Feelings Don't Have Borders: Apo W. Bazidi On His Short Documentary "How Far Is Home"
Apo W. Bazidi’s important film How Far Is Home focuses on how the Immigration ban has affected the lives of two Iraqi teenage refugee siblings and the family they left behind. Bazidi is an award-winning filmmaker whose films are primarily concerned with social issues and the importance of global cultural interactions. He believes in making a positive change and his lifelong motto is "Be creative and inspire".
In the midst of Trump's immigration ban, a teenage refugee Ahmed and his sister Ruba find a home at a Cleveland school for immigrants. Will they be able to reach their dreams?
This documentary was selected for Cleveland International Film Festival and the American Documentary and Animation Film Festival (AMDOCS. We had the opportunity to chat with Apo about his film, finding his subjects,, his approach to storytelling, and much much more!
First off, I want to thank you for making the film and sharing this story with the world. It’s such a beautiful and inspiration human story, and I think it will bring a lot of awareness to this situation. Where did your personal interest in this story originate?
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak about our inspiration for making this film. I was attending Cleveland Int Film Festival in 2017 with my previous film Resistance is Life which was focused on the lives of children refugees on the Turkish-Syrian border. During the festival, I was introduced to Thomas Jefferson Newcomers Academy where I met faculty and staff members. When we walked down to the lunchroom I just saw so many children from all parts of the world eating together in peace and harmony. It was like a mini UN without politics. It was the moment of inspiration.
Ahmed and Ruba are such terrific finds. Their warmth, positivity, and confidence is so infectious that I was smiling from ear to ear. How did you find them?
I was a guest speaker in one of the classes about storytelling and filmmaking. At that class, there were many students who were interested in storytelling. That's where I met Ahmed and Ruba for the first time. Ahmed's enthusiasm and energy were high as you see it in the film. His eyes were full of hope and kindness. He started asking questions on filmmaking and we connected right away.
Do you still stay in contact with them? If so, how are they doing?
Yes, I'm still in touch with Ahmed and Ruba. They are both doing great. They have graduated from high school. Ahmed is working part-time to support his family and continuing his education online and Ruba is in a community college.
Cleveland’s Thomas Jefferson school for immigrants seems like a lovely place that offers these children a lot of hope. How did you hear about them and what was the process like working with them?
After being introduced to the school, I went back to visit them in the fall of 2017 and volunteered in some classes to teach high school students how to vlog and tell their stories. Marisol Burgos, the head principal of the school, was very welcoming and she has opened the doors of her school and her heart for me to tell their story.
With documentary, I know the general approach tends to be collect as much footage as possible and then try to shape a narrative in the editing room. Is that your approach? How do you decide what makes it in and what falls to the cutting room floor?
My approach to this story and my work, in general, has always been the same, I call it "breaking the lens between you and your subjects" meaning building a relationship that makes people comfortable to talk to you and tell their story from the heart. Which requires lots of time and effort. After observing the school and understanding how things work, I started following Ahmed and Ruba separately. Once they were comfortable with us we started getting into their personal story which led us to create the picture we have now. When you document, you follow the life and if you commit to being in present moment then it will give you the best results.
What was the first moment you can recall where you knew that you wanted to be a storyteller?
I have always been interested in writing. Since I was a child I was writing poetry and short stories but the turning point in my life was when I saw La Vita Bella ( Life is Beautiful by Roberto Benigni ) at the age of 15. It inspired me to become a filmmaker and tell stories that can inspire and change lives in the midst of chaos.
How has being an immigrant, migrating from Eastern Turkey to the United States (San Francisco), shaped your perspective/approach as a storyteller?
Coming from a Kurdish background and growing up in Turkey was not easy. I witness many unpleasant things like many other oppressed children at a very young age which I believe gave me the fuel to become a storyteller. I pursued my dreams and moved to California so I can get the best education and apply it to my craft. Having such a strong identity and culture and adding a global perspective to my career has enabled me to tell stories in a very sincere way. I believe my voice as a storyteller is unique because I ground myself to my upbringings and shape myself to universal themes because feelings don't have borders or nations.
If President Trump was here right now and you could tell him one thing, what would you say?
Rather than saying something or one thing, I would like to listen to him and really understand where he is coming from. We all have values and perspectives in life which are shaped mostly by our society and surroundings. Before understanding someone we can't really talk to them because we have to catch their frequency. And as a storyteller, I would've asked him to just watch one of my work. I think that will justify my speaking.
What’s one thing you’ve learned working in the field that your professor didn’t (or couldn’t) teach you at University?
Life....You can learn all the technical and mechanical aspects of filmmaking but understanding life and building a perspective with fully open eyes and heart can not be thought. It must be lived and practiced.
What do you hope that audiences take away from the film?
We are all migrants and newcomers every day in our lives. We change neighborhoods, cities, countries, and continents. We move constantly and we realize how similar we are. How we all share same dreams and struggles. No one wants to leave their loved ones and home behind unless it's the only survival choice that they have left with. It can happen to any of us. As we are witnessing it right now with this global pandemic where the world's heartbeat became one. Worrying about the same thing and resisting on the other hand. Perhaps we can learn a lesson from it because none of the refugees left their comfort for becoming our target of humiliation and racism.
Do you have any other projects in the works that you can share with us?
My next project is called Campeón de los Corazones (Champion of the Hearts) following a former Cuban national and world champion boxer's life through philosophy and teachings.
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feeling in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!