Please join us in welcoming our newest addition to the Holy Fools roster, Amir Zaza. Fleeing from Syria 8 years ago, Amir has brought with him a wealth of lived experience that shapes his unique perspective as a writer and director.
Shortly after arriving in the Netherlands, Amir completed an internship at a commercial production company in Arnhem. Following this, he decided to formalise his desire to enter the industry by setting a goal to study at the best film school in Holland, the Nederlands Filmacademie. With sheer determination and focus he was accepted into the coveted Bachelor of Directing, where he dedicated himself to learning all about the Hollywood greats and the conventions of classical filmmaking.
Amir’s film taste spans diverse genres and subjects with favourites such as Interstellar, Dune, Gladiator, The Shawshank Redemption, Catch Me If You Can, Jurassic park, Fight Club,The Matrix, The Godfather, Titanic, Shutter Island, Django Unchained, No Country for Old Men and Paradise Now. But the persistent element that ties them all together along with his own work, is an interest in stories that are above all immersive and epic.
His short film, ‘It Will Rain’, which he wrote and directed during his time at Nederlandse Filmacademie, is a chilling family drama set against the backdrop of the Syrian revolution that is simultaneously endearing and haunting. It is an impressive feat for a debut film, demonstrating Amir’s ambition in conceiving of an international production with a 35-minute runtime during his studies. But it doesn’t stop at ambition. His ability to execute his vision is also demonstrated through the poignant and moving screenplay that is brought to life with entrancing performances and polished technical execution. His short film won the Topkapi prize for the best graduation film of the year and made it to the final list of the Student Academy Awards (that’s right – The Oscars!).
Since his recent graduation, Holy Fools and Amir Zaza have decided to embark on a journey together into commercial territory, kicking things off with a project for Beekse Bergen’s ‘Light Safari’. The click between Holy Fools and Amir is astonishing on all levels. From his experience on set with Holy Fools, Amir notes that he discovered they were “…not only foolish, but also crazy! … Imagine, a producer believing in the talent of a director and encouraging him to think big. Who does such a thing nowadays? I think if they were to produce Zack Snyder’s well-known movie ‘300’, they would suggest he make it ‘500’ instead. On top of this, they are good storytellers, which is really great.”
Amir shows great promise and talent as an emerging director and we’re excited to support him in his career and learn from his nuanced point of view of the world and how people function within it.
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Welcome Amir!