Friday March 29th, 2024
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This Egyptian Director Dedicates a Documentary Series to Being 30-Something

Film director Amr Assaid interviews 30-something year-olds in a documentary series about the struggle of finding inner peace in your thirties, especially as a global citizen.

Staff Writer

In your thirties and still feel like you don’t know what the fuck is going on? If yes, then you’ve come to the right place, little one. Or I guess you’re not so little anymore. But that's alright, because we think we’ve found the documentary series for you. Is this another How To Get My Life Together Starter Pack? And no, it's not, because this series will teach you how to dance in the shit storm that is life. 

@IAm30Something is a documentary series by film director Amr Assaid who began filming the series in 2013 and recently started sharing snippets of it on Instagram last July. The piece focuses on the lives of global citizens in their 30s and their outlook on certain aspects of life including relationships, the issue of identity, faith, and career. 

When asked about the inspiration behind the piece, Assaid shared, “In 2012, I was 32 and living in Amsterdam. By the nature of it, being a third world country expat living in Amsterdam, wherever you work, you’re expected to validate yourself. It gives you this feeling of regression. You feel like you were better off in your 20s when you were more confident. When you grow up, you then realise you don’t know life very well, especially in different countries. I was working in advertising. I went to work everyday not feeling satisfied. What's my mission in life now? Well, I want to improve my quality of life, by any means necessary.”

Assaid also added, "When you’re in your twenties, things are exciting and you’re still figuring things out. But there’s this social expectation for people in their thirties where you are now a seasoned adult who’s meant to conform to the family, dog, and money-making lifestyle. And if you don’t, people will ask, 'Why are you still figuring yourself out?', 'When are you getting married'. For women, people will say, 'your clock is ticking'. The reason many 30-somethings of our generation experience this paradox is because they get exposed. If you’re living in a society where your life is defined for you, then your peace of mind is not disturbed. But if you leave your comfort zone, what you are often met with is a state of dissatisfaction.” 

When asked what it's like to be in his thirties, Assaid replied with, “It's a roller coaster. It's a continuous state of searching and lack of peace. When I meet these people who are experiencing the same thing as me, it's like I’m meeting my tribe. I stopped identifying as any nationality and now I identify with the people I have met making this series. I do lose sleep over the search for purpose but it’s my friend because it wakes me up. It propels me to be something better. Between this yin and yang, this search is life. And part of the search is: al ba7th 3an no2tet el tasalo7 ma3 el nafs or the search for self-acceptance. We invent our own purpose. And when these purposes expire, we must find new ones to combat what becomes a boring, dissatisfying life." 

Check out the series @IAm30Something or at the official website here