About the project
Carga is a short film by Yad Deen. It explores genres of drama and horror, giving a fresh perspective to each respectively to form a thrilling and exciting story in a rich and interesting world.
Synopsis:
Marta, a well-known documentarian from Spain has decided to travel to Iraq to visit an abandoned cigarette factory and investigate some events that recently got her attention. Marta has been to unusual places in her time, like Afghanistan and Chernobyl, and so far she’s gone to these places with her colleague who films for her. But, this time, her boyfriend, Juan, an aspiring filmmaker, insists on joining her on this journey. A tense and unsuspecting short film by Yad Deen.
The Director, Producer, and Co-writer, Yad Deen
Yad Deen was born in the Kurdistan region of Iraq and was about six months old when his parents fled Iraq as political refugees. Yad grew up in London since the age of two where he was fortunate to have spent most of his childhood and teenage years living close to places like the iconic Abbey Road Studios. He made his first film at aged six, which was a stop motion animation about a little boy called Kevin who gets lost while shopping with his mother. Yad grows to discover his passion for all things creative and began his journey at an adult college where he studied Media Productions. He went on to complete his film degree in Southampton and spend three years in Spain writing and entering small advertising competitions. In 2013, Yad travelled to Baghdad, Iraq, to establish an adverting company, however with the arrival os ISIS and emergence of numerous militias, this proved more difficult than expected. He decided to move to the northern region of Iraq and began working as a freelance photographer and documentary cinematographer and all-round filmmaker, where he was involved in documentaries like Hunting ISIS (History Channel), and has produced documentaries for clients like UNOPS, British Council, Global Affairs Canada and m*ny others. Y*d was taken to the old cigarette factory in 2016 by his then girlfriend (now wife) where the idea for Carga came from. He was introduced to Chesco, his co-writer, by Gema Briones, his director of photography, and told him his idea for a story set in the factory. Eventually, Carga was made and has been Yadʼs greatest creative success to date - he is especially proud of Cargaʼs success being that it is his debut short fiction film, and having been acquired by Sony Pictures and Shorts International. Yad has recently teamed up with Simon Reade, writer and producer of Journeyʼs End (Lionsgate/BFI), and they are working on developing a number of feature film to be set and filmed in numerous places including Iraq and European locations
Co-writer, Chesco Simon
From a young age he worked as an actor in different theater companies. He played characters from authors such as Ana Diosdado, Dario Fo, Luigi Pirandello or Alfonso Sastre. He studied drama with Fernando Grifell in La Casona. He created two theater companies: Clandestinos and Verko theater, performing works such as, The Substitute, by David Zuazola, or Orgía, by Pasolini. He participated with the Argentine company El Brote, composed of actors with psychotic disorder and directed by Gabriela Otero (Odin Teatret). At El Timbal, he approached the cinema by Joaquín Oristrell, Cesc Gay, Judith Colell or Roger Gual. He participated in Gavilanes de Antena 3, played David Tejera, the couple of Leticia Ortiz, in Felipe and Letizia, the TV movie for Tele 5 by Joaquim Oristrell and in Arros Covat de Kike Maillo for tv3. In Jordi Cadena's feature film, L'amant del Silenci, he was a candidate for the Gaudí and Forqué 2018 awards as best actor. As a screenwriter, he has written feature films for directors such as Jordi Cadena, Judith Colell, or producers such as Ana Amigo. With Jordi Cadena he collaborated in the co-writing of more than 5 feature films. With the director Yad Deen, he co-authored Load, multi-award and internationally selected short films. As director he shot the short films, Self-esteem, Gourmet Love and Scenic Love, accumulating several selections in national and international festivals. He currently has two feature films in search of funding, "March 7", and "Inheritance".
