The future of filmmaking is bold
The future of filmmaking is purposeful
The future of filmmaking is authentic
The future of filmmaking is passionate
To me it’s about getting closer to the truth of a story,
getting closer to people’s lives.
Ruhi Hamid Documentary Filmmaker
I’m someone who self shoots all my films.
I go out to remote locations on my own, and make films about
ordinary people's lives, caught up in extraordinary environments, and situations.
I love an aesthetic frame, and I love stories.
So, being a documentary filmmaker brings all those elements together,
where I'm really acutely aware of a beautiful frame,
and then a fantastic story that will move people.
When I'm making a documentary about a person's life,
their story, the issue behind it,
what I hope for is that
film will go about to bring about some kind of change.
The best thing is when you have policy change,
but if I can change the view of one person,
in how they think about a person across the world,
I feel that I've done my job.
I was born, and brought up in East Africa,
but my origins are in Asia.
So, I'm really interested in exploring
all the stories about my people.
My main focus is in giving access to ordinary people
to tell their stories, in their authentic voice.
A lot of the films I make are in really difficult countries;
they're dangerous situations,
but there's also hostility towards the media.
It really matters how discreet your camera equipment can be.
I need to be in an environment that can be very intimate.
It's usually me, and the character that I'm filming with.
It's really important for my kit to be quite compact, practical, and easy to use.
I need to be really agile, moving fast, following a contributor.
If I'm doing the run and gun, my 24-70mm is fantastic,
but if I'm doing a sit down interview, I love using the 85mm.
It's really important for me that a camera is ergonomically designed.
I loved using the Canon C300, because it just had everything, it felt like, in the right place.
They always say, "Oh, as a filmmaker, you have to be objective."
I disagree.
I think it's really important to express how you're feeling when you're filming.
If I'm hearing a sad story, and I'm impacted by it, I will let my tears flow.
If I'm hearing a joyous story, I will smile.
I come alive behind the camera.
I'm channelling all my emotions, my intellect, my feelings,
interests through that camera lens.
My job is a privilege, because I get to hear people's stories.
I go to places that, you know,
most people wouldn't even dream of going to,
quite often war zones,
but to me, it's about getting closer to the truth of a story,
getting closer to people's lives.
So, the camera is my passport to everything that I'm interested in.