We met Ashley Tabatabai, co-director of Hamdardi, for a chat about the making of this powerful short film.
We spoke with Ashley Tabatabai, co-director of the short film Hamdardi, about the making of the film, its significance, and the journey it has taken through film festivals. Hamdardi, a gripping thriller, follows an immigration officer’s struggle with his role after meeting a young Iranian brother and sister detained during the travel ban. The film has been generating Oscar buzz and has been showcased at numerous prestigious festivals.
When asked how it feels to receive such acknowledgment, Tabatabai expressed his gratitude but remained grounded. “It’s great, but there’s a long way to go with that. It’s a weird disconnect between the art and the business campaigning, PR side of what we do,” he said. This balance between creative fulfillment and the practicalities of film promotion is something many filmmakers navigate.
Tabatabai co-directed Hamdardi with Stefan Fairlamb, who comes from an editing background. Their collaboration dates back over a decade to when Tabatabai acted in Fairlamb’s student film. “When I decided to start making my own short films… I thought, I need someone that can help me on set to kind of direct and guide things technically,” Tabatabai shared. This partnership allowed them to merge their strengths, with Fairlamb handling technical aspects and Tabatabai focusing on the acting and broader vision.
Hamdardi is rooted in Tabatabai’s personal experiences. His father was Iranian, and the 2017 travel ban deeply affected his family. He recounted a poignant story about his cousin in Tehran who couldn’t visit her ailing father in San Francisco due to the ban. “She wasn’t able to go and see him to have those final moments and those final goodbyes,” Tabatabai recalled, highlighting the human cost of political decisions.
Creating an authentic portrayal of both immigrants and immigration officers was crucial for Tabatabai. He delved into stories and accounts of those affected by the travel ban, aiming to humanize all characters involved. “It was important to research what they do, but not make that only about who they were in the film. There’s got to be more to them,” he explained, emphasizing the importance of avoiding caricatures.
Filming Hamdardi came with its own set of challenges. A significant scene involved replicating an American airport, which they achieved by filming in the First Direct Arena in the UK. “We had one day to try and capture all of that… so many moving parts,” Tabatabai described the logistical hurdles. An emotional scene involved a young actress genuinely taken aback by the intensity of the moment, underscoring the film’s raw impact.
Tabatabai hopes Hamdardi prompts audiences to reflect on the power of labels and the commonalities that unite us. “The big thing going in was very much around the idea of labels… if you strip them away on a base level, we all have commonalities,” he said. This theme is mirrored in the film’s characters and their personal struggles.
Having Hamdardi showcased at film festivals has been a validating experience for Tabatabai. “It’s awesome because that’s the ultimate goal… to get it first be accepted… but then to know that it’s getting shown and screened in front of audiences,” he noted. The positive feedback and audience awards the film has received are testaments to its resonance and impact.
In closing, Tabatabai expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to share his film and engage with audiences worldwide. “It’s good to get feedback… seeing it in theater and reacting, I think that’s, you know, it’s everything,” he concluded. Hamdardi offers as a powerful narrative, deeply personal yet universally relevant, showcasing the profound effects of policy on individual lives.
