Explore the Intersectionality of Being Queer and Middle Eastern with This Award-Winning Film

Even at the best of times, for members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, coming out and being true to one’s self is not an easy thing. Is it liberating to be honest about who you are and openly own that? Absolutely, but the truth of the matter is, across the majority of spaces, cisgender plus heterosexual is usually a default expectation. To admit you’re anything other than that – all under the shadow of globally rising levels of hatred and intolerance – is to accept that you may receive subsequent ostracisation just for existing, and that’s something which takes real bravery and inner strength to face down and push through.

Of course, this becomes infinitely more complicated when you add matters of intersectionality to the mix. Cultural expectations and the imprint they leave on you from a young age do not always mesh seamlessly with a journey of self discovery and acceptance, and this is something that ‘One Day This Kid’ , a film by director Alexander Farah, captures exquisitely. A co-production between Vancouver-based Wallop Film and BOLDLY, this emotional story depicts an array of small yet pivotal moments in the life of a first-generation Afghan-Canadian. Exploring his Islamic immigrant upbringing, the journey to finding an identity, the weight of parental expectations, and the queer experience, this raw and personal reflection is every bit as powerful as it sounds, having just won the SXSW 2025 Academy Award-qualifying Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short Film on its ongoing run through the festival circuit.

To learn more about this, how the film came to life, and what it took to write and tell such a powerful story in authentic and sensitive fashion, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with Alexander for a chat.

LBB> Starting from the top, where did the idea for ‘One Day This Kid’ come from? What made this a story you wanted to tell?

Alexander> I came across David Wojnarowicz’s photo-collage, ‘Untitled (One Day This Kid…)’ over five years ago. It told the story of a young gay boy growing up in a society that will grow to reject him at all costs. I thought it to be such a profound and poignant piece of writing. It always stayed with me, for how gutted I felt the first few times I read it.

LBB> Tell us more about this! How did the original material influence both your work, and your approach to the film?

Alexander> I was quite shocked to discover that no audio-visual media was ever created for his artwork. When I initially approached the estate representing Wojnarowicz, I proposed using his text as a narration for my film – almost like a guide track through which the story reveals itself.

However, after condensing it, translating it, recording it, and folding it into the edit, I began to discover that my narrative/writing was taking on its own shape. At that point, for me, it felt more like Wojnarowicz’s text acted as the inspiration, and could serve as an accompanying piece of artwork to the film I’d written and directed.

LBB> With that in mind, what was the writing process like? How did you ensure the script felt authentic to the lived experiences of many queer kids who grow up in similar environments?

Alexander> As I was pulling a lot from memory – which tended to be fragmented – at times, it felt like a psychological assessment of myself. In general, I love any moment in a film where a location, clothing brand, or a referential piece of media immediately takes me back to a specific feeling I had once upon a time in my life – something I might have trouble recalling otherwise. A wave pool buzzer, a specific video game, or a Slurpee. I don’t know if these things read as authentic to others, but I was basing my recollection of the character primarily in spaces that I remember sharing my most formative years in.

LBB> From here, what was the pre-production process like? What did it take to get everything ready for the shoot?

Alexander> I worked closely with my two friends and close collaborators – producer Joaquin Cardoner, and our cinematographer, Farhad Ghaderi. It took nearly four weeks of seeing each other daily, piecing together the puzzle of how over 20 scenes, 15-plus cast members, and more than 70 extras were all going to work harmoniously to make our days and not compromise the script.

LBB> Speaking of casting, you took a very interesting approach, distributing fliers instead of issuing a standard call. Why was this the right approach for your project, and from here, how did you find the right people to tell this story?

Alexander> Truthfully, our casting calls didn’t gain a lot of momentum. I mean, they did with the older roles, but it was painfully challenging to try to find the child and the teenager. The distributing of fliers on the streets and in community spaces, actually, didn’t even yield so much as a few emails. With the nature of the project dealing with the intersections of queerness and being Middle Eastern, we were up against a lot of parents who were apprehensive at best, and outright homophobic/unsupportive at worst.

Our teenager, Mahan Mohammadinasab, was a young student who was wonderfully curious and passionate about film, which really worked out for us. And the young child, Elyas Rahimi, happened to be the nephew of one of the only other Afghan families I remember growing up around, in the third grade. I had to dive deep into the memory vault for that one, but I can’t express how lucky I was to find him and his family (we cast his mother and sister as well), in addition to having a crew who allowed me to carve out the three weeks ahead of production to work closely with the kids.

LBB> From here, what was the filming process like? Where did you shoot, and do you have any anecdotes from the experience?

Alexander> We filmed in and around the Lower Mainland in Vancouver, Canada, over the course of a week.

