Salute Your Shorts/Burbank International Film Festival 2018 - The Zim
A farmer struggles to protect his home and loved ones amidst the violent turmoil of the Zimbabwean land seizures.
Interview with Writer/Director Alexander Bedria
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Learning of the farm invasions (from a friend living in Zimbabwe), I became intrigued by the complex history that seeded these events. I felt an exploration of the events themselves would make a powerful subject for a short film, especially when I discovered this subject had - to my knowledge - never been dramatized.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I’ve always loved films that merged grand Hollywood movie making with challenging, controversial themes. The Zim lives in that genre, but is unique in that it tells such an epic story as a short film. It takes the audience on a thrilling, emotional journey…regardless of whether or not they knew anything about the subject matter beforehand.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The Zim weaves in themes of family, race, national identity, and justice into its narrative…both in the larger, moral questions of the farm invasions down to the intimate character relationships. I feel talking too much about “how” we do that would spoil the experience for the audience!
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
When you’re trying to encompass hundreds of years of history in the service of your story, you do a lot of revisions! The script was a living, evolving entity. We were constantly finding ways to more efficiently tell the story while still creating a grounded historical context for the audience. This was a constant debate between my collaborators and I, and no one was more helpful in this area than our wonderful editor Anisha Acharya.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback, from our “Best of Fest” winning premiere at LA Shorts - qualifying us for the Academy Awards - through every festival screening since, has been tremendous. I can’t tell you how many people have approached me, some even in tears, sharing their love for the film.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
After a recent screening, a woman shared that she began the film strongly supporting the land resettlements. As the film progressed, she unexpectedly began to build empathy for the white farmer and his family. I’ve had people share similar feelings from the reverse perspective as well, leaving the film feeling empathy for the men trying to seize the farm. These experiences are the best example of the power that storytelling can have, in terms of opening a window to differing perspectives.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
To continue getting the word out! Short films live and die by word of mouth. Your platform celebrates the kinds of films that inspire and challenge audiences, and I’m proud to have The Zim in such good company!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Given the topical nature of our subject, I’ve been grateful to journalists who’ve covered our journey over the last year. We are fortunate to be in final negotiations for a streaming release in November, but until then I’m hoping to continue sharing our film in festivals all over the world. I believe this is the best way for shorts to build audiences. At the end of the day, where else are a group of people going to sit in a theater and watch short films together?
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I’m already grateful for the reception we’ve received, and I’d like to continue finding ways to bring The Zim to new audiences. Unfortunately, given recent events in the media, the subject of the film remains as incendiary as ever. The ultimate message of our film is a hopeful one, and I hope this will serve to help the conversation move forward.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
The basic premise of The Zim is one of mankind’s greatest dilemmas…who has rightful claim to the land? It a universal question that extends far beyond the borders of Zimbabwe to all corners of humanity, stretching back to the beginnings of written history.
Would you like to add anything else?
I would just like to thank We Are Stories for the opportunity of sharing The Zim with your audience!
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I will be recurring on a new series this fall that I am not permitted to discuss yet, but hopefully very soon.
Our cast and crew have a plethora of projects airing and in development, I’d say IMDB might be the best way to keep up with each of us individually as The Zim had many, many moving parts!
Interview: August 2018
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
The Zim
A farmer struggles to protect his home and loved ones amidst the violent turmoil of the Zimbabwean land seizures.
Length: 17:53
Who is being interviewed for this article? Alexander Bedria
Director: Alexander Bedria
Producer: William Barfield, Alexander Bedria, Shannan Keenan
Writer: Alexander Bedria
About the writer, director and producer:
ALEXANDER BEDRIA is an award winning filmmaker (LA Shorts “Best of Fest”). Alexander has also guest starred on the hit series RAY DONOVAN, THE NEWSROOM, SCANDAL, and others.
Key cast: Alexander Bedria, Tongayi Chirisa, Shaun Baker, Constance Ejuma, Amanda Wing, and Caroline Lagerfelt
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Film Festival Directors, Buyers, Journalists
Social media handles:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheZimFilm/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheZimfilm/
Hashtags you use: #thezimfilm
Funders: Crowdfunding through Indiegogo and Kickstarter, fiscal sponsorship through Midwest Entertainment Connection
Made in association with: Brickyard Films and James Street Productions
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Here are a few of our upcoming screening dates: 8/29 - SAG-AFTRA Foundation Short Film Showcase; 9/7 - Burbank International Film Festival; 9/22 - Breckenridge Film Festival; 9/29 - Edmonton International Film Festival (Canadian premiere)
And as I mentioned earlier, we are finalizing a deal for a November release for streaming platforms. Details coming soon!