Headlands Center for the Arts

Artist Statement

As a filmmaker, I draw from my memory of growing up in Iraq, to find those kinds of harsh or romantic moments, and contrast them with the strangely calm and uncertain life I have in the US. I weave nonfiction, poetry, voice narration, found footage, and abstract image because this juxtaposition feels closest to embodying both the chaos and the irreconcilable beauty of my memories and my present.

By tackling topics such as war, displacement, marginalization, and immigration, I hope that my art can make audiences who have never dealt with these issues experience their complexity and urgency. I embed my Iraqi and ethnic cultures into my work and explore convoluted American ideals, some of which were used to bomb us. My film and video work does not necessarily aim to entertain, but more to inform, confuse, and question the viewers’ preconceived ideas and convictions.

People like me have always been numbers and headlines on news outlets. I aim to represent the complexity and the humanity of the immigrant experience.

While At Headlands

While at Headlands, I will be working on two projects that span experimental and documentary formats. The work will deal with war, migration, and how political ideologies leverage anti-immigrant sentiment.

Selected Works

The Motherfucker’s Birthday – video, 2024, 07’

Bezuna – 2023 – video, 2023, 7:30’

Bitter with a Shy Taste of Sweetness – video, 2019, 09’

Alazeef – Video, 2016, 21’