AUCKLAND (Pacific Media Watch): A New Zealand film by an AUT University graduate has been named a finalist in an international film competition.
Aziz Al Sa’afin, who was AUT’s TV Graduate of the Year in 2010, was placed among the eight finalists for his film The Struggling Butterfly in the 11th Asia-Pacific Child Rights Awards.
Al Sa’afin’s film is about a Muslim child growing up in a Western culture, struggling to live out the demands of Ramadan.
“I’m pretty thrilled about it,” Sa’Afin said.
“The amount of exposure it would have had is quite big.”
The overall winner of the competition, organised by UNICEF and broadcasting groups, was a Japanese documentary about the lives of two disabled children.
Al Sa’afin said he didn’t expect to be named as a finalist and was casually perusing the website when he saw his name and the film listed.
'Jumped out'
“I was reading down the page and it jumped out at me,” he said.
He said he worked on the film for so long, he felt he had put a lot of himself into it.
And there is further proof of that with members of his family playing the main roles, including his nephew Baz, who played the lead character.
Al Sa’afin’s mother also acted in the film, playing the boy’s grandmother.
If what he wanted was authenticity, then he certainly got it. He was surprised that the acting came off so well, but said his relatives were used to the scenario and carried it off naturally.
“It was pure magic” he said.
Aziz has been working at Pickled Possum for a year and a half now, and is currently the head PA and a director’s assistant.
He is currently working on Four’s Sticky TV, fittingly a childrens’ show.
“It’s all going pretty good and I’m trying to keep active and do my own stuff as well,” he said.
“Next year will be a big year for me. I’ll produce a new film, and there’s a couple more in the books that I’ve written.”
“Also there’ll be a little bit more in front of the camera as well, combining directing and presenting.”
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