Explore Lara Zeidan's creative journey, from winning the Iris Prize with Three Centimetres to A Beautiful Form to See and her latest exciting projects.
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Lara Zeidan captured the hearts of the Iris audience In 2018 with her stunning short film Three Centimetres, earning her the prestigious Iris Prize. The film, set in a Beirut ferris wheel, explores themes of courage, identity, and vulnerability through the lens of four young women. We asked Lara a few questions about her experience and creative journey:
What inspired you to create Three Centimetres, and how did winning the Iris Prize influence your path as a filmmaker?
“Three Centimetres” was born out of various conversations with female friends while growing up in Lebanon, and the uncomfortable homophobic remarks I would casually hear in intimate conversations such as imagining an ex is gay as a way to get over him. As an introvert, I would often “opt out” of engaging in these conversations. With “Three Centimetres” I wanted to experiment with what happens when you can’t easily escape the conversation, by placing it mid-air on a tight Ferris wheel booth to create room for confrontation and understanding.
Lara Zeidan (Iris Prize winner 2018) with Lord Glendonbrook and Berwyn Rowlands
Winning the Iris Prize and having the opportunity to make another short and experiment with themes that intrigue me in a different approach was incredibly valuable. But what was so meaningful to me first and foremost was realizing that a little conversation on a Ferris Wheel in Beirut could resonate with an audience in Cardiff. It really opened my eyes to how universal an intimate story can be - which has stayed with me as a filmmaker!
You returned to Wales to make A Beautiful Form to See after your win. How was that experience different from creating Three Centimetres, both creatively and culturally?
It’s not every day that you get to pitch the idea of making an experimental film in a life-sized kaleidoscope and hear, “Let’s do it!”. Creatively, "A Beautiful Form to See" was an entirely different challenge from "Three Centimetres". Culturally, “Three Centimetres” questions how we are perceived externally—within society and among close friends, each testing the boundaries of fitting in while navigating desire.
Still from A Beautiful Form To See
"A Beautiful Form to See", on the other hand, turns inward, and explores how we fit into our own expectations and self-image when no one else is watching. In many ways, it reflected what was on my mind in my first years of moving to the UK—beautiful in its discoveries, yet brutal in its lessons about oneself.
Lara Zeidan and A Beautiful Form To See Team, (Iris Opening Night 2021)
Coming together in Cardiff with a team as supportive as the Iris Prize was an incredible experience. Figuring out how to bring such an abstract concept to life and translate it into an audiovisual form was a collective effort, and the process was as rewarding as the film itself. We pushed each other creatively, found unexpected solutions, and most of all, had fun making it happen!
Watch The Making Of 'A Beautiful Form To See'
What new stories or projects are you currently exploring that excite you the most?
I’ve always been drawn to the relationship between the personal and the social, and the mundane and unexpected. I am currently exploring this in my first feature through the story of a Lebanese teenage girl wanting to celebrate her 14th birthday with her friends (and crush!) while the country’s turbulent politics disrupt her birthday plans.
Beyond my projects, I’ve also been enjoying teaching at film school for the past two years. Since “Three Centimetres” was a graduation film, I am excited to now be able to support student filmmakers as they bring their unique stories and perspectives to life!
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Beyond my projects, I’ve also been enjoying teaching at film school for the past two years. Since “Three Centimetres” was a graduation film, I am excited to now be able to support student filmmakers as they bring their unique stories and perspectives to life!
