Iman Naghavi: “Every Video I Make Stems From Music”

by Alexandra Mansilla

Iman Naghavi: “Every Video I Make Stems From Music”

4 Jun 2024

Iman Naghavi, or Faith Guy, is a cinematographer who has created videos for major fashion campaigns (like Kenzo, Lacoste, etc.). He is also the person behind the Instagram account @simpleboyzz_, where you can see guys who "skate sometimes." But how did it all start? Why did he decide to pick up a camera? (Hint: there was a reason!) Did you know Iman went through a tough period filled with panic attacks? And did you know that the person who gave his career a push was... DJ Karrouhat?

Iman's story is truly fascinating, with music playing a central role. Enjoy the read!

— Iman, we know almost nothing about you. Where were you born? Who are your parents? Where do you live now?

— I was born and raised in Dubai. My parents were both born in different parts of Iran. Mom is from Tehran and my dad is from Tabriz, which is on the border of Iran and Azerbaijan. When they were both 15, they moved to Shiraz, and that is now the place I visit every time I go back to Iran.

My dad is from an ethnic group Azeri; they speak the language called Azeri. Honestly, I don't know much more about it than that. I know that my grandfather was from Tabriz and later moved around when he joined the army.

— And what do your parents do?

— My dad used to work in his brother’s clothing store, but then, a year ago, they closed it. Now, my dad lives in Iran.

My mom lives in the USA now. She is a caretaker for an old lady and is studying to be a nurse.

She went to the USA in 2016 and took me with her. Within a year of staying there, I got super depressed. I didn't know what I wanted to do in life. I went to therapy, but it didn't really work. So, in the last week of December 2016, I came back to Dubai.

When I came back, the glue that held everything together was when I first picked up a camera. I started taking photos just to keep myself busy because I would get panic attacks and feel super anxious every day. I had a point-and-shoot camera that someone gave me — a Holga, a 35mm film camera. All you had to do was point and shoot, put in the film, and get it developed. So I went around every day taking photos, trying to stay busy.

Eventually, I realised I knew Dubai like the back of my hand and thought it would be cool to feature my friends in my photos. After a few months, I began getting into fashion. I wanted not only to take pictures of my friends but also to style them in different outfits. Back then, I had no idea what fashion was. I started experimenting with different clothes, becoming obsessed with this new hobby. What began as a way to pass the time quickly turned into a passion.

Photo: Iman's personal archive

— Let me ask you a few questions about that time in the States. When you were there for a year, you felt extremely bad. Do you know why?

— Yes, looking back at it now as an adult, it makes more sense. I was 18 then, away from my home and friends, I had no sense of purpose. I didn't know what I wanted to do in life.

While in the States, I did jobs like waiting tables, catering, and manual labour. I was getting paid, but it was under the table, and I had no idea how much longer I would have to stay there. For me, as an 18-year-old, it was quite tough to be in an unknown country with almost no friends and no clarity about my future.

All I knew was that I didn't want to be there. All of that took a toll on me, I guess. And then that is when I guess all the panic attacks and like anxiety that stuff happened.

— Do you remember your first panic attack?

— I don’t remember the very first one, but I do remember how they began. I recall my hands starting to feel really stiff, which was weird. It felt like I was holding a fist. Then, you know how your feet fall asleep? That same happened to my face. I was like, "Yo, this is kind of crazy. What is going on?" And then I started tearing up.

I was with a friend. I started tearing up, but I was like, "Yo, what's happening?" I was even telling jokes at the time, making my friend laugh. I was like, "Yo, this is crazy. I'm crying, but I'm not sad or anything. What's going on?"

Then the heavy breathing started. Later on, like a week later, I realised, "Oh, that's what they call a panic attack." I had no idea what anxiety was, or that panic attacks were caused by feeling overwhelmed.

I found out that it is very common to not know the cause of panic attacks. It's just your body needs to release something, hence the tears and heavy breathing because you feel overwhelmed.

