Somayeh Jafari

Magnetic Field

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it?
My first commissioned work as a director was for a Braun TVC in 2021.

How did you get into directing?
I began my journey by studying for a bachelor’s degree in media arts, in which I explored scriptwriting, directing, editing and contemporary art. I then studied documentary filmmaking for my masters, and after graduating, I moved to London and began my career as an assistant video editor in 2011. In the years that ensued, whilst freelancing and working in-house at advertising agencies and production companies as an editor, I wrote, produced, directed, and edited a variety of my own self-invested projects. This began to pay dividends and eventually aided in my transition from working primarily as an editor to getting commissioned and ultimately becoming represented as a director.

What is your most recent project?
Singleton’s “40Y” has been my latest commercial project and Skin of Water my latest narrative short film.

What is the best part of being a director?
My favorite part of directing is the ability to conceptualize and incorporate a part of myself in the art that I create whilst collaborating with equally talented people. Coming from a multi-disciplinary background, I particularly love being heavily involved in each stage of film pre and post-production, and greatly value the ability this multi-skill set has given me as a director.

What is the worst part of being a director?
Appreciating and understanding that “failures” are part of the process and somewhat unavoidable to a degree. Additionally, navigating the external expectations of what a director ‘should be’ can be especially tricky as a female director in a male dominated industry.

What is your current career focus: commercials and branded content, television, movies? Do you plan to specialize in a particular genre–comedy, drama, visual effects, etc.?
My career focus is to be commercially successful alongside developing my scripts for my debut feature and TV series. My work tends to be heavily rooted in surreal and poetic drama.

Have you a mentor and if so, who is that person (or persons) and what has been the lesson learned from that mentoring which resonates with you?
​​Aoife McArdle was a mentor to me a few years back and what resonated with me was her advice to stay true to my voice regardless of the trends or shifts in the industry environment.

Who is your favorite director and why?
I admire Sam Pilling for his ability to create captivating work whilst retaining a strong thread of emotion within his commercials.

What is your favorite movie? Your favorite television/online program? Your favorite commercial or branded content?
Favorite movie would be A Separation by Asghar Farhadi, my favorite TV show is Atlanta and my favorite commercial is by Seb Edwards for Lacoste, “The Big Leap”.

Tell us about your background (i.e., where did you grow up? Past jobs?)
I was born in Iran in 1988 and moved to Oxford in the United Kingdom when I was five years old. I’ve lived a somewhat nomadic life, however, moving to a variety of cities across the country, finally settling in London in 2011 after completing my masters. Over the years, I have worked both freelance and in house within a large number of ad agencies and production companies. My background in editing lies predominantly in commercials, online content, music videos, short form documentaries and short films.

Contact

• Magnetic Field, https://magneticfield.tv/, Chris Abitbol, chris@magneticfield.tv