Saman Keshavarz: Twice the Speed

It’s all the more interesting for young director Saman Keshavarz when things are fast-paced and out of order. Isobel Roberts talks to the director, who recently signed to Pulse Films, about the style that’s netted him viral and critical attention in this excerpt from the latest issue of shots, out now.

Hearing Los Angeles-based director Saman Keshavarz reel off Memento and Requiem For A Dream as two of the films that turned him on to filmmaking, his portfolio suddenly begins to click into place. Frequently mixing fast-paced cuts with flashback scenarios that burrow down inside their characters’ minds, the 25-year-old’s work keeps viewers on their toes and sets Keshavarz apart from the pack.

“I have a very severe case of ADD so I think my brain just kind of works in that order,” states the young director cheerfully, “but aesthetically I’m into that stuff. Not to say that’s all I really want to do, I just tend to find the alphabet is more interesting out of order. But I really try to find a reason to do it. Unfortunately a lot of great films are out of order these days, but in general I find it more challenging. There’s a rewarding quality when you have to puzzle things together and I think the viewers tend to get more if you’re successfully making them go hunt for answers. I’m very cerebral so as much as I like the emotive qualities, I also like making people think.”

Getting an early start

Born in Iran but raised in the USA, Keshavarz grew up in the California capital of Sacramento. With parents that let him watch whatever he wanted, his film education started young and it was in high school that he began playing around with video cameras, which led him to major in Film at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. The design-heavy course gave Keshavarz what he calls “a kick in the ass” when it came to aesthetics and typography, and it was at school that he first came under the spotlight for his Cinnamon Chasers video Luv Deluxe.

“When I was in school I really wasn’t fond of doing short films,” explains Keshavarz. “I was very analytical beyond just honing my craft and I wanted to figure out how in this economy, in this world, I could get some attention. And for me it was to attach myself to a song I found interesting and then use their fanbase and their reach to tell your story or say what you want to say.”

Subscribers to shots can read the full interview with Keshavarz here and in the new issue of shots magazine.