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18th british shorts, berlin

yassa khan
pink
Pink 3_edited.jpg

FESTIVAL SCREENING

Mon 27.1. 20:00 / Kino Intimes

CAST

Alexandra Roach

Gordon Warnecke

Jim Caesar

Paddy Cavendish

Cymraeg

JAN, 16, 2025

PINK is based on the true story of Yassa Khan, who spent 24 hours with his father, Hassan Khan, robbing a bank in 2001.

Hi Yassa, how does it feel to be at the 18th British Shorts, Berlin, with your latest short film, Pink?

To have an Official Selection for such a long standing and influential Festival means the world, even more so as it was PINKs first of 2025, which was a brilliant start to the year. But to be featured in such a solid line-up and have a presence in a city like Berlin is such an honour.

How essential are festivals like British Shorts, Berlin, in creating a platform for short films and filmmakers? 

Berlin Short's high standards are incredibly important for emerging filmmakers and short films as they raise the bar high, which means in turn that our ambition becomes higher. PINK is my first narrative short, and British Shorts was on my list of festivals to submit to because of its exceptional track record of supporting and nurturing merging talent and films. 

Short films are a vital medium in the film industry, yet there are few opportunities for the public, outside of festivals, to see them. What more can be done to make short films more visible and accessible to the wider cinema audiences?

There are platforms out there that specialise in streaming short films online, Vimeo is a great universal source and even some of the larger platforms like Amazon Prime have a shorts section. But I think there is definitely a market for bite-size movie binging, in a world where we consume 10-30 seconds of content on social almost constantly, having a concise platform for watching a film that is 20 minutes rather than committing to a 2-hour viewing is definitely the way forward and i’m looking forward to seeing who captures the market, as i feel it’s only around the corner. 

Gordon Warnecke, a remarkable actor known for My Beautiful Laundrette, plays your father. How did you go about casting Gordon, and what was the experience like working with him on this project?

Growing up in the closet in a small town in Wales in the 90s meant I didn't have access to gay culture at all really. Channel 4 in the UK was one of the only channels to really house gay TV programmes and Films. So when My Beautiful Laundrette came on the TV, I was besotted. I couldn’t believe what I was watching, I was in awe. And especially to have a brown gay character on screen portrayed by Gordon was incredibly inspiring! And when it came to casting my fathers character, Hassan. I had my sights on Gordon from the get go, I was aiming high. I also thought there would be a wonderful reciprocity in having him who was so inspirational growing up in my very first gay narrative short. And I was over the moon when he said ‘yes’ to the project. I was jumping up and down with joy and that joy continued in rehearsals and on set, he is truly magnificent and such a gentleman. His support during and after the shoot has been second to none. I’m really looking forward to working with him again, he’s an absolute legend.  

Can you tell me how Pink came about? Had you always intended to turn this very personal story into a short?

I left Wales to go to university at the age of 18 and I had always shared stories with housemates and at parties to usually gobsmacked crowds, so I always knew there was a cinematic quality to how I was telling these stories. So even at that early stage the seed was very much planted. About 10 years later I started writing memories down, just in case I would ever forget them and as years passed I would remember more little stories here and there. So eventually during lockdown I quit my job as a graphic designer and started writing a feature script called Daffodil which spans from 1981 all the up until 2001. I began working as a director making Ads and Documentaries but I continued to write Daffodil. At the end of 2023 the first draft was finished, but I knew I would need to make a proof of concept for the feature, so show my intention and visual style. After debating which sequence to make into the proof of concept, PINK and its story felt the most cohesive. And the more I wrote it the more Irealised it was more than just a proof of concept it could be a stand alone short. So I began looking for funding and Ffilm Cymru in April last year along with the support of some incredible private investors, we raised enough money to shoot in July last year. 

Did you have any apprehensions about looking back at this period in your life?

Not at all really, I've always worn the past with pride. My life at times was pure pandemonium, but I wouldn’t change a second of it. And the truth is I've never had therapy, but writing and ultimately making a film about your life is an incredible cathartic experience, going over and over the situation and understanding the nuances of the people involved through the characters you are adapting them into was unbelievably insightful. 

Pink 2.jpeg

As a writer/director, it can be challenging to balance the two roles and keep them separate, but when the story is based on your own life, and you have an actor like Jim Caesar playing a version of you, it can offer additional challenges. Were you able to give much flexibility to your cast with your script once you started shooting?

It was most definitely a challenge to try and write and adapt both the truth of the story into a script and your true self into a character. But as soon as I met Jim, I knew he was destined to play the lead role of Yassa. We talked a lot about how much of myself to bring into the role and how he felt the emotional trajectory of the script would flow and I trusted him completely. We had some rehearsals together in Naples where we had multiple read throughs and I knew he would bring his ‘A-Game’ to the shoot. But for me one of the most interesting reviews from the film from anyone that knows me personally is how Jim managed to subtly capture some of the nuances in such subtle but effective ways. He’s a true talent with a very bright future ahead of him.  

