FILM

Through meticulous integration of vulnerability into storytelling, Hamza's film work sparks introspection and forges profound connections with viewers. Through a deeply personal approach that includes operating the camera and offering glimpses into personal diaries, Hamza aims to provide solace and foster community through shared experiences, leaving an indelible mark on the world of documentary filmmaking and curation.

‘I’m Thinking Of A Place Where We Could Meet’ (2024) — Exhibition Visualiser
Experiential Visual Installation — Commissioned by Leeds-based collective ‘AZUCAR Creative Space’

My recent interactive installation piece titled, ‘I’m Thinking Of A Place Where We Could Meet,’ in partnership with AZUCAR Creative Space pays homage to an intimate yet poigniant portrayl of personal growth and celebrates the art of self-mediated documentation. This piece converges my past and present, delving into my experiences with body, sexuality, erotica, relationships, and religion, inviting viewers into an intimate exploration of human existence.

Through a curated collection of diverse artefacts and narratives, including archival material, photography, and video work, attendees embarked on a journey of introspection, witnessing the intricate landscape of my lived experiences. My hope was to offer a sanctuary where shared vulnerabilities and courageous self-expression intertwine, allowing you to foster connection and empathy with the person in front of you.

This reflexive piece was broken down into three self-mediated docu-diaries below as titled, ‘Moments in Stillness’, ‘I Pray on Bended Knees’ & ‘Oceans Apart’.





10 mins (3 Screens)

Archival
VHS
Super 8
Sound

‘i think i might have been going about things the wrong way this whole time’ (2023) — Exhibition Visualiser
Experiential Visual Installation / Graduate Work

During my time at university, I had adopted on producing a series of self-reflexive video diaries unconciously as a way to cope with navigating out of co-dependency from a formative relationship through my teen years till my early 20s.

The diaries themselves are an accumulation of voice messages, voicemails, reading out journal entries, contemplating indifference, creating art, being in a rut, grieving love, friendships etc.

Collectively, they served as a time capsule in my life where I turned the camera back on myself again and gave myself grace for navigating shame over how I was grieving. This conceptually was then realised as an experiential video installation filled with said journals, video work, archival material spanning throughout the 10 months I had spent being in indifference.

For the installation, a total of seven diaries where in display as listed below:

1. Last Summer In August
2. Turbulence
3. Short Window Of Courage
4. I Think I Might Have Been Going About Things The Wrong Way This Whole Time
5. Good Riddance
6. Flip Side Of The Fold
7. Grieve With Me
   

‘In Stillness, Love Evades / We Move Lightly’ (2022) — Documentary Short

A personal essay documentary centering on overcoming heartbreak amidst the COVID-19 lockdown and dealing with it all alone in stillness.


Director/Writer: Hamza Ashraf
DOP: Hamza Ashraf
1st Cam Assist: Jada Sanyaolu
2nd Cam Assist: Marcelo Amendolara Nolan
Gaffer: Jada Sanyaolu

Editor/Colourist: Hamza Ashraf
Film Labs: Gauge Film & Take It Easy Film Lab