To answer your second question, so many stories, truly. From being kicked out of a location mid-shoot, to a vital crew member dropping out after the second day… It was the common, run-of-the-mill ‘what could go wrong will go wrong’ saga. All a bit of a blur now, but my God. It’s sometimes a bit embarrassing to say that a short film can be so incredibly trying, but with ‘One Day This Kid’, we truly were fundamentally tested in countless ways. I’m grateful for the stamina the project bestowed in me, as I feel that much more equipped to handle the next thing.

LBB> Visually, the film captures the growing up experience of a queer kid beautifully, capturing all the different phases of life to create a wonderfully complete picture! How did you ensure this aspect came through while filming?

Alexander> Thank you for saying that! I think by just being thoughtful. The film was never trying to reinvent the wheel. There’s plenty of strong, inspiring antecedent work that paved the way.

Working closely with Farhad, who I shot my last project with, there’s a nice, tried-and-tested shorthand we’ve been able to develop after (and while) we’re in prep. I can look at a shot and say, “it’s too aftersun-y”, “not tender enough” or “not real”, and he’ll know exactly what I mean. In those ways, we were able to adopt a visual language for the film that felt, to us, ‘poetic’ but grounded, without overshooting its reach.

LBB> In particular, were there any sequences that you really enjoyed bringing to life, or inversely, found difficult? Tell us about these!

Alexander> I really, really loved the family gathering party scene. I didn’t imagine that I would enjoy it as much as I did. However, my production designer, Adriana Marchand, and art director, Carolina Martinez, completely transformed that space and made me feel like I was right there again. That, paired with the lovely live music and instruments… It was one of those memory-unlocked moments I spoke about earlier. It just transported me. It felt like, despite how hot/tight it was in the space, people were actually joyful to be taking part in the project.

Another one was the club scene. I had the privilege of hand-picking a number of my friends out of the queer community in Vancouver to come and shake some ass. And all the lights too. Also, getting to curate a little playlist for everyone to bring energy to made me feel so fired up and energised. I really loved it.

LBB> On a technical level, in terms of equipment, what did you bring with you, and what inspired these choices?

Alexander> I think the most noteworthy aesthetic choice was to shoot on film. I wasn’t 100% confident in this decision at first – because the script was 20 pages long and I wasn’t sure it would be worth the expense, considering we were working with many first-time actors, extras, and some unpredictable weather conditions in/around water – but in hindsight, I’m glad we did. It took some sacrifices (there are never enough takes!), but our team was well equipped for the challenge. Our 1st AC, Mikael Bidard, did an excellent job pulling focus throughout that entire week.

As far as aesthetics, there’s this forgiving quality to film that, in my experience, somehow can work wonders with first-time performers, ironically. I don’t know what that magic is, but as cringe as it is to call it magic, I’ve just found it

LBB> Speaking of aesthetics, what were your main aims and ambitions, and how did you achieve them through lighting, colour and the post?

Alexander> The goal was for it to feel intimate, lived-in and natural. Words like ‘mature’, ‘soft’ and ‘tasteful’ are fleeting and not the best universal descriptors, but they helped Farhad and I, as well as our colourist, Sam Gilling, get on the same page to create a cohesive, unified look.

Again, at the risk of sounding cliché, the most important thing was to just stay in the story, never putting too much onto the look and feel of the film. I think a large part of that is intuitive and instinctual to myself, and the sensibilities I surround myself with.

LBB> Recently, this film just won the Academy Award-qualifying Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short Film – congratulations! What does this recognition mean to you? Did you expect the film to succeed as it has?

Alexander> It’s really unexpected! I actually did not even attend the awards ceremony because I didn’t feel like it would happen, so it was truly a surprise.

Truthfully, I’m not really sure what I expected of the film’s journey, but I continue to be pleasantly surprised at each corner we turn. Having Andrew Scott watch the film (through a SXSW initiative with Redbreast Irish Whiskey) and publicly discuss it on camera, for example, was never on my bingo card, but was such a lovely and unpredictable thing to have happen!

LBB> With that in mind, what do you hope audiences take away from ‘One Day This Kid’?

Alexander> I just hope they take something. In an age so saturated with media pulling for our attention every which way, I think the hope is to make any sort of impression. Whether it sheds insight on humanity, nostalgia, or ‘intergenerational trauma’, I just hope ‘One Day This Kid’ can encourage any sort of reflection from the viewer. Can’t be too greedy with these things, I’m learning.

LBB> Finally, are there any elements of this project you’re particularly proud of?

Alexander> I’m proud of the sheer fact it got made with the quality that I had hoped for.

I think there’s something uniquely special about how the queer community, Middle Eastern community, and film community, all banded together to help shape this story. Those intersections feel so embedded in my identity, and seeing them come to life with such effortless collaboration was very heartwarming to see.