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After bringing several award-winning short films to life, Bahraini filmmaker Deena Alsaweer is committed to telling more stories of Arab joy to change their stereotypical representation in 2024.
At the recently concluded Digi60 Digital Filmmakers’ Festival in Ottawa, Canada, Deena was part of three projects that won numerous awards, including the Best Film, Best Director, Best Technical, and Spirit of the Festival.
“I had the pleasure of editing the Hassib Hani-directed film Ayam Zaman (The Old Days), which won Best Film and was written by Hassib Hani and Florence Desruisseaux,” Deena told GulfWeekly.
“I also wrote and directed Home Was Her Face, which won the Spirit of the Festival award.”
In addition, she played Tamara in Watch What You Have, which was directed by Palestinian-Canadian director Hussain Dawwas and won the Best Director and Best Technical awards.
Watch What You Have is about the art of the con - an exploration of distraction and strategy between the three main characters, played by Hussain, Hassib and Deena.
“Acting with people who are talented directors was a unique experience, we all brought our own movie magic to each scene and it really showed in the final result,” she added.
“Overall, a lot of the films at the Digi60 Festival were a community effort, it was a chance for all the participating filmmakers to support each other to get to the next phases of our careers.
“Working on other people’s projects - no matter what your role is - is immensely valuable, because you get to see how others respond to different methods and it’s kind of a masterclass from different filmmakers each time, no matter their level or expertise.
“Everyone has something to teach you if you know what lessons you’re looking for. That’s why I was able to support my fellow filmmakers this year in various roles as editor, actor, director, writer and producer.”
Deena’s filmmaking journey began 10 years ago when she started editing and creating content for social media.
A few years later, she completed her master’s degree in film and television from the Savannah College of Art and Design as a Fulbright Scholar.
Currently based in Ottawa, much of her work these days revolves around writing and directing short films, editing short documentaries and directing behind-the-scenes interviews for movies and television shows.
When she is not busy in her role as social media producer for Hallmark Media, she teaches on-screen acting at the Ottawa School of Theatre.
“Early on in my career, it wasn’t always possible to get an experienced actor that can bring your vision to life, so often I had to do my own research and take on that role myself,” she added.
“After a few acting projects, I decided to take the leap, enroll in a professional acting course and use that skillset to elevate my own projects, learning how to better communicate with my actors, and also acting in films in Canada since there isn’t a large pool of fluent Arabic-speaking actors.
“Overall, I think this was a necessary step to take for my directing career. Plus it’s fun, and I turned out to be a natural.”
As she looks to 2024, Deena noted that she is committing herself to making ‘stories of Arab joy’.
She hopes to highlight talented Arabs in her upcoming projects in fields including sports, technology, music and ‘anything that the Western world of film doesn’t often portray’.
She plans for her films to veer away from the stereotypical Western juxtaposition of Arabs amid war or violence.
Deena is also planning to make the jump into feature-length film production, thanks to the experience she has gained in short films during the last years.
“Short films are a good way to get your reps (repetitions) in as a filmmaker and help you prepare for the beast that is feature film production,” she explained.
“Over the last few years, I have directed more than eight short films and three music videos, which puts me in a comfortable position to take that leap into making my first feature film inshallah (Arabic for ‘God willing’).
“Currently, I am on the hunt for a feature length screenplay and a writing partner.”
For more details, follow @batikha_pro on Instagram.
