Meet Soukaina Alaoui El Hassani | Filmmaker, Producer, Director, Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Soukaina Alaoui El Hassani and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Soukaina, what role has risk played in your life or career?

Being a filmmaker is all about taking risks. It’s really about putting yourself out there in a raw and vulnerable way. Being good at anything takes a lot of practice and audiences are extremely critical nowadays – rightfully so. To be able to put out work means exposing this vulnerable self to the world for judgment, and if that’s not a risk I don’t know what is.

At the beginning of my career, I was so scared to even voice my desire to make films. A lot of that came from the world and society I grew up in and just not knowing how to start. I remember I was trying to find a mentor who would hopefully shepherd me through the process. Every potential mentor I approached for some reason always told me that I didn’t really need anyone to start my career. I needed to put on my big girl pants and just do it. One day I got a phone call from a friend of mine and he needed a producer and an assistant director. I was more than happy to help him but I was TERRIFIED. He trusted me and I will forever look back at that moment as the lynchpin to the rest of my career.

I guess when I started taking the leap and allowing myself to open up to the dream of becoming a filmmaker, fear became my new normal. I realized being scared meant I cared and caring made me want to tell stories. I started reaching out to people and offering my services until one day people started reaching out and I had to start turning down jobs. And the more I aligned myself with filmmaking, the more I realized that I had so much heart and soul to give to storytelling. So to answer your question; risk for me is what drives my career. Opening myself to the world, its scrutiny, its love, its questions, and its indifference…. It’s what drives my life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

Being born in raised in the bustling colorful streets of Casablanca I was exposed to many forms of story! If you go to your corner store, there was bound to be gossip about someone in the neighborhood. If you went to your neighborhood mosque before prayer times, there was bound to be a gaggle of giggling women talking about the latest films or books. Even the way we give directions– everything had to have a diverting story arc. My Muslim, Arab, and Indigenous African culture bombinates with storytelling.

I went to an American school so I quickly fell in love with all things Hollywood film and TV. I loved the worlds it introduced me to. From Start Trek and Girlfriends to Mad Max and Queen of the Damned; I guzzled the moving picture. What disturbed me, however, was the portrayal of my people. It was flawed and two-dimensional. Overly stereotyped, racist, and xenophobic portrayals that had nothing to do with what I lived and saw every day. It ignited a fire in me I never knew existed; I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life; I wanted to create stories about how beautifully complex my people were, challenging these stereotypes adjudicated on them by the western media.

So I started producing films; the first being Amal (2020), a film about the injustices facing immigrant Arab and Muslim families in the United States. Amal, written and directed by Taha Aziz, won Semi-Finalist at the Feminist Border Arts Film Festival, the Special Jury Prize at the Festival International du Filme Amateur de Kelibia, and Best Producer and Best Indie Short at The Oniros Film Festival and The New York International Film Festival.

Two of my films Children of Sin (2023) a documentary about unwed mothers in Morocco and the statelessness of their children and Lapse (2023) a horror short film directed and written by Katie Colwell are in the post-production phase. Lapse is about swimmer Terry blacks out when practicing alone one night at the pool—the same pool a dead body is found the next morning. Lapse has been endorsed by our EP. President of Blumhouse, Couper Samuelson. I’m also currently in pre-production on two films BZRK (2023) written by Chandler Clarke which we’re aiming to shoot in the spring of 2023 and Fury (2024) which we are shooting in the summer.

Other works that I’m equally as proud of include Duplicity (2023), Fix (2022), Where Theater Began (2020), and Color of Mandarins (2020). FIX (2022) won Best Producer at the Oniros Film Festival, Best Short Film at the New York International Film Awards, and Official Selection at The 4theatre Film Awards, The New York Short Film Festival, The Hollywood First-Time Filmmaker Showcase, The Onykos Film Festival, and The IndieFEST Film Awards.

I am also currently a Production Coordinator at VICE and being there has been amazing. I’ve been able to work with so many high-profile clients like Coca-Cola, Logitech, Vanguard, and Chevrolet to name a few. Some of these commercials have even gone on to win awards in the form of Webbys, Grand Prixs, Cannes Lions and Clios.

It’s extremely challenging to make films. There is so much creativity, planning, management, and execution that goes into making films. One of the biggest challenges in filmmaking is funding. If you don’t have funding, you probably won’t get to make your film the way that you want to.

Another really being challenge is being an immigrant filmmaker in this country. While everybody already has a huge network of people that they know will contribute to their career and films in terms of funding and resources, you have to depend on yourself more often than not to make that happen for yourself, be it through grants, awards, mentorships, etc… Unfortunately, a lot of these financial opportunities are not open to immigrants. So you really have to have a lot of love, resilience, and patience when you’re making a film. You get super scrappy and develop a keen and imaginative sense of problem-solving.

One of the best things I’ve learned about making films is to get yourself a good crew. A good crew will have your back, will communicate effectively, and will really give their all to your vision if they see you believe in it enough. When I lead my teams I want to make sure everyone is on the same page, and that everyone has the same degree of passion and love for the craft as I do, and when those stars align, truly nothing can stop us from making a film.

I am so excited to show the world what I’ve been doing and what I can do still. Anyone who crosses my path can attest to my determination and ambition. I’m always open to learning new things. Always open to meeting people who love film & TV as much as I do. And I’m looking to collaborate on projects that have heart.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Taking my friend to the movies is definitely on the itinerary. I love going to the movies in the United States because the experience is so beautifully immersive. Like Nicole Kidman so eloquently says in that AMC intro, “Somehow, heartbreak feels good in a place like this,” and she wasn’t wrong.

I’m also a museum and historic girlie. So I’ll definitely take them around to all of the museums, from the mainstream ones like MET to the private collections at the Neue or the Frick.

And as someone who loves good food, more than half of the itinerary will probably be delicious food places categorized by cuisine, vibe, and deliciousness.

Activities like hiking, axe throwing, the opera, or concerts will definitely be on there as well for our inner warrior and romantic!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

I would love to give a huge shoutout to so many people.

First, my sister Safaa. She’s been my cheerleader, my protector and my soulmate for as long as I could remember.

My best friends who have championed me from the moment I met them.

My parents for all that they have given me and for indulging me and loving me as best as they can.

To the resilient little girl who never gave up on finding her courage, despite the self-doubt and adversity she faced.

To my mentors at Fordham University and New York University; for imbuing me with confidence and capabilities that now drive my career.

To everyone who I have ever worked with who trusted me with their vision, their love, and their vulnerability.

You have all shaped and are still shaping my life today. Your contributions and love will never be forgotten.

Website: www.saelhassani.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slicksooks/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salaouielhassani/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soukaina.alaoui.1441/

Other: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13032603/