Buddy Film Foundation x VPRO Tegenlicht

Discover the human story behind refugees in the documentary by Buddy Film Foundation for VPRO Tegenlicht.

Director Leili Khodaei follows Seweta, the world's first female Afghan motorcycle instructor, in a personal portrait.

When we talk about refugees, it's often in abstract terms. We speak about numbers and overcrowded shelters. But behind those numbers are people—individuals with their own lives and unique stories.

One of them is Leili Khodaei, an Iranian filmmaker who created a short documentary for VPRO Tegenlicht's "Rebranding Migration" theme. Leili is from Tabriz, a city in northwestern Iran near the borders with Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. In Iran, she earned a degree in math and physics and later studied Persian literature at university. She also wrote several books and poetry collections, published in countries including Iran and Azerbaijan.

In her documentary, Leili follows Seweta, the first female motorcycle instructor from Afghanistan. She made the film in collaboration with Buddy Film Foundation, an organization that supports refugee filmmakers, actors, and other creatives in starting a film career in the Netherlands. We spoke with Leili about her experiences as a filmmaker and about her film.

How did you get involved with Buddy Film Foundation?

"When I was studying at the Dutch Academy for Image Creation, I had a special teacher, director Mirjam de With. She introduced me to Dewi Reijs, the founder of Buddy Film. She said, 'I have a good friend who works with newcomers. She can help you with filmmaking and your goals.'

"That felt like a miracle to me. I'd been in the Netherlands for four years and didn't know anyone. I had no network and no idea what to do. I emailed Dewi, and she said, 'Come over.'"

How did you come up with the idea to make a film about Seweta?

"I met Seweta three years ago, just a few months before COVID. I had some questions about the situation of women in Afghanistan and reached out to her. She invited me to visit.

"When I met her, I immediately saw that she was a special woman. There's something in Seweta. I find her so interesting. She's had an incredibly difficult life but keeps going. From that moment, I knew I wanted to make a film about her. So when Dewi suggested I make a documentary, I knew it had to be Seweta's story."

Was there a bigger message you wanted to share?

"Yes. In our countries—Iran and Afghanistan—women have it especially hard. And not just women. The LGBTQ+ community faces huge challenges too. I see myself in Seweta, the main character in the film, because I've experienced what it's like to be held back as a woman in society. I've been involved in activism, like the fight against forced child marriage. It's my mission to highlight this issue through my films and to stand up for the rights of women and the LGBTQ+ community. I also use my poetry to give a voice to women in Iran.

"I saw all of that in Seweta. She fled Afghanistan at a young age and is now a motorcycle instructor. Even compared to the average Dutch woman, she's incredibly progressive. But even Seweta has tough moments. She feels responsible to live a hundred lives, because she knows women in Afghanistan don't have the same chances. She lives in freedom now, and she makes full use of that freedom. That sense of responsibility—I recognize it."

About Buddy Film Foundation

Six years ago, in 2016, actress and director Dewi Reijs was approached by the Netherlands Film Festival to brainstorm about the theme of diversity. It was one year after the refugee crisis of 2015, and the NFF had connected with ten refugee filmmakers. Dewi was already thinking about how she could support newly arrived refugees. Together with director Dennis Overeem, she came up with the idea for Buddy Film Foundation—then called the Buddy Film Project.

In 2017, Dewi and Dennis started the Buddy Film Foundation with producer In-Soo Radstake. It became a launching pad for refugee filmmakers, actors, crew, and other creatives—helping them build a network and start their careers in the Netherlands. Buddy Film kept growing, and in 2018 they launched Buddy Film Casting and Buddy Film Productions. The foundation has a non-profit goal: part of the revenue from the casting agency and production house goes back into the foundation, funding training and support for refugee filmmakers.

Now, six years later, the Buddy Film Foundation has grown into a serious organization with over 200 members. They've also produced successful projects, like Trojaanse Wijven—a theater production with an all-female cast that shares their family histories and experiences with migration, war, and fleeing home.