'Foreigner' Director Ava Maria Safai talks the horrors of growing up, and what filmmaking teaches you about yourself

About this episode

Ava Maria Safai discusses her film 'Foreigner' and the personal insights gained through filmmaking.

Ava Maria Safai describes Foreigner as “bubblegum horror”—a genre that layers a glossy, fun aesthetic over a dark underbelly of pain. Following an Iranian teenager who moves to Canada, dyes her hair blonde, and becomes a demon, Foreigner explores the ache of wanting to belong and how far you're willing to go to be accepted. In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, Safai shares how filmmaking can be brutal in what it teaches you about yourself—much like our formative teenage years. Reminiscent of ...

People in this episode

Guest: Ava Maria Safai

Topics covered

• filmmaking
• identity
• belonging
• horror
• teenage years

Keywords

• bubblegum horror
• filmmaking
• teenage identity
• acceptance
• Iranian teenager

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Foreigner

Places: Canada, Iran

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