Exploring the power of visual storytelling: Q&A with Syrian American filmmaker Fatimah Zeni | Part One

Cropped promotional poster. Image credit: courtesy of TFRK Films media

Fatimah Zeni is a Syrian American filmmaker who recently released her first short feature, “Amal,” a character-driven drama centering on a father and daughter and the unique way in which they cope with incoming bombs in Aleppo, Syria. Ms. Zeni is the founder of TFKR Films and was also a member of the Public Square Amplified 2024 Community Journalism Class. She sat down with Public Square Amplified’s Mandy Coriston to talk about the film, the joys and challenges of being a young Arab female filmmaker, and what it’s like to connect with audiences through the power of storytelling. 

Public Square Amplified: So first of all, congratulations on your film. I did some reading about it and then I did a little poking around online, and I saw that you actually have an IMDB credit for it. That's super cool. So, congratulations on that!

Fatimah Zeni: Thank you. 

PSA: So when I was thinking about the film, I thought that it really tapped into this universal concept of the love of a parent and child and the need to protect them from circumstances. And I thought, you know, well, that's kind of a trope. I think that movie “Room” comes to mind, but you've taken it to a place that's in a setting that's really an unfortunate, terrible reality, right? Although it's a fictional film with fictional characters, it's not a fictional setting. So what were you trying to say with it, in terms of having people relate to those characters?

FZ: So I feel like you kind of hit that on the mark. Basically, my goal was to take something that everybody could understand and place it in a setting that maybe not everybody understands, and through that, I was hoping that okay, people would see the story of a father and a daughter, and they would understand. Everybody, or not everyone, but I would say most people understand what it's like to have that relationship or have a close relationship with somebody, and how difficult it can be to watch that person go through something or suffer. Especially with the father and daughter, because this is based on a true story. So that was one of the reasons I chose father and daughter.

But it also just felt kind of more right for this, because I feel like there are father and daughter relationships, like, when they're good, they're good, you know, and I think they need to be explored more. So that was another reason I chose a father and a daughter rather than a father and a son, or a mother and a daughter, or mother and a son. But yeah, basically, you hit it on the mark, it was to provide something universal to people.

PSA: And do you find now that you've screened it — do you find that people are relating to the characters in the way that you had hoped, or do you find that they're relating more to the setting?

FZ: I think people are relating a lot more to the characters. I've had a few parents watch it and I've had people my age watch it, and a lot of people just find a sense of relation with either the parent or the child. That's the feedback that I've been getting thus far; people have just been connecting mostly with the characters because they can put themselves in that position.

Still image from Amal. (Image credit: courtesy of TFRK Films media)

PSA: Okay, so then I have to ask because I ask everybody who creates art and engages in storytelling. Why film? Why is that your medium?

FZ: That’s a really good question, actually. I mean, there could be so many, right? The thing is, I feel like it's [film] a combination of everything. It's sound, it's visuals, it’s writing, you know, there are so many different aspects to it, and it feels like real. And I think sometimes when things feel real, they have a deeper impact on the audience.

Because people are different. Not everybody can read a sentence and visualize it in their mind, but when it's in front of them on the screen, they see what's happening, and maybe they can see a part of what's happening on the screen in themselves.

And really, that's my goal. Not just in this film, but in my work in general. Not everything I do is going to be sad. I also like having a sense of humor, you know, having some fun moments in my projects. Like we just recently did a commercial, it was more fun. But everything that I do, I want it to be rooted in the human experience, so I think for me, film is the best way to do that.

PSA: That's awesome. See, I don't know the first thing about filmmaking. I'm a writer, and so I find it much easier to express myself through words. I would not know the first thing really, about that visual storytelling aspect. When you're writing for film, are you seeing those visuals in your head? Are you seeing how you want that to play out, or how you want those scenes to look?

FZ: Definitely and like, 100% when I'm writing like, it comes in my mind, and then also, more. But you have to be conscious of the fact that not everything in our mind can be done, you know, because there's the budget. So that’s where the DP [director of photography] comes in and says, “Hey, listen, like, what's your budget? What can we actually do?” But yes, 100%, it comes in the mind.

PSA: Getting back to the storytelling aspect of things, I know that you are Syrian American, and this particular film “Amal” is about a Syrian father and daughter in a Syrian war zone, in a conflict. So what is the most empowering thing about being able to tell Syrian stories, as a Syrian American, as someone of Syrian heritage?

FZ: That's also a really good question, and I feel like it's a beautiful thing. I'm really grateful that I can do it, because I know that people over there during times of war, maybe they couldn't create these stories, or maybe they had to leave their homes to create these stories. So I'm grateful, that's really all I can say.

And the thing is, I wasn't born in Syria. I've been there twice in my life. I'm going there again, hopefully this year, for the third time. But Syria has always been a part of, or being Syrian has been a part of the way that I grew up. It's a part of the way that my home life was; it's very influential on the person that I am today. I mean, I live my life in America, but I wanted to tell a story that was about people from where I'm originally from. And I hope I honored them, and I hope that I did them justice.

PSA: As for Syrian American creators, Syrian creators, Syrian voices — Middle Eastern voices in general — how are those voices being heard in our media today? Is it enough? How can we get there to be more and have these stories be told?

FZ: I think the thing is that the more that I watch film, the more that I realize our experience as a human race, it's often shared — we all have emotions. We all have places of feeling that our stories come from. However, that being said, I think that when it comes to Middle Eastern voices, I'm just going to speak on that, because that's what I've had experience with thus far.

I think that we need to be open to what we do not know, and maybe even what we disagree with because I know, for a fact, some people disagree with what happened or what's happening in the Middle East right now. Some people are against it, some people are for it, and I really think we all have to come from a place of unity and understanding in order to elevate these voices.

Because something I've noticed is that in film — so I just did this project, “Amal.” I personally think it's a great project, but the truth is that it's been restricted in certain spaces. And I know it's because my film is about war, it's about a father and daughter, and it's humanizing those aspects. And I don't think that everybody wants people to see that; I don't think a lot of people want people to empathize with a father and a daughter in war.

And that's just the sad reality and the truth and it's not just Syria. It's also in Palestine, in Sudan, or the Uyghur people in China — I'm kind of going off on a tangent, but there are so many stories that are not being told because people don't want those stories to be told. 

And we really need to make sure that as a community, we, not just me, but any filmmaker that's trying to do something important or tell a story that is maybe a little bit different, that they need to be supported. The reality is that you need people to support [your work], you need funding, you need all of those things.

We had so much to talk about with Fatimah Zeni that we needed a Part 2! Check out the conclusion of our interview, where Zeni discusses the joyful surprises of working in film, where her projects are taking her next, and what she loves to watch for inspiration and entertainment.