2018 Arab News July 24, 2018 15:26 551 Filmmaking is the closest thing to living inside a daydream; the closest thing to creating a reality. It’s also very poetic and captures the human experience in a powerful way. I’m generally an introvert. I’m often conservative in new situations and environments — observant before I can open up and be a social butterfly. So I’ve been told by some people that they initially thought I was too proud to talk to them. I’m learning to be more authentic. I feel like I lost a lot of time until recently pandering to what others wanted from me, or what was expected of me from society — not making authentic choices aligned with who I truly am, or delaying those choices. When we were filming a scene in my film “Don’t Go Too Far,” in which the brother and sister were being separated by the crowd at the door of a train, the actress playing the sister was panicking and screaming at her brother to get off the train. A guy in orthodox Jewish attire was watching with so much concern, like he desperately wanted to help this young lady. It was so believable to him that he didn’t notice the big fat camera right behind her. In the middle of the scene, he called out, “Get in! Get in!” He totally ruined the scene, but he was so sweet. No art or artistic process justifies disrespect. Creative egos can drive people to justify the mistreatment of others, or certain narcissistic behaviors that aren’t acceptable in other fields. I’ve encountered such personalities quite a few times in my journey. I believe in creating healthy working environments where everyone can thrive and feel respected and honored for what they do and who they are. I’m often called upon by male writing circles to offer “the feminine perspective.” That’s valid in itself, and women are more than happy to share their experiences, but this shouldn’t be the only reason why women are called into the writing room. Women are capable, just like men, of writing about the human experience in an all-inclusive manner. Writers shouldn’t corner themselves within their gender. We need to transcend gender, social status, culture and creed in order to do that. You need to be aware of why you’re writing what you’re writing. Being aligned with your why helps you to move forward with more clarity and to make sure you’re in touch with your joy.