Kimia Hendi Passage Interview

Interview with Kimia Hendi

Question: Congratulations on winning the MIFF's Short Awards! How did it feel to win?

Kimia Hendi: Absolutely AMAZING! It took me a day to digest the whole situation. I was shocked! So shocked that at some point during my speech I was thanking everyone in the audience individually one by one.


Question: Can you tell us about Passage?

Kimia Hendi: Passage is a short film about grief. Throughout the process of grieving and pain of loss, one might try to ignore the pain. However, the more you ignore grieving the more you become like the person you have lost.


Question: What inspired the story of Passage?

Kimia Hendi: I was very close to my grandmother and when she died I was 13. It was the first time that I went through grief and death. I couldn't understand it. It was a sudden death and my family were going through a lot so I couldn't express my feelings. It took me a very long time to comprehend it. To be honest, I'm not sure if I am over it yet.


Question: What message do you hope audiences take from Passage?

Kimia Hendi: Most of us have lost someone close in our life. We cannot simply forget someone. It takes time and you might never let them go. I hope by watching Passage audience get a chance to rethink grief and to relocate themselves in the big ocean of emotions.


Question: Can you share with us the difficulty of portraying a story in a short film?

Kimia Hendi: You have so much to say and so little time to show! Generally, the most difficult part is how to begin and where to stop the story.


Question: What was the best part about filming Passage?

Kimia Hendi: I've learnt a lot through the process of making Passage. It was a unique experience. Producing a movie in Iran is very different comparing to Australia. Everything felt new to me. It was very stressful and I remember that in the last two weeks I was only getting an hour sleep per day but there was a moment, right before the first shot, I looked around and I saw all the crew and cast moving around and getting ready. We were all there for the same reason. It was fascinating to take a moment to stand back and watch the set getting ready. That moment right before the first shot was definitely the best part.


Question: What's next for you?

Kimia Hendi: Making a feature film! I always wanted to make movies and I think I am ready to walk the path!


Interview by Brooke Hunter