Once you went into production, how important was this creative collaboration between you and your team?

I had an immense team around me, Alexandra Roach who plays my mum in the dream sequences was so supportive from the very start, I can’t thank her enough for her help and prowess on the project from start to finish, she then introduced me to Triongl a production company in Wales spearheaded by Nora Ostler Spiteri and Gethin Scourfield and along with their in-house producer Bethan Jenkins who helped me shape the script and and produced the production from the get-go. And once we went into production I had the incredible Chris Murdoch as producer, my long standing collaborator Jed Darlington-Roberts as DOP, Issy Humphries who is the best 1st Ad i have ever worked with and finally the wonderful Sophie Locke as Production Designer. Together we worked very tightly and tirelessly to fit a 22-Minute script into 3 shoot days. PINK is truly a testament to how when a team is galvanised, anything is possible. 

Was there any one scene that was particularly tricky for you to shoot? 

The scene in the Hotel at breakfast where Hassan asks Yassa if he is gay was fine when I was writing it, emotional, but I was fine with it emotionally. But when we were on set, and I was watching around the corner on my ipad, i broke down, with every take i couldn’t control the tears, it really made me feel how important that part of my life was for me. I’m actually welling up as we speak. And the most wonderful thing happened when we wrapped the scene. I was still in tears and when I left to get some air, the rest of the crew watching the screen were also crying. It was one of the most lovely and beautiful moments of my life to date. 

You’ve said that Pink is your magnum opus. Has the process of making this allowed you some closure?

It’s my magnum opus to date for sure ha. The feature Daffodil will be my next as that script features the years before the story depicted in PINK and more importantly what happens after. And my mother Rita is a main character in Daffodil, so making that film will be incredibly important to me. As I hope that each subsequent film I make is. 

What do you think you discovered about yourself as a filmmaker during the making of this Pink?

PINK being my first narrative short made me realise a lot about myself and how I want to be as a director. My ethos is that everyone working on a film should work symbiotically, should have respect for each other's craft and what they bring to the table. And having such an exceptional cast and crew meant that I could put my trust in everyone and in turn that made the set a wonderful place to me, full of love and full of ambition and professionalism. I also learned a lot about timings and how to nurture scenes from both a far by giving the cast and crew space and ability to share ideas as well as knowing instinctively when to push for something. I’m very much looking forward to getting back on set. 

Going back to your debut short film, what would you say has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learnt on your filmmaking journey so far?

Trust and openness are everything. I’m sure there are some directors out there that think they know what's right in all aspects of their films. I myself know that I don't and to trust and let both cast and crew collaborate is one of the most essential aspects for me. It creates unexplored avenues and sparks ideas that ultimately make a film more multifaceted and rich.

Pink 5.webp

..".I would love to spend the day with David Fincher, he has a unique ability to create populist movies out of often obscure and alternative narratives."

Have you always had a passion for filmmaking?

Growing up in a very turbulent household, having three brothers, a father in prison all held together somehow by my incredible mother was tough to say the least. And I would find solace in film, I would consume films daily. Directors like Martin Scorsese, Tim Burton and Quentin Tarantino were my go to films. I would lose myself in these epic tales, whether it was about Gangsters or Batman, I would immerse myself in their films and watch them on repeat. So I think it gave me a good standing for filmmaking. I always wanted to do it, for a while I also wanted to be an actor but didn’t have the confidence to follow it through in case of rejection. But like for many people, covid made any apprehensions disappear and i’ve never looked back. 

Moving forward, what themes, genres, and subjects are you looking to explore with future films? 

I’m currently working on three scripts simultaneously and they are quite different to say the least. Daffodil which I mentioned is an auto-biographical drama based predominantly in Wales. I am in the process of finishing another feature script which is a nonfiction action adventure set in the underbelly of the Trans community in Karachi, Pakistan called Season of the Witch. And I'm finalising my next short which is a dark comedy called Closet which is about a family dinner party that delves into how multifaceted sexuality really is. 

Is there a filmmaker you’d love to spend the day on set with?

That’s a very tough call. But I would love to spend the day with David Fincher, he has a unique ability to create populist movies out of often obscure and alternative narratives. He also has a signature style that is a thread throughout his films and I think learning some thought processes would be priceless for any filmmaker.

What has been the best piece of advice you’ve been given as a filmmaker?

This was some recent advice that I'm starting to put into practice; to bring business acumen to the table. Film making is part creative part business, so know your numbers, the reach of your cast and crew, be on top of the box office and what’s doing well. Because ultimately knowing that side of the industry is key in getting films made in such a delicate and fragile time for our industry. 

And finally, what message would you want your audiences to take away from Pink?

I think for me personally the takeaway from PINK is that fleeting matters count and they can stay with people for a very long time if not shape their very existence and personality. Having made it and seen firsthand how it resonated with people and especially the ending of the film, that small acts of kindness and acceptance can stay with people and I think as a global people, if we had that in our minds when interacting with people, the world could be a slightly better place.

© 2025 The New Current

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