Pakistani American Creatives - SE4 - Asad Kirmani - Storyteller / Filmmaker / Psychiatrist!

This video was recorded at the first ever Rung Film Festival in Houston, Texas on May 4th and 5th 2024.
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About our guest:
ASAD KIRMANI is a Writer/Director and a practicing psychiatrist in Austin, TX. While in medical school he produced and directed a film, "All the Wrong Reasons," a full-length comedy feature about a hapless young medical student. While doing his psychiatric residency in New York City he produced and directed "Curing Gender," a documentary about the history of psychiatry and transsexuality that has been used educationally by a number of hospitals and institutions across the country. He has written and directed three short films, "Stress Freud," "Pornistan," and "Hijabi."
According to a recent study published by Politifact, of the 85 terrorist acts committed on American soil from Sept 12th, 2001 through December 31st, 2016, nearly three quarters were carried out by right-wing extremists. This only accelerated during the Trump era - one need look no further than the events of January 6th, 2021. It bears mentioning these are predominately white, Christian men and women who are often given sympathetic portrayals in the media. It is a different story when the suspect is a Muslim, however. Saif, the (anti)hero of "How to Wash the Dead," is driven to extreme violence by a manipulation and distortion of his faith. The purpose of the film is to contextualize and humanize some of the dark swirling undercurrents in the psyche of a "would-be" terrorist. This film invites the viewer not to excuse nor endorse, but to empathize - to find the human being behind the headline.
0:00 Welcoming Asad Kirmani.
0:53 Asad responds to why he decided to make films.
2:29 Responds to why he brings difficult topics in his films.
4:40 Asad talks about the film How to Wash the Dead is being perceived by audiences.
7:09 Asad talks about change in public understanding of mental health issues.
8:34 Asad talks about his future projects (Gudgudi) and more.
9:51 Asad responds to the question about Rung Film Festival and how he liked it.
11:32 Asad reacts to the Rung Film Festival audiences.
12:40 Closing.