— How did you manage to cope with it?

— I love music. Music is everything to me. It is the reason I am a cinematographer and the reason I am here today doing what I do. All my work stems from music.

So, if I am in the car with friends, for example, I would just put the window down, stick my face out, and play music. It doesn't necessarily have to be happy music; it could even be a sad song. It doesn't matter. It is just a song that I really vibe with at the time or a song that makes me feel good.

Thankfully, I haven't had a panic attack in a very long time, maybe a year now. But to answer your question, if I am alone or with friends, I would just put on music and try to be outside. If I am not outside, I would just control my breathing because I meditate now and do yoga. I would control my breathing, play music, and simply allow it to happen. It is gonna go away in a bit. So I don't fight it; I go with it.

And if it gets really intense, I will try to sing along to the music. But it is just about breathing and telling myself that it is gonna go away in a few minutes.

Instagram: @faithguy_

— You said that everything you do now started from music. But if we look through your Instagram, it seems more connected to filmmaking or photos, with only a little information about music. There are only a few tracks, like "Yes". Can you tell me more?

— That is true. So, I was always drawn to music. When I was 18, before I left Dubai, someone introduced me to shoegaze, indie, and alternative music. I was listening to all these different genres and got really excited. I didn't know I could feel this way because before that, all I knew was music from the radio and, because of skateboarding, a lot of rap, hip hop and a bit of classic rock. You know, the stuff that most people knew. But when I discovered this new music, I felt something inside me. I never wanted to lose this feeling, so since then, I have always searched for music.

When I was younger and we would skate, I would always freestyle rap with my friends. But fast forward to when I moved back to Dubai, a few of my friends were making music, and I thought that I wanted to do it, too. So I tried it out. I have always wanted to stand in front of a mic and sing. Also, I have always been told I have a good voice and should use it, so I was like, “Why not?”

Also, once, I met an artist named Cruel Santino [it was that time when he wasn’t so well-known] and we became friends. Fast forward to 2020, we decided to stay at Santi's for three or four months, and we just started making music every day because we were locked in the house with nothing to do.

Every week we made something different. We could make punk rock music one week. Then R&B or rap, whatever. We just liked to mess around and make different kinds of songs. And so that is kind of how it happened. That year 2020 was very special.

— And are you working on some music now?

— Well, it is crazy that you say that because I am currently in the process of setting up a home studio with my friend.

Even though I stopped releasing music at a young age, writing music or making a song has always been one of my ways to express myself. You know, like when you are having a bad day or dealing with something, and people tell you to write it down or talk to someone about it? I would write it down on my phone, but not in the conventional way. I would turn it into a song with lyrics that rhyme and all that stuff. I still do that to this day.

When I get this studio set up, I am definitely going to make music just because I love it. If I end up creating something crazy that people would love to hear, then I wouldn't mind releasing it. For now, I just want to make music and listen to it.

— Do you play any musical instrument?

— I used to play the ukulele, but not a regular one. Ukuleles have four sizes, and I had the third biggest one. Basically, the bigger it gets, the deeper the sound. I played that for a while, but then I lost it about three years ago. So now, unfortunately, I don't play any instruments. But my kids will definitely learn how to play the piano.

— So, you know Basil and Shady Alhadi! Tell me the story.

— I think I first met Basil very briefly, like just a quick "hi" and "bye," or maybe not even that. I just saw him because he was friends with a friend of mine, and they were all together in Alserkal. I properly met Basil when I came back from the States. That is when we started communicating more often.

One day, Basil said, "Oh man, I see you take photos. Do you do videos as well?" I was like, "Honestly, no, not really, but I can try." He was like, "Yeah, because I'm doing all these gigs now. Maybe you can do a video for me?"

What happened next? I borrowed a camera from another person named Iman, who happens to be a female with the same name as me. After borrowing the camera, I was like, "How do I edit the videos now? What do I do?" That is when I discovered Adobe Premiere Pro. I downloaded the trial version.

That is how it all started. There were about seven events where Basil was DJing, and I was just taking pictures and filming with the same camera, then sending my work to Basil. The camera was an old model from 2009 or 2008, and this was in the summer of 2017.

During this time, I started visiting Basil when he lived in Abu Dhabi. I would stay over the weekend, and we would have family days and stuff like that.

Fast forward to the beginning or mid-2019, I am in the car with Basil. We are driving and then we stop at a parking spot, just to chill for a bit. I told Basil, "You know what? Remember two years ago when I was taking those pictures and making those edits of you at all your gigs? I don't mind or anything, but I am just wondering, did you ever end up using it? I don't think I remember seeing it on Instagram and stuff."

He said, "I've been waiting for the day you ask me this question. Yeah, it would have been nice to use the pictures and stuff, but I saw what you were doing. I saw that you were trying and that you wanted something. So, I only asked you to do these things just so you could start, just so you could learn."

Basil Alhadi and Iman Naghavi. Photo: Iman's personal archive

— Oh my God, Basil!

— So when I told him in 2017, "Oh, I don't have a camera," he was like, "I'm sure you will figure it out." When I told him I didn't have editing software or even know how to edit, he said, "I'm sure you'll figure it out." At the time, it felt like a huge ask because Basil was a big name and just getting bigger.

He pushed me to borrow that camera. That is where I learned to film and take photos. He was the reason I had to get Premiere and learn how to edit. When he told me, "I mainly asked you to do those things just so I could give you a start, just so I could push you in the right direction. I never really needed photos or videos or anything," it hit me.

To this day, I always tell people that Basil is a huge part of my journey. Obviously, not to take away from my own success, skills, or talents, but a very large reason why I got started and progressed in video is because of Basil.

I think we teared up a bit in the car, and got emotional. That was that.

You also need to understand my relationship with Basil. You know, those kids in the classroom that the teacher always separates? That is literally my relationship with Basil. Like, he called me last night, and we have this inside joke. He asked, "What are you doing?" and I said, "Oh, I have some friends coming over." He goes, "Oh, are they animals like you?"

We basically refer to each other as animals because we have no chill. In public, we are always screaming and yelling, just like kids in a classroom.

— And can you share the story how did you get to know Shady?

— I met Shady, Basil's brother, through Basil obviously, last May. So, by default, we became friends.

— Do you know, he is offline now?

— I am not surprised. Shady, to my knowledge, is one of the most talented illustrators, and graphic designers, and artists I have ever met in my entire life. The way he can create something beautiful and make it resonate with you is incredible. He could have never met you, and you could be from a completely different background, on opposite ends of the world, with different values. But he will create something that not only looks beautiful but also touches something inside you. It will trigger a memory, a feeling, something. He has that talent.

Shady is such calm soul. Don't get me wrong, he can be a bit crazy like us, but he is always the calm one. I really miss that guy.

Basil and Shady Alhadi. Instagram: @faithguy_

— Okay, so now, about filmmaking. I have noticed a lot of vintage motifs in your videos. Can you describe your style?

— So I really, really, really love Quentin Tarantino. You know, the yellow font that you see in his work? I also love Wes Anderson, mainly because of his use of colours and symmetry. Tarantino as a whole inspires me with his filmmaking style, the script, the shots, and the settings.

There is something about vintage aesthetics that hits something within me. In my Japan video, I try to colour it in a way that gives that vintage feel, but I make it less obvious. There are fewer grainy filters and VHS effects. I just like that nostalgic feeling.

Every video and every piece of work I have ever made stems from music. Let's say I hear a song — then I picture things in my head, like visuals. And all I do is try to make those visuals happen in real life. Music makes me feel a specific way, like happy or sad, and I make the video to reflect that feeling. It just happens naturally, subconsciously.

What is most important: I get that feeling back from the viewer. Each person interprets my videos differently. They might say, "This video made me feel this," or "This video made me feel that." And that is the only feedback I have wanted. I don't care if they say it was nice, crazy cinematic, or beautiful. What I crave is hearing that my work made them feel something.

If my work can evoke some type of emotion, then I know I have done my job right. Some videos might not have any plot or meaning, but they still evoke emotions, and people still find meaning within them.

The only time I ever made a video with a clear meaning was my Iran video. I remember putting in the caption, "It's nice to be alone, but it's not nice to be lonely." In the first half of the video, I am dancing and having a great time, feeling happy. In the second half, I am in the same places but looking sad. I was trying to show that while it is nice to be alone and enjoy your own company, it is not nice to be lonely.

So, when I say all my work comes from music, it is literally that I hear a song, and the visuals come from there. Otherwise, I wouldn't know where to start.

— Tarantino has made nine movies. What is your favourite and less favourite?

— I think my least favourite would have to be, although I love them all, Jackie Brown. And then my favourite is probably — I don't want to be basic, but it is a tie between Pulp Fiction and Inglourious Basterds. I only saw Pulp Fiction for the first time, like two years ago.

— And you have started your YouTube channel again, right?

— Yes, I posted videos of trips to Oman and Japan. A friend of mine said, "You should put that on YouTube," and she was absolutely right. I had nothing to lose.

I am just playing the game now. I am planning to post more videos on my YouTube. Hopefully, the goal is to get flown out to different places to travel and make these videos.

I love nature, skating, being in the water — I have recently been learning how to surf. I love hiking. I just want to travel as much as I can. So, that is the plan for the YouTube videos anyway.

— Okay, and now Simpleboyzz! Every local skater tags this account. What is it? A community or what?

— Yes, it is my child. Simpleboyzz is essentially just me and my friends skating. It all started from when I was younger, skateboarding and filming it on my iPhone, editing on iMovie, and posting it on my Stories. But it would disappear after 24 hours, and I didn't like it. But also, I didn't want to post these on my Faith Guy page because that is where I get a lot of work.

So I thought, what can I do? I considered making another page, but that felt, like a big commitment. Then I remembered I had a little camcorder, one of those handy cams that can zoom in and out a lot. I thought maybe I should start using it, and eventually created this new page.

I ended up making the page, and my friend Wathek, who owns the brand Purchase Trust, was involved too.

— And the name? Why Simpleboyzz?

— Actually, Wathek came up with the name. He said, "We are just a bunch of simple boys." I thought that was such a sick name, so we went with Simpleboyzz.

I try not to make this project too obvious, but I also don't hide it. Basically, with Simpleboyzz, I was hoping to create videos to look back on, to do something I enjoy making, and to inspire younger kids and skaters to make their own videos. Sometimes, I will go to the park, and people I don't know will recognise me and say, "Oh, that's Simpleboyzz! Let's make an edit!" They even come to ask me for advice, which makes my heart full. It makes me so happy to see them excited about the same things I was excited about when I was younger.

— And the name Faith Guy? Where did it come from?

— Okay, so when I moved back from the States, Facebook was still a thing, because it was 2017. There was a group chat on Facebook with some of my friends and their friends, and everyone had a nickname like "Always Late Guy," "Sleepy Guy," "Fat Guy," "Never Replies Guy," you know what I mean?

One day, I was sitting with a friend of mine, and he was like, "Man, what the hell is your username?" I was like, "What? It's my name." My username at the time was my full name, like "Iman Naghavi123." He was really giving me a hard time about it, saying it was so boring and that I should change it. I agreed, so we started brainstorming.

We were thinking and realised that Iman means “faith" in both Farsi, and Arabic. So, that is how it came to be.

— If someone not from the creative industry asks you to describe yourself, what would you say? Who are you?

— When I was younger, it was just, "Oh, he's that guy who likes to make videos." But as I have gotten older and become somewhat professional in my field, I simply say I am a cinematographer who works in fashion.

by Alexandra Mansilla