Meet Kadir Mayel

We were lucky to catch up with Kadir Mayel recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kadir , appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

My resilience comes from the journey that shaped who I am today. I was born in Syria, but the war forced me to leave everything I knew behind. At just 18 years old, I had to flee my home, stepping into a world of uncertainty and survival. I spent two years as an illegal immigrant in Turkey, facing daily challenges to save enough money to reunite with my family in Sweden.

But the defining moment of my resilience was the journey I took on foot—a grueling three-month walk from Greece to Sweden. I didn’t know if I would make it. Along the way, I documented everything, not just as a record of my struggle but as proof that I existed, that I fought to survive. Those moments—when I was alone, hungry, afraid and homeless—taught me that the only way forward is to keep moving, no matter how impossible the path may seem.

Resilience, for me, isn’t about being unbreakable; it’s about rebuilding after being broken. It’s about learning to adapt when life strips you of everything and still finding the strength to chase a future. This journey not only helped me survive but gave me the determination to thrive. It’s why I approach every challenge, big or small, with the belief that if I could survive that journey, I can overcome anything.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a filmmaker, storyteller, and visual artist, with a journey that began far from where I am today. My story is one of resilience and reinvention. I was born in Syria and, like many, had to leave my home due to the war. My path to where I am now was anything but conventional—I spent years as a refugee, navigating life as an illegal immigrant in Turkey, and eventually walking for three months to Sweden. That journey didn’t just shape who I am; it gave me a deep understanding of the human experience, one that fuels my passion for storytelling.

Professionally, my work focuses on exploring themes of ambition, envy, and identity—particularly what happens when identity becomes too closely tied to external validation. This theme resonates deeply with my own experiences. When I fled Syria, I lost everything—my home, my documents, even my sense of self. Without a passport or any form of ID, I felt like my identity had been erased, forcing me to rebuild who I was from the ground up. That experience has profoundly influenced how I tell stories—always searching for the emotional truths beneath the surface.

In my recent work, including The Painting and Employee of the Year, I explore characters grappling with ambition and self-worth. Both films reflect my fascination with how individuals navigate internal struggles in environments that challenge their sense of self. My style combines strong visual storytelling with psychological depth, focusing on the universal yet deeply personal conflicts that define us.

What’s New and Exciting? The Painting marks an evolution in my storytelling style, and I’m excited to bring that energy into future projects. While I don’t want to reveal too much about the film, it’s a story that builds on my core themes while pushing my visual and emotional storytelling to new heights. I’m currently developing concepts that continue to explore the fragility of identity, as well as larger-scale projects that reflect my passion for human stories.

My Vision My goal as a filmmaker is to create work that challenges, inspires, and connects. I believe in the power of storytelling to evoