Sundance 2021: Zamarin Wahdat
Filmmaker Zamarin Wahdat talks to us about the making of Bambirak, a short film about a father and his young daughter building a life in a new country. She also tells us about drawing inspiration from her own childhood, happy accidents during production, and the importance of dreaming big.
What inspired you to make this film?
It was a memory that inspired me to make this film. I grew up in Hamburg. When we were in sixth grade we had something they called ‘Girlsday’. That is a day for girls to go and shadow a parent at work. I went with my father, who was a self-employed delivery driver. We were working throughout the day; he taught me a lot and I had a good time.
It was the moment when we had lunch in the back of his van and he told me about the times when he was tired and he would sleep on a green mattress for an hour or two and take a nap. He smiled when he told me that, but I couldn't help but feel a deep sadness come over me. I did not show it but I knew my father gave up his dream of being a physicist and a professor at the University of Kabul in order to live a peaceful life in Germany for me and my sister. He could not continue his profession in Germany because back in the day they did not accept his diploma and work experience.
What challenges did you face during production?
There was one scene that actually was a happy accident during the production and it was based on my improvisation work with the actors. Kati (Lara Cengiz) is not a professional actress but a professional taekwondo athlete. So the scene when they had a lunch break in the back of the van was not scripted the way it is in the film now. I told Lara to show him (Faruk, played by Kailas Mahadevan) her taekwondo moves and we started to film. It became one of the best scenes in the film I feel.
Getting your film into Sundance is exciting! Do you have a favourite Sundance film?
My absolute favourite to this day is Beast of Southern Wild. A friend of mine showed it to me in 2012 and it came at a time when I was in the same situation as Hushpuppy. So that film always remains special to me.
The pandemic has affected the industry in many ways, how have you keep motivated during the past year?
Honestly, 2020 feels like ages ago and at the same time like it never happened. It's very surreal. My year started off being at the Oscars as part of the film team of How to Skate in a Warzone (If You’re A Girl) and Sundance for a short film I shot as a DP and then came the lockdown.
I went back to Hamburg, my hometown, and after receiving the news that a feature I was supposed to shoot in October got postponed, I decided to spend my time learning how to read and write Farsi. I could speak my own language but I could never write it. I also started canoeing and writing again after a very intense year in 2019.
The pandemic slowed me down and made me reevaluate what is important in life. I feel for me it was important to be distanced from the industry in order to find myself back into it with a much clearer voice.
What are your thoughts on the transition to virtual film festivals?
I still try to catch up with it and feel a bit lost compared to in-person film festivals. I guess I am just not used to keeping up with a virtual schedule. I miss the physical world and conversations with the real people. However, I feel that the virtual platform gives many more people access to the festivals and it can travel beyond borders, which is exciting.
Who has inspired you in your filmmaking journey?
There are a few people who inspired me in my filmmaking journey. But I was mainly inspired by my own family and their stories. My grandmother inspires me the most with her stories about the past in Afghanistan. With her, life feels mythical.
I also like the work from Frances Bodomo and Lemoghanh Jeremiah Mosese. Also, as a shooter, I think Joshua James Richards’ work is phenomenal! I love when films tell stories through images rather than dialogue. Alessandra Sanguinetti’s photography series has also had a major impact on my work. She captures what lies in between her subjects and that is what I am interested in as a filmmaker. What happens in between is what makes us who we become.
More importantly, who has supported you in your career?
I luckily received a lot of support in my journey to become a filmmaker. Not only from my family, but also my filmmaking community at NYU, Film Independent, and last but not least where it all began, my first filmmaking collaborators at the University of Sussex.
What do you hope audiences will take away from your film?
There are always two sides to a story. I hope that the audience can feel what it means to be an immigrant and live in a country that is not your own and face covert racism and mistrust on a daily basis. It shows us two generations and their own interpretation of their status.
Whereas the father knows he is not German, the daughter does not differentiate between her and the other kids. That explains the different reactions when it comes to the conflict and affects their relationship. For me, it is important to feel how racism affects the inner relationship within a family and between generations and hopefully to start a conversation.
Tell us three goals you want to achieve in the next five years!
In the next five years, I would like to shoot my first feature as a cinematographer with one of my long term collaborators Sontenish Meyers, shoot my first feature as a writer and director, and start to think of ways of developing a film school in Afghanistan so they can tell their stories. I know this is a dream, but so was making films when I was little. People always thought I was a dreamer, and maybe I am. I think one has to be able to dream in order to make a step towards it and turn them into reality.
Lastly, what are two pieces of advice you would give to young filmmakers starting out?
Believe in yourself.
Grab a camera and go for it.
