INTERVIEW with Joseph Karimbeik

 

-First of all we would like to know a little more about you. So that the audience has as much information as possible. Who is Joseph Karimbeik?

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 I am Joseph Karimbeik, also known as Hossein Karimbeik. I am a film director, theatre director, actor and writer. I graduated from the London Drama Centre, received a master of filmmaking from the West London University and Met Film in Ealing Studios London and an MA in theatre directing from the University of Arts in London.

When I was invited to the international theatre festival in Volterra Italy, I directed Hamlet and Macbeth and met Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo who encouraged me to start my own theatre company where Dario Fo became a Patron. I also started and ran a charity for children in poverty and since 1986 I worked across the Atlantic.

I am best known for my own writing and directing of "Uncle," "Someone else's child," "Whore," "My husband's wife" as well as directing Hedda Gabler by Ibsen, Miss Julie by Strindberg as well as playing many parts in films and television. Raschid in Mona Lisa, Colonel Hassan Ali in Half Moon Street, Hossein in Brothers and Lugash secret policeman in Curse of the Pink Panther, as well as television series like the Cold Warrior.

 

Since 2015 I pursued my career in film directing which has always been a dream for me since I was a child.

Recently I wrote and directed London Gangstah, and I would like very much to make a feature of this, but I would need a professional producer.

 

I also wrote & directed the following short films:

• Absence

• Going Home

• Love is a Loser’s Game

• The dance of ugly Butterflies

• Cartell

 

 

-How many years have you been making movies and how did you end up making movies?

 

From my childhood on I wanted to be a film director and for that I went to England, but I could not get into film school at the time as it was too expensive. But London Drama Centre accepted me in audition to become a theatre director. So I entered the theatre profession when I was 23 and I directed many plays and also acted in movies and I had my own theatre company in London and finally I ended up going to film school in 2015 for one year and London Gangstah is my fist movie I wrote, directed and produced.

 

 

-Let's talk about your project. How long did it take from the initial idea to have it ready to be released? 

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This was a very fast process. It took me three weeks to write, 3 months to put the crew and actors together, and five days of shooting. I only had £7000 budget and therefore most shoots were only taken once as finance did not allow me to take more shots. Editing took 3-4 month. This film really should be remade as a feature. It’s a pity that I had to do it as a short film because I could not raise any finances as I am heavily dyslexic, so I had to use my own money. I am looking for someone to step in as a producer and help me to make this a feature film.

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 -Can you tell us a bit about the process you've had with London Gangstah? Is it self-financed or were you able to get financing?

 

This is 100% self-financed. 

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 -No spoilers, but what will the public find in London Gangstah?

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A lot of fun. It is a Gangstah movie with no violence and yet it has the real drama, suspense, mystery, romance and comedy.

 

 

-We love the gangster genre and it is a genre that always works very well. Have you been inspired by any other film of the same genre? 

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All my inspiration comes from my childhood. I have been brought up in a very rough and violent neighborhood and poverty driven people without opportunity or future. As a citizen of that neighborhood and being a young boy you are exposed to a lot of dangerous situations and the cause of it is always money, hunger and sometimes honour and respect. Since there are no jobs people have to turn to illegal ways to make money. 

 

 

-There are many creators who seek inspiration from other artists, literature, music, painting, etc. To create this work have you used references from other arts? If so, what are they?

 

No.

 

 

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-We would also like to know more about your film preferences. We would love to know which directors you like and which are your favorite movies.

 

A good influential film or any art of any genre will always leave its footprint in your memory and even in your character. There are so many good influential artists who make movies, so there are many of them I can name. One of the movies that really inspired me was “Being there” with Peter Sellers, especially of the storyline and the performance of  Peter Sellers and also Citizen Kane . But as a child I liked Khartoum where you could see epic sceneries and characters bigger than life portraits on a screen. These days it’s impossible you watch TV, or you watch movie at home or cinema and do not see guns or knives a few times a day. When I watched The Birds, Alfred Hitchcock showed me how easily you can scare people without blood, knives, or guns. He was a master. Edward Robinson & James Cagney were my favourite actors in the black and white movies.

 

 

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-There are great classics of cinema considered masterpieces, but for us cinema is subjective and we also love films that critics may consider bad. Do you have movies that are not considered masterpieces but that you could watch over and over again without stopping? Which are?

 

Unforgiven

 

 

 

-Your favorite black and white movie?

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Godfather 1 with the performance of Marlon Brando

 

 

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-Have you seen anything by Kubrick? How would you define it in one word?

 

Lens Manipulator

 

 

-Your favorite 2010-2020 movie or series?

 

Breaking Bad Season

 

 

-Your favorite actor or actress?

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Betty Davies & Marlon Brando

 

 

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-Changing the subject, one of the concerns of many creators is the lack of financing or opportunities that producers provide. What do you think about this?

 

I hope one of these days a producer or a company will knock on my door because that is exactly my problem

 

 

 

-A very personal question, but how do you consider yourself as a director? What are your strong points and weak points?

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My weakest points are my dyslexia, finance and marketing myself. 

I am a very confident, skilled director and writer which a huge imagination and different stories every day.

 

 

-Do you have experience on the festival circuit? As a filmmaker, how do you see film festivals? Where do you think they should improve?

 

I cannot express enough how important film festivals have become. They have provided a stage for people like me whom are confident to produce movies as competitors to standard of excellence in movie making. I am hoping that one day I will be financed so I can make one of the top movies of the year and many more. What you have seen in London Gangstah is just a teaspoon of taste of the pot.

 

 

-Do you have any other project in mind? Can you advance us something?

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Oh yes, many projects. Once again, I am looking for a producer to redo London Gangstah as a feature film. Then I like to do “Long Way Back Home“ (another Gangster movie), “Taste of Life”, “Mr. Apple is not stupid”, “A rabbit for supper”, “School of Love”, “University of Kite” and many more.