. But no, I wouldn't say it's for
differently well as I wouldn't. But going back to what
you were saying on acting and directing and cause that, Yeah,
I mean these things. If you want to direct something
and you feel like if you're acting in it, you're
not giving it one hundred percent and you're not able
to because you have to manage all these different different aspects.
(30:53):
I understand, But also if you want to act in it,
because you do want to act in it.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
Why not?
Speaker 1 (30:58):
And it's all a learning experience one after the other.
And it's people do it, and people do it successfully.
People do it successfully, and it's not unique directors acting
in their projects, or writers acting in their own projects
or television projects.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
And looking ahead, what kinds of stories do you feel
compelled to tell next? Are there certain themes or projects
you're particularly excited about.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Yeah, my features, it's in late development right now. The
script is complete and hopefully you get to shoot it
next year, and I'm excited about that. I'm developing a
doc series as well, and there's some projects on the burner,
(31:47):
but these are my main main two right now that
I'm focused on as well. And yeah, so we'll see.
I'm excited about the future.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
You at Liberty to tell us what these projects are about.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
Saint Rose the short that I that I just uh,
that is on the tail end of its of its journey.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
The feature will be an extension of that, but it
will be it's a dark comedy drama. It's it's uh, yeah,
well I'm trying to not that I'm gatekeeping what it's about.
I think it's it's also it's it's it's out there
(32:28):
because you know, it's been thankfully, it's been on a
really nice journey with with Tiff and then we went
went to Reykiavik with one best pitch, and then I
went to Ontario Creates the Financing Forum in Ontario, which
was really nice and and the festivals have really been
embracing it. And hopefully it'll be out soon. But again,
it the feature is going to be an extension of
(32:50):
the themes that I that I like to talk about,
family dynamics, generational divide. There's gonna be a lot of
dark humor in this as opposed to my previous work.
And that's uh how we express our pain as we
make light of it and we use comedy to talk
about it. And life is absurd, especially our life in
Lebanon and the Middle East is quite absurd. And life
has become absurd in general, and it's become unpredictable. So
(33:14):
I'm trying to highlight those elements in the film as well.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
And what advice would you give young filmmakers, especially those
navigating questions of identity, culture, and representation in their work.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
I don't know if I'm qualified to give anyone any
any advice, Just do it and pick up your camera,
work with friends and family, make that make that film,
make that short filmmake that corporate filmmake any film. I
think we are so conditioned today to think that we
need to wait for this grant or this paycheck or
(33:48):
this amount of money for the film to be taken seriously,
it's not it shouldn't be a stigma that you're self
producing and you're working with It's all about honing your
talent and your technique, your craft, and your confidence. And
it's not about how people are going to receive it
artist objective, it's just about evolving as an artist and
(34:09):
allowing yourself a room to live. I think today is
very difficult to just live with social media and camera
phones and everybody's chasing an aesthetic and chasing envy, and
no one is really chasing an authentic life. And I
feel like that purpose that we all have on this
in this world is being lost on this new generation.
(34:29):
And so but now the technology is there too, and
social media is there, and I think, what's the positive
side to this? As much as I have a conflicted
relationship with today's reality, it's a camera phone and smartphones,
social media is the work can be visible and it
does have a platform outside of the gatekeepers of the industry.
(34:51):
So you can make a film, you can put it
out there, people can see it. And so yeah, that's
that's what.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
I have to say.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
And off the people have watched your films, say they
go to the theater to see one, for example, what
do you hope lings with them most afterwards?
Speaker 3 (35:07):
In general? I hope they're moved.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
I hope the questions that they need to ask are
being asked in self reflection, or they see themselves in
the characters or the question marks I'm trying to or
the then any sort of thing, any subject that I'm
putting into question, I hope they put into question as well.
It was a very special Q and A yesterday here
in Montreal amongst the Lebanese to ask for community here
(35:32):
because it's a large community, and it was a very special,
substantive conversation and about this broken system that we live in,
this patriarchal broken system that we live in, and so
that forced people to leave. That forced a lot of
(35:55):
people to question their own realities and their own dynamics
within their families. Yeah, I think a lot of self
reflection in putting things in people and dynamics into question.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Zan, thanks so much for coming on. I really appreciate
your time and your excellent answers in educating me enlightening
me on so many different things, and I really hope
to speak to you soon.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
Absolutely, thank you so much. This was such a pleasure
and thank you, thank you for doing this.
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