Did you write the narrative for Help Refugees and what is your creative process for writing – do you sketch a rough storyboard as you go?

The original plan was to write a story around the Nina Simone song ‘I wish I knew how it would feel to be free’. It’s a melancholy song but it’s about human potential and hope and so that’s what gave us the idea of the children being caught up in the refugee crisis. After that I got my ideas down on paper drawing vignettes and sketching potential scenes and then Alice Burton, a creative from CHI came in and wrote the narrative.

Why in particular this charity?

I met the people who work for Help Refugees when I was in the Calais Jungle myself and they were such a support to me that it has been an honour to work on this project with them.

Produced by Blinkink, we had character designers, concept artists, background artists, storyboarders, animators, colourists, producers, writers, compositors, sound engineers and musicians all giving their time to tell this story, which is incredible! If this film helps just one of the millions of refugee children struggling this winter, then it will have done its job.

Where does your animating talent come from – did you draw a lot as a child? Did you go to art school?

I studied fine art at University in Iran and after my BA, chose to Major in animation because it combines my two passions – film/cinema and fine art. After graduating I worked for several animation production companies until events in my life took a different direction and I had to flee my native Iran to come to England.

Any major plans for 2018?

To keep making work and doing what I love!

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