The Things We Do For The Love Of Filmmaking: Soroush Saeidi On "Botox"
Soroush Saeidi is an actor and producer whose work includes short films Venom and Funfair. His latest project is Botox, which he produced and starred in. The film rejoins Soroush with Funfair writer/director Kaveh Mazaheri, and its received a great deal of success on the festival circuit, picking up two wins at the 2020 Torino Film Festival and “Best First Feature Film” award at Fajr International Film Festival. The film will also be premiering at the upcoming Shanghai International Film Festival.
Sisters Akram and Azar lie about the disappearance of their brother by telling everyone he has fled to Germany. In time, this "lie" takes on a life of its own, leading to dark and mysterious places.
We had the pleasure of chatting with Soroush about the film, building authentic chemistry, wearing multiple hats on a production, and much much more!
Firstly, congratulations on the film’s festival wins and its recent acceptance into the Shanghai International Film Festival. How does it feel to have your debut some warmly received?
Thank you very much, It’s been amazing!
A true honor for winning two main awards (Best Film and Best Screenplay) at Torino film festival and now being premiered at the 24th Shanghai international film festival, that sets our Asian premier as well.
We have been blessed during these tough times and have truly worked hard to make this path a prominent one.
What was your initial reaction to reading Kaveh Mazaheri’s script for Botox?
I remember this quote: “Drama strikes at the heart of what it means to be human”.
I really liked it, it was very visual and it had all the main traits a good drama script needs: 1. Conflict 2. Character 3. Character arch 4. Blend genre 5. Authenticity 6. Relevance.
Both Kaveh and Sepinood deserved the best screenplay award at Torino.
You play Emad in the film, and he’s not the nicest guy — at least to his oldest sister, Akram. How did you develop your character for the film? Did you tap into any real-life experience for the character?
He is a lovely guy, he is just different. LOL
Yes, he was not so nice as he was after his own dream and he wanted to achieve it no matter what…..I did tap into real life experiences and tried to make this family dynamic work between the three of us. Emad was the man of this house hold and his presence needed to be felt and sensed.
Another thing was that Susan (Akram) and I became very good friends during filming so this made it even harder being so cruel to her.
If you could have dinner with any actor or filmmaker, living or dead, who would it be, and why would you pick them?
I’m a huge [Charlie] Chaplin fan, I think what he did and achieved set the tone for many of the greats that came after him.
His brand and life story alone is unbelievable. How many people do you know that starred, wrote, direct, produced and scored their own films to the level that he did?
I also love Al Pacino, and hope I can take him for dinner and chat with him one day.
How did you work with actresses Sussan Parvar and Mahdokht Molaei to develop that sibling chemistry?
We initially had table reads then we made it more personal and spent time with each other and went over our scenes. On set we also had much freedom to explore and share our ideas and rehears the scenes we had with each other. Kaveh also facilitated this and was very open to us sharing ideas and discussing our thoughts on the character. The three of us clicked and we had each other backs during the whole process. We truly were a family.
In addition to acting in the film, you also served as the film’s producer. What were some of the challenges of having these dual roles?
Two hats in your pocket at all times! The challenge is that you need to be alert in both spectrums of the work.
When producing one must make sure that the show will go on and all elements are working towards the making of the film, managing the big picture per say…as an actor once you are on camera that’s when you can’t be involved in that area therefore preparation, planning ahead and strategy must be intact. I think both Kaveh and myself managed it very well.
What’s your favorite thing about producing films?
Control over the end result and what will happen with the film after production.
I think every single person involved on a film set is a golden asset, they all deserve to see their work, efforts and dedication they put in. As producer I will make sure the film sees the light of the day so every person can be proud.
It’s a very sacred experience and it humbles people. My first love after my mom.
Do you have any amusing or humorous stories you can share with us about the production?
There is a falling scene from the rooftop in the film that I did it myself with the help of a stunt man showing me how to fall so I’ll make it out alive. It was a little risky but we decided to go ahead.
Thank god it went well and all was great. We did 3 or 4 takes I think… Once it was done, I was in some pain as a result my whole lower side and bum were bruised and black for the next 2 weeks. I heard many jokes about it on set! The things we do for the love of filmmaking! We also had a great time in Germany (Berlin and Hamburg) shooting some of the films scenes, many good laughs with Kaveh.
What do you hope audiences take away from the film?
Enjoy the beautiful storytelling, a sibling bond, individual dreams, betrayal, mental health, slapstick comedy…..truly all gel together under one roof.
I consider this film as some critics might call “High Art” at its best and very proud of the end result. I hope the audiences enjoy it as much as we did making it.
Do you have any future projects in the works that you can share with us?
There are a few things I am currently working on, one of them should be green lit soon as we are finalizing finances. Very exciting work.
I also just produced a horror film with my friend and two-time collaborator Greg A. Sager titled Open Your Eyes in London, Ontario that will be available June 1s through Gravitas Ventures in the US and Canada market.
Hungry for more?! Check out the links below:
Botox review
Interview with Kaveh Mazaheri about Botox
Funfair review
Interview with Soroush Saeidi about Funfair
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!