Meet Bashir Aden

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bashir Aden. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bashir below.

Hi Bashir, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

There is a power in standing out. While, forming a community is essential to my work, there is a power in telling your story for your perspective. As a Somali filmmaker in Chicago, there aren’t many peers fron my own culture in the industry, so I am often the only one in the room. However, I love sharing my culture & story to the world regardless of hesistation. This is a deeply important tool for me.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m Bashir Aden, a Somali filmmaker & writer based in Chicago. My work explores nuances in contemporary America culture with a keen interest in aesthetic eccentricity & pastiche-rich design. Deeply inspired by the stylistic experimentation of prominent avant-garde African-American filmmakers like Melvin Van Peebles, Julie Dash, and Terence Nance, my work breaks the molds of traditional storytelling to explore the delicate relationship between style & identity. Originally from Wisconsin, my films utilize my African American experience to reflect on modern Western culture from a rarely visited perspective. My last film, A Sweetness of Lapse, won the special jury prize at the 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival.

I am the founder of The Juba Institute, a creative agency based in the Midwest. Named after the Jubba river in Somalia, I created the Institute to be an incubator of creativity to be fused into our client’s work. At Juba, we have grown to work with a collection of the most visionary directors, editors & graphics artists in the world. We are dedicated to serving our clients, while bringing our artistic journeys to the work.

Through Juba, I am in-development for my next film titled Another Land. It is a truly personal story of my Muslim heritage with a tinge of science fiction. Coming 2025.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Curiosity, Humor & Creativity are truly three of the most essential qualities in my life. Being a constant student of life and absorbing all the experiences into knowledge will be a marker of success of any field. I think society puts a lot of pressure on institutional knowledge and while important, it is not the end for learning. As an artist, my work is always a reflection of what i’ve learned. It fuels my interests and finds it’s way into my films. Recently, I read about the sculptor Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller, who is not a household name, but whose art & story inspired me on a great level. This made me seek out her work and working on incorporating it into my next film. I’m always appreciative of a sense of curiosity & open-mindedness to the world that can take you far.

Humor is an abstract concept that is occasionally hard to understand. Finding the funny in your life and not taking you’re self too seriously is a key to peace. Human beings are complex & confusing creatures who can get caught in the race of life easily. There is a power to standing back and laughing at the absurdity of life.

Creativity is integral to my story, but it’s impossible to find it’s source. I think creativity is like a muscle that needs to be exercised regularly. Any artist will tell you that exposing yourself to more creative outlets & works will fuse it into you. I’m constantly inspired by the films I am watching at the time of production. Through my journey in art, I think it’s important to see your work as a reflection of you at a time in your life. Your creative interests & expressions at any part of life should be remembered.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I’m always looking for creative collaborators in my work. At The Juba Institute, we not only work with businesses to fulfill creative needs, we foster artists at a critical time in their career. We are a place of support & funding for filmmakers at all stages to make the best work we can. To those interested in filmmaking, visit The Juba Institute to learn more about how we can help. Our artists help run the Institute as a creative agency that puts art first.

I recently went to the Art Institute of Chicago and while observing a display from the 10th, 12th, 15th centuries. Seeing them together made me think deeply on the importance of colloboration & style. I think style is less reflective of individual eye, but indicative of the collective aesthetic. 100 years from now, the individual artist might not be remembered, but the feelings of your community at the time. That’s why I think colloboration with those around you is essential.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

All Photos Taken by Bashir Aden

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