Ahd Kamel is a Saudi, award-winning actress and filmmaker based in London. Ahd took the time to speak with us over the phone for this interview. Talking in her beautiful and warm hearted voice she spoke about the responsibility of motherhood, views on acting, the creative process and the inspiration behind her new film.
Ahd you are considered a role model for several upcoming Saudi actresses and women in general, how does it feel to inspire a new generation
Role model? Gosh I am really humbled. I just want to be able to represent our human nature, I have a need and passion to project human stories. I would love to be able to inspire people to listen to their inner intuitions and follow their hearts. In terms of what I have achieved in my life, the choices that I have made by being an artist and recognizing the freedom of spirit. I feel, to be a role model, we have to be able to maintain that certain standard which I don’t feel that I’m capable of upholding, I think it is very important that people just believe in themselves;
Your film career is very impressive, what role so far that you have acted in has had a strong impact on you?
Let’s see my first part in a Saudi film like Wadjda (2014) or some roles in my own films, are very close to my heart because I was able to speak in my own language and in my own dialect. The funny thing about roles is they project a different side of yourself, I feel actually on a personal level it changes me. Each role was important and stands out for me.
How was it to portray Fatima Asif in the BBC drama Collateral?
It was the first time I read a Muslim role, because you know it’s funny as an actor you can play one character from somewhere and then in another role you become a refugee, its such a traditional way to look at things, technically speaking, but in this story, Fatima was just a refugee, there is a whole human aspect there, with dimensions and things that are not so black and white. For me it was really vibrating in a sense, and I must say that a Muslim character on the screen is not just a “Muslim and a mother” she is oppressed with all the fears she touches, she is so much more than what people could imagine and of course, I had the chance to work with the iconic playwright, screenwriter and director David Hare. For me it was definitely a very positive and wonderful experience on many levels.
How do prepare for emotional and intense scenes?
I trained in “Meisner technique” which has to do with imagining the circumstances that are happening and you can imagine any circumstance as well as use the circumstances of your life to bring to the forefront because no one knows. If you are in grief, you may have actual real grief in your life and that’s what you use to bring in to the character or sadness or anger or whatever it is so the emotions are yours, it’s how you lend them to the character, how it happens to them. If something speaks to me about the character then I will run with it, I don’t necessarily apply a specific technique each time. It just all comes together as you build it. But I must say that roles like a refugee, are very intense roles and during shooting, there was a lot of emotions that came up so I kind of addressed them as they came, having to act as a refugee on a garage floor, then at the end of the night you go home and take off your clothes, you can take a shower and go back to your life and your loved ones. It makes you feel very grateful and it’s kind of humbling to do what you love.
Your roles are very intense; how do you deal with the emotion after?
I don’t let my character’s blend into or out of me and it’s very cathartic for me because sometimes it opens me to something that is long bearing and I get to express it in the character and it’s kind of just sitting in the back of myself. I think it’s very important to have boundaries and it’s very healthy to understand the significance of the boundary between you and the character in order to understand what you are stepping into because I am not at all interested in doing it nor can I do it with a child now, you can’t bring it all that back at home. I am very lucky as the method I trained doesn’t require “you” I would say and all the emotional baggage.
As a director what films are you planning for the future?
I am currently working on my first feature film, I love acting but I am also a storyteller, there are a lot of stories I would love to write and direct. I actually directed two short films before starting my career as an actress, so I went from directing to acting (I did my first in Film school). At the beginning I didn’t think that acting would be in my plans, I thought it was too bold to do something like that, it wasn’t even in my consciousness, I wasn’t thinking “Oh I can be an actress” you know, I just started doing it and that’s when I realised that I loved it as well. Acting allows me to give part of the story inner vision but I love the bigger picture. The writing, the directing, how you build a story and then the character. So, in that way there are some stories where I like to be in front of the camera when I feel I can bring something to the screen, and some others where I like to be behind it. Right now I’m working on my first feature film and I hope that it will get started after the pandemic.
What is a perfect day for you?
It’s funny now that I am a mother, (she laughs) the perfect day would be eating and waking up, taking my time and waiting, taking all the time to make my coffee and spending time with my son, really enjoying my time. Becoming a mother has really put a lot of my fears to the test and it’s funny because you are responsible for this little human being but also all of a sudden, you define yourself another way. I couldn’t help but to think about my mum and all she had to go through when she had me and what was available at that point for her and what not. During this pandemic I realised that you don’t need so many things to be happy, and to me happy means that you can have your loved ones around you, see your family, watch them grow.”
What is your message for young actresses following in your footsteps?
Just keep doing it, I mean it’s a tough business, I’ll tell them that, if it’s what you want to do, don’t let go, you will know in your heart, if it’s something that is calling you, go and explore and see. The thing about acting is that it’s not just a job, there so much other stuff and you will go and put yourself out there, you will be evaluated so you need to be the one to know whether you have a thick skin to accept rejection as there is plenty of rejection that will come your way. It’s not an easy steady income but for me it brings me the greatest joy so I will continue to do it for as long as I can do it. So, my advice is this: Keep doing it and see, because you have to find your path in it, it’s not the other way around.
Ahd Thank you, it was such a pleasure talking to you. You are an inspiration for all women….
Text by Suna Ahmed
