Maryam

I had never imagined I could ever make a film. The very thought of making a movie was too daunting and complicated. I had an idea in my head but had no clue whatsoever on how to write a script, let alone a screenplay and had absolutely no idea of film production.
Then out of the blue I received an email from the Doha Film Institute (DFI) regarding a Documentary Lab workshop they were conducting on various aspects of film making. I immediately applied for it because I seriously wanted to learn about how to make a movie. And I got accepted.

After training for about a week, the judges asked our class of eleven competitors to present an idea for turning it into a film. The next day, I sat nervously in front of four experienced judges who patiently heard my concept of a film idea with rapt attention and deep interest.
The following day my mentor told me that my idea was among the only four concepts chosen to be made into a full-fledged documentary! Furthermore, DFI would provide me with all the equipment and the technical assistance need to make the film!!

I was the only one in my class who had no previous experience of film making. But with the help and guidance provided by DFI, turning my idea into an actual film proved to be not as technically challenging a task as I had first imagined. But it was by no means a glamorous job – instead it involved long working hours, blood, sweat and tears. We had to interview many doctors to get our facts and figures right in order to produce an authentic documentary.

Film making to me proved to be a real revelation and an immense privilege. As I looked back at my completed documentary, I realized that as a writer, once you had over your story to the director you have absolutely no control over production. Right from the casting, to shooting to post production you are merely a spectator.

But as a writer/director, I attended read-throughs, got involved in casting, shooting and pre/post production and had total ultimate control over my film. But film making is not a one person show, I had an army of people to assist, guide, suggest, co-operate and collaborate in making my dream from script to screen come true.