Meet Tareq Alkhudari

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tareq Alkhudari and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tareq, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
Giving up is never truly an option for me. That’s not at all due to any blind confidence in my ability to accomplish everything. Being an Arab immigrant whose family survived an invasion [Desert Storm], I am rarely in situations where Flight or Fight are both equally possible options. It can be a privilege to have the choice to give up, let alone be presented as equal to the option to persevere. It’s what we call a Hobson’s Choice. To many people in marginalized communities, yielding carries dire consequences. We fight because we have to, and we learn in the process.

Personally, I believe that most difficult situations in life are challenges worthy of at least attempting to overcome. A genuine attempt to prevail over any predicament seldom ends fruitlessly. Even if you accept inevitable defeat, you’ll walk away from the obstacle with more knowledge about the challenges you faced, and about yourself as well. Luckily, this acquired knowledge is now your ammunition for the next fight.

Whether such philosophy holds any merit is debatable of course, and I don’t advertise it as one that works for all. To do so is to dismiss other people’s struggles. But in my mostly abled body and mind, without this trust in fate and in myself, I wouldn’t be here today. Even with my accepted “defeats,” I walk away with answers feeling much more grounded and mature.

For example, I learned to accept some chronic pains, and I see the time I have spent trying to find absolute cures that could forever heal my TMD or my Willis-Ekbom Syndrome to be time well spent. I learned so much about what causes flare-ups, how the disabilities were discovered, and what the medical field has on research and news regarding my ailments.
Time spent on one’s health is never a waste.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
While I speak both Arabic and English, I always considered art as my first language. I was discovered as an artist at a very young age in my home country Kuwait, which opened some doors for me. I started showcasing my art at local exhibitions, which drew some media attention. I was also luckily noticed by the Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity, leading to me being selected in 2012 as “One of Kuwait’s most 12 talented people.”
Being talkative, social, and really into communication, I decided to study journalism at first. What had me change my major to filmmaking and take on a more artistic forte was an unfortunate experience I had in 2016. I was misdiagnosed with melanoma at Jefferson Hospital, Philadelphia. During that period of not knowing whether my life was shorter than I ever assumed, I bought myself the silver badge at the Philadelphia Film Festival, allowing me access to as many early screenings as I could attend a day. It was my escape.
“If I watched 3 films a day, it would take my mind off of it.”
I remember watching the early screening of La La Land alongside director M. Night Shyamalan. I talked to him briefly after. He was polite and humble, and I found myself telling him about my and my mother’s appreciation for one of his movies, The Village. I was smiling, briefing him on how often my mother and I watched it together growing up. He asked me if I was also a filmmaker… I didn’t know at the time that I would be.

I realized after that night that I wanted to do the same for other people as film had done for me. I want people to be able to experience joy, nostalgia, knowledge, answers, and memories in my art. I want it to mean something, and I want it to evoke emotion and contribute to change. A week after I was informed that my skin carries no cancerous cells, I changed my major to filmmaking.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m a fan of beaches overall, and I have a soft spot for Venice Beach.

I also really enjoy hiking to the Hollywood sign while observing the Oleanders all around. I have them tattooed on my arm.

I also am a huge fan of Philz Coffee. Anytime I’m in the City, I get myself an iced Philharmonic with some mint leaves.
As for food, Knafe Cafe comes to mind. They havw delicious desserts that you cannot miss.
If you’re a Cinephile like me, you would really enjoy a tour at Warner Bros. Studios. Nothing cooler than posing next to a huge statue of Bugs and Daffy and asking the tour guides whether the Animaniacs are still trapped in the water tower.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I give a lot of credit to my family for encouraging me to seek my dreams abroad. I thank my father, who had much more hand in the making of the man I am today than I realized, may he rest in peace. I thank my mother, who saw the artist in me and made my future possible. I thank my siblings, for continuing to support me, and for being the fuel that drives my ambitions. Lastly, I want to shout out my close community, for making sure the spaces I frequent remain warm and safe, allowing me to shine through all challenges, and seeing the fighter and dreamer in me.

Website: www.cartooony.com

Instagram: cartooony

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cartooony/videos