2026 RIIFF Filmmaker Spotlight Series: HIDE & SEEK, written and directed by Fatah Minoobakhsh
Article Written By Roman Olavarria
In the film HIDE & SEEK, writer and director Fatah Minoobakhsh captures the night where Amir, a young boy and the main character, finds himself between complex dynamics of gender identity and self-exploration in an environment where non-conforming individuals may not know how to express themselves fully. In chatting with Minoobakhsh, he discusses the inspiration of the idea, personally reflecting on the environments around him and hypothesizing how these environments would affect individuals who don’t fit into set standards compared to those around them. The brilliant coloring, wide shots, and exponentially intentional creative choices allow the audience to feel the curiosity and tension that Amir faces in this distinct night where gender boundaries and gender roles become incredibly important. Minoobahksh goes on to discuss his directing choices and his writing process, asking himself questions that guide the choices in plot, cinematography, and character development. In my viewing, I found myself wondering how my own environments perpetuate cycles of dissuasion.
Roman Olavarria: What were the goals in the set design of HIDE & SEEK, which seems full of vibrant colors and intricate designs and mostly takes place indoors? Is it at all connected to the themes of gender transgression and personal exploration in the film?
Fatah Minoobakhsh: That’s a good question. I feel that the production design of this film has received less attention from audiences than some of its other aspects. Yes, the use of vivid and sharp colors, with a warm and saturated color palette, was completely intentional and directly connected to what is happening inside the character.
But there is another important element in the production design, which is also reflected in the cinematography: the division between men and women. Throughout the entire film, the frame is divided into two halves. You never see a woman on the left side of the frame; all the women are positioned on the right. Conversely, all the men are positioned on the left. This is a visual reference to gender boundaries and separation within society.
In the final scene, when the main character stands on the line between these two halves and has to choose one side, that visual idea reaches its conclusion.
RO: The final shot of the film includes an anticipating reveal of who the main character was with earlier. How does a director pick the perfect moment for a reveal? What are directors having to balance to bolster these types of moments?
FM: Usually, in a short film, there isn’t much room for several different resolutions or plot developments. I personally like to build suspense throughout the film and resolve it in the final moment. I think this can have a stronger impact because the last thing the audience sees is also the most intense and meaningful moment of the film.
RO: A large goal of the film seems to be filming from the child’s perspective. Can you speak about the process of filming complex social topics from the understanding of children who may feel the effects but may not fully understand why? How did your team work on finding this perspective?
FM: I knew from the very beginning of writing the screenplay that the camera had to be at the boy’s eye level, and I maintained that throughout the entire film.
A child at that age is naturally full of questions and wants to understand the world around him. The story itself began with a simple childhood question and curiosity, and the camera stays at his level as he tries to find an answer and understand the other gender.
In more closed and conservative societies, many questions related to sexuality and relationships are treated as taboo, and children often do not receive clear answers from adults. As a result, they are left to explore these questions on their own, without the guidance or understanding they need. This was an important part of the world I wanted to create for Amir.
RO: You directed the film, but you also wrote it as the screenwriter. How do your processes of writing and directing feel different or similar? Were there any challenges that you faced translating what you wrote vs. filming it?
FM: Well, yes. I think it is completely natural that there are challenges when you turn something you have written into a film. You can never put exactly what you imagined onto the page, and in the same way, you can never translate the script one hundred percent exactly into the finished film.
For this film, I tried to test everything before starting the actual shoot. I filmed the entire story once with a handycam so I could watch the result and understand how it worked visually. That process actually led me to change several things when we started filming.
For example, the ending and the stairs were elements that I added during the visual development and the shoot. In the end, I felt that they worked much better than the ending I had originally written in the screenplay.
RO: The poetic language of the film displaying curiosity and atmosphere is counteracted by intense and uncomfortable emotions of fear, anxiety, and shame. What were some of the major inspirations for this film that had a similar contrast? Were they films, experiences, or other catalysts of inspiration?
FM: In reality, I would say that the childhood curiosity and the experience of being questioned or reprimanded by adults came from my own childhood and the environment I grew up in. Those were experiences that I personally went through.
However, the story involving the other boy and what happens between them in the bathroom was inspired by studying similar subjects and observing real-life experiences. I incorporated that element to deepen the drama and give the story another layer.
RO: The fates of your characters in the short films 11:40 and Toosi are pretty transparent. What was it like to direct a film where we don’t quite know what happens once the film ends? What do you hope for the character, Amir?
FM: Honestly, this is a question I have always thought about myself: what happens to Amir, and to people like Amir? What will their future look like?
The truth is, I didn’t have a clear answer about what Amir’s future would be. That is why, at the end of the film, I chose to leave Amir behind and stay with the second character, who was the perpetrator.
When he goes back upstairs, I wanted to suggest that this cycle continues to repeat itself within this dysfunctional system. The victim changes, but the cycle remains the same.
This time it is Amir. Next time, it will be someone else.
RO: Do you have a favorite moment or line in the film? What makes it your favorite?
FM: For me, it isn’t really a particular line of dialogue. There is, however, one moment that I especially love: when Amir secretly tries to look toward the girls’ side or wants to play with the girls.
I think that moment is important because it shows his natural curiosity. If the restrictions around him had been less severe, and if he had been able to have his questions answered properly through honest explanations and guidance, perhaps he would never have become a victim of what happens to him later.
RO: What are some projects you have coming up? Anything that you are particularly excited about?
FM: Yes, I have another project that I have already finished writing. It is a feature-length film about a family who find themselves in a situation where they are forced to play certain roles.
It is a large-scale and complex project, with many characters and different layers to the story. At the moment, I am in the process of finding financing for the film, so hopefully it will be my next project.
