I had the chance to see this some time ago, and man did it hit home on so many levels! It tells the story of a young man who left his home in the East to chase his dream as a writer in the Western world. It talks about dreams, the creative and technical process of writing a story, love, family, tradition, sacrifice, and the American dream. What I love about this little film is that it doesn't fall into the many clichés that these "inspirational" stories tend to fall into. It's a very original story, and I could feel the film makers unique voice guiding us through. It just felt so real and refreshing. It's also smart, moving and surprisingly very funny. The way the humour is used to denote truth and irony makes this story even more so universal.
I couldn't help but cheer for this guy. I could easily identify with Wahid and his struggle, and personally, I think everyone who saw this film with me felt the same way. Wahid Ibn Reza, the director, writer and star of the film just makes a home run of a debut with this. The guy is clearly multi talented! The main character's name is Wahid, just as the film maker himself. I can't help but wonder if this little story is autobiographical in any way. I think it is, and for that matter, I think that's why it works so well.
Like great art, the piece itself is supposed to be personal to the artist in order to make that connection with the audience. Wahid did exactly that! The performance itself is great. He doesn't have any dialogue throughout the film, yet Wahid manages to communicate so much. It's a beautiful performance. Speaking of great performances, Lisa Parvin is amazing! She is such a force! Both headstrong and hilarious, Lisa was perfectly cast for her role, and just steals the scenes that she is in.
I believe that the title of the film "What Am I Doing Here?" is the question that this character is asking himself. He is so far away from home, trying to make it big, trying to adapt to a foreign culture. His family doesn't quite understand why he left, and that makes Wahid confused, juggling both his dream and his roots. I can't wait to see more from this guy - whether he's directing, writing or acting.
If you have a chance to see this short film, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. As for Wahid, keep an eye out for this one, because we're gonna hear and see more from him pretty soon.