ATONEMENT
BIOGRAPHY
Kaveh Akaber is a multi-artist and film director. He has a background as a music composer, film editor and visual artist where he been praised for his wayward “outside the box” works. He’s always aiming for an edgy stories mainly focusing on psychological and social issues woven into an innovative visual form. His short films has been screened both on international film festivals and international art exhibitions. IG@makaberarts
Kaveh, you crafted a singular film focusing on themes such as grief, isolation and even sadism. The boundaries of fantasy and reality start to fade while watching it and the viewer might somehow feel disturbed by some scenes. So, this short is based on self-experienced themes, is that right? Could you expand on this?
The main idea of the film was to unite the good will of people and a dark true nature. I chose everyday sadism as the theme. You punish someone and hope for understanding, so they too can feel your sadness that you carry. That was a really interesting theme: that sometimes people hurt others so they can start loving again for something you have control over.
To what extent your background as a music composer, film editor and visual artist turn out to be functional to direct your own films?
I like the idea that a film can be like a painting. Who is Directing, making music, writing or who does what is not that important. But things I can’t communicate with others I can do by myself or preferably with others. Like directing abstract strong thought and ideas together with my actors, musicians, graphic artists, etc. so they can interpret them. It will be an interesting way for me to work and surprise myself and hopefully others in the film. That it feels fresh and new.
You decided to use the word “Atonement” to title your work. We would love to know, broadly speaking, what atonement is to you and what influences contributed to the making of your short film.
The influences are many when I started making this film. The most important thing for me was that the couple I’m making a film about should have a lot of feelings for each other. So no matter how much they hurt each other, they should ultimately want to be close to each other. but they don’t have the language to do so. Therefore, the film was called “Atonement”, as an attempt to unite..
