Film-maker Maziyar Khatam reflects on the troubled relationship between a father and son when the father is threatened with eviction in the new comedy short BABA.
Film And TV Now spoke with the film-maker about the short.
This is the second instalment of your comedy shorrt series. What is the overall game plan for this series of films?
We started with BUMP (2022) which dissects how masculinity manifests itself in the modern age. BABA (2023) in a way continues that theme, the father serving as a failed role for his son, accelerating down a path of narcissism and toxic masculinity.
What I love about writing these projects is balancing comedy with drama and also having an unsettling tone underneath it all. My next work which I’m very excited about takes the same elements and dials it to eleven. It’s a feature film that explores Iranian culture in a way I haven’t seen before.
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It’s a very intense affair. How much does this film mirror your own personal experience?
It was a combination of things—the main drive being these tangled feelings I had about my dad and how I grew up. I distinctly remember being in my last year of high school and getting a call from him because his landlord had an issue, and my dad needed me to translate. I thought that this would be a great opening scene for a film.
Thematically, I also wanted to touch upon how my dad and I were drifting apart. My Farsi was getting worse, and his English was almost nonexistent, so communication was agonising. A lot of our screaming matches were simply because we couldn’t understand each other.
Tell us about your cast.
It’s a group of non-actors, that we find within Toronto. Amir Zavosh who plays the father was a challenge to find. I wish I was exaggerating, but we probably approached every middle-aged male Iranian actor in Toronto. A lot of them just didn’t understand the film and character. Iranian men are very traditional and the main issue for them was the swearing, but we were lucky to connect with Amir.
Where did you shoot and for how long?
We shot for 3 days, in my apartment.
We understand that this is being used as a proof of concept for a feature-length film.
Not this particular story. Baba is definitely a complete film there isn’t more to say about it. I always felt that it has a conclusive ending. The feature film I have in the works deals with the same world but with a different plotline.
What are you hoping to explore in the expanded narrative?
I really enjoy messing around with the structure and the pacing, making the audience feel like they know where it’s going and then having them realize they’re not in control.
Who and what are your key cinematic influences?
Asghar Farhadi, Safide Brothers/Bronstien, Yorgos Lanthimos and Scorsese.
The film is screening at Sundance. Tell us more about your experience of this particular festival and how does it help independent filmmakers and creatives like yourself?
Sundance has always been a dream, it feels surreal to have had both of my projects accepted back to back. I think it’s a great place to get exposure, but it also gives you the confidence to trust yourself as an artist to know you’re on the right track.
Finally, what are you most proud of about this short?
I’m happy that people are enjoying it and relating to the story, It’s very personal for me and to see it resonate with some people makes me really happy.
