Q: Do you believe in a higher power? (Love, God, Universe, Grace, Spirit, whatever) Why? Why not?
A: Yes I believe in God. Sometimes I say "the universe", but I mean God. Indigenous Americans say "great spirit". I also believe we have guides whether you want to call them Angels, ancestors, spirits, I feel them too. I usually pray to all of the above. I was raised in a very spiritual family. Not a very religious family. My parents are Muslim, but both sides of my family are mixed with almost every culture and religion out there, so my perspective is a very inclusive one. I myself am a sort of pan theologist. I practice and study many different spiritual beliefs. I see religion and spirituality as poetry. Different languages to express the same thing.
Q: Why must you make films? (I mean, let's be honest, only a crazy person would choose to do it)
A: I grew up watching all of the classic films. My mother is a cineaste. I watched all of the old Hollywood black and white films, all of the woody Allen films, Scorsese films, and lots of international cinema. I was an actress as well, and my sister was too. I started acting in theatre when I was 4. And my mother and sisters all worked in the film industry on the business side of things at the studios, so I was raised in it. I ended up in film school by fate. It wasn't my idea. I was at USC studying literature with a minor in photography. I just wanted to write poems all day. My cousin was married to David Wolper's son, and David became a sort of mentor. He wrote me a recommendation for the film school. Im sure that's why I got in. He produced Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, so I always say "he gave me my golden ticket." Even once I got in, I didn't want to go. My family and my photography professor Robert Flick told me I had to take the opportunity. So I did. Then I loved it and became obsessed. I focused mostly on cinematography at USC as I wanted to learn the most technical thing possible, as I knew that knowledge would be an ace in my pocket as a female director. Just before my last year of film school, I wanted to take a semester off to focus solely on my acting career. I went on a trip to europe with my cousin the summer before that semester, and a moroccan man in a bazaar in the south of france changed my mind. He was a seer and he predicted many things that happened later. He said to me “you’re traveling, maybe you’ll write a book”. I was thinking to myself “A traveling book ? yeah right man”. Then he said “No, you’re going to make a film”. I looked up at him and he smiled. He said all kinds of things, and minutes later I was crying to him as he looked into my soul and saw all of me. 9/11 happened one month later and I knew it was all meant to be. That last year of film school was vital, it’s when I learned the most and grew the most. My parents moved back to Afghanistan that year to help re build the country. I got on a plane to Afghanistan the next year right after graduation and I finally knew why I was a filmmaker. I knew why I had been handed that education. I was meant to tell the story of my people. So I did, and I will continue to do so. But even musically, David Lynch came to my very first show as a musician and wanted to produce my music. His wife Emily brought him to my show. He became a very important mentor in my life as well, so I've been really blessed with guides and mentors. I couldn't have planned it. These were gifts that I could never have planned. I feel very blessed and grateful. I think I've always known that this was my path, but I resisted it many times. I wanted to be silly and have fun as an actress and in a band. Those crafts are equally as challenging, but there's less responsibility. I knew that directing is like being the parent. You have to be in charge of everyone. It's a huge responsibility and takes up all of your life force. Now I feel excited about it. And I feel dedicated to telling stories that reach people’s hearts and souls.
Q: If you were at a dinner party and had to pick one of these topics for the group to discuss (sex, politics, money, religion, death, food, reincarnation) -- what would it be and why?
A: Hmm... Reincarnation. Because I do believe we are all working things out in this life. There are infinite possibilities of which path we take, but we only get one shot in this lifetime. So I like the idea of discussing which road we are each on and why. And if we had another shot at it all, what would we choose next ? Maybe we have no idea, but it raises the stakes. I think about it a lot. I think about living this life to its fullest and becoming all that I am meant to be. I check in with God and my soul for realignments all the time. It's easy to fall off the wagon. We have to have our own process of return and rebirth.
Q: Make up a question for me to ask the next director I photograph. You can ask ANYTHING — just please be respectful.
A: Which artist - filmmaker or any artist - has influenced you the most and why?
Q from Tawnie McKiernan: What’s the one type of film you’re dying to get hired to direct and why?
A: I really want to direct a fantasy film. Like those lord of the ring epics. I grew up obsessed with horror films, psychological thrillers, and fantasy films. I make pretty serious films now. My short I just made is a hybrid narrative. It has both documentary and surreal musical aspects to it, so it's more of an art film than my documentary, but I like the idea of getting to make a big fantasy epic someday. That would be a dream. It's how my mind works daily anyway ;)
Q: The last time you had deja vu? What does deja vu mean to you?
A: I don't remember the last time, but I have it all the time. I think it's a memory of before we are born when our soul is shown our life ahead. I believe we see what we are getting into before we enter. Then most of it is forgotten as we come into human form, but Deja vu experiences are the glimpses we remember. I believe it's a sign that we are on our path.
Q: What made you laugh last? When was the last time you cried? Why?
A: I'm in big sur right now and I saw a bunch of elephant seals yesterday. I was laughing last night while watching a video I took of one of them barking. I cried a bit last night. I just went through a break up, so just letting that go. I cry all the time. I'm open and all kinds of things move me. Beauty moves me to tears a lot too. So does gratitude.
Q: Lastly, tell the people about your next project and where they can see your work. Thank you!
A: I just directed a short film called Entelechy which will premiere at a festival next month. The film goes with my new album by the same name. Both will be released online soon too. I made a documentary about Afghanistan called We Came Home. That will be released soon as well. It already did the festival circuit and most recently just screened at the International Film Festival of Rajasthan in India. It won the jury prize there.
I'm not sure which project is next. I have a tv idea and a film idea. We'll see which one comes first. I'm in big sur connecting with nature for some guidance. I only want to do this if it's guided. I like to channel things that want to come through. That's how I see it. Otherwise it's a waste of everyone's time and just perpetuates or stagnates what we already have going on as humans. We need to move things forward and shape this experience into something more beautiful. That's what I wanna do and be a part of. Birthing a new time of peace, love, and unity.