A little break while shooting a film in Afghanistan.
In fifth grade, I was supposed to write a biography in German class. Short and firm they said. But what emerged was a fictional ten-page long action-sci-fi-love-story for my former classmates. Thereupon my parents were informed that I was acting like the class clown who was not taking class seriously. But I took something very seriously - my stories. Come ‘on after all it is not that easy to entertain a whole class of 30 students and make them laugh. Shouldn’t they be proud that I have some social intelligence?
Seven years later my philosophy teacher recognized my passion for telling stories and introduced me to the world of film classics. And as much it is a cliché as it is - it all started with Citizen Kane. One of the absolute must see classics. So, I started working in the film business as a trainee. And I loved it. From the first second I knew. That was something I want to do the rest of my life. Not to be a trainee, but to become a film director.
Me, Myself and I
The philosopher Slavoj Žižek once said: „Cinema is the ultimate pervert art. It doesn’t give you what you desire – it tells you how to desire.“ Since I loved art my whole life, for me cinema is the king of art. The way you can inspire other people, make them cry or laugh or motivate them. The influence of just one film has such a big influence to our society. Art is the soul of living. “Oh how Shakespeare would have loved cinema.” (D. Jarman)
Today I am living my dream and make a living out of my passion. I am a producer, director and writer. In 2011 I founded my own film production company called let's be awesome filmproduction. Since then I directed and produces some films which was shown at many festivals worldwide. There is no limit to a genre. I do comedy, drama or documentaries. My latest project is an animation film. The film is called “The Round” and it is a funny story about an afghan policeman fighting for his job against a traffic light. But it is more than this. I write universal stories that are based in a microcosm. Most of the time I write about my thoughts about our society. The spectrum goes from gay love to religious themes. Often it is based in Afghanistan or it is about an afghan family. That’s because I was born in Afghanistan. We flew from the war and my parents decided to live in Germany. Here I grow up in the second biggest German city, the wonderful Hamburg.
Some of my films
Besides my film production, which focuses on feature films, I founded the storytelling agency fictionad with my business partner Max König in 2016. Our philosophy was making commercials which emotionalized people by telling tiny stories. We work with different agencies and help them create campaigns for the clients. We did some work for Tom Tailor or Nivea.
From my passion to help make a better society I was introduced to blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. I knew this is gonna be something very big. So, I started researching. I was so impressed, that I wanted to be a part of this new world changing technology. Together with @Shak, the project leader of @Pevo and the art director @Leosbrain, I founded the blockchain specialized branding company curise.
With a team with a specialized skill set in blockchain and branding, we create campaigns that are derived from your companies values to stand out. In order for a culture to be strong. We help you to inspire your customers with your own inspiration. Unlocking the simplicity of what often seems so complex is what helps blockchain organizations realize their full potential.
Furthermore, I work as a lecturer and freelance journalist. In summary: Hi my name is Ali Hakim, I’m 31 years old and I call myself a storyteller and motivator, but also a good listener. Contact me if you want to tell me your story.