On hopes for the film:

"I think what continues to worsen is the rise of Nationalism and populist politicians in British and European governments. It’s the government that uses the anti refugees and xenophobe sentiments for their own political benefits.

By the new British law that was passed just months ago, young male refugees just like the characters of 'The Tunnel' will be sent to Rwanda from now on to wait for their cases to be processed. I hope the audience understands the people who go through hell to get to the audience's beloved haven are humans and full of dreams for a better life, a peaceful and meaningful life. They escape their homes and countries either from war, religious fanaticism, or economic hardship. They better get humane treatment to be able to join the society instead of always labeling them as criminals.

I hope that by watching a few strange people in an unfamiliar setting, going through a challenge because of basic human needs, audiences see their familiarities and see them as individual humans."

On advice for aspiring filmmakers:

"Filmmaking is not a one-man job and it’s teamwork. Try to find people that make you excited about what you are trying to do. Trust in their taste is key for a creative collaboration. Trust comes from knowing people. Spend time with them as much as you feel you need, and listen to what they say, ask them to share with you their five top movi,es and see If you relate with them or not. It doesn’t matter if they are close to the film you want to make or not, but it helps you to understand if your worlds are close and if you share the same vision for the film.

Don’t let the technical side of your story overwhelm you, don’t compromise your story because of the technical side.

Be respectful to your colleagues and be demanding!"

On what’s next:

"Developing and making 'The Tunnel' feature film is my next project. The story of the characters up to the moment they enter the tunnel. My co-writer, Daniel Metz, and I are working on the feature-length script with what we learned from making the short.

I’ve recently finished a feature-length documentary about an Iranian exiled poet, Esmaeel Khoei, who passed away in London in 2021. It’s mostly constructed by the VHS tapes he had collected during his early years of exile. It’ll be released in October."

Watch more Staff Pick Premieres

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Ina Pira

Staff Pick Premiere: "The Tunnel" by Arash Ashtiani

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