Profile Series:
Idil Ibrahim
"Community Is the backbone to great cinema."
Idil Ibrahim
Role: Writer, Director, Producer
Central Station (1998)
Directed by Walter Salles
Amores Perros (2000)
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
Touki Bouki
Directed by Djibril Diop Mambéty
How did you first get into filmmaking?
I first got into filmmaking in college at UC Berkeley. I took a class with Professor Loni Ding. Professor Ding had a background in television producing and film directing and she co-founded several media and arts organizations, such as the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) and ITVS. She had a passion for teaching filmmaking and instilled a sense of empowerment in her students. Many Ding alumni are professional filmmakers. I sometimes run into former students at film festivals and Loni is a beautiful connection we all share. Her indelible impact on us (and our filmmaking passion) is remarkable.
"Creative community and camaraderie is the backbone to great cinema."
What is your favorite on-set story?
My favorite on-set story is technically an on-location story. We were filming in a garden in rural Zambia and in the middle of the scene, a bug flew in my ear! It was insane. I was silently freaking out and off to the side pouring water in my ear in an attempt to flush it out because we were still filming.
As soon as we "cut," one of the neighbors Sylvia saw me hitting the side of my head like a mad woman and asked me what was wrong. I pointed to my ear and she just nodded. She called out to another woman, Anna, told her that I had a bug in the ear and both women asked me to follow them up a path to their hut. Anna handed me a small plastic cup with oil in it and gestured for me to pour it in my ear. I was desperate, so I obliged. They seemed so nonchalant, I knew they knew best. The oil helped! I'll never know what happened to the bug. There was one important lesson in all of this. Always, always, always trust a local.
"I am very inspired by my friends and colleagues in the industry and feel a sense of true kinship."
The heart of the Film Pin Society is community and camaraderie. Can you talk a little about that?
Creative community and camaraderie is the backbone to great cinema. Filmmaking is inherently collaborative. I am very inspired by my friends and colleagues in the industry and feel a sense of true kinship. We learn together, create together and share knowledge with one another. It helps us grow individually and collectively.
What’s the best piece of advice you can give to someone looking into going into your field?
Remain flexible, but focused.
What pin from our collection speaks to you and why?
The Timecode Slate Wnamel Pin speaks to me the most. The slate is symbolic to productions. And I love that this pin glows in the dark to represent those long hours into the wee hours of the morning before sunrise. We've all been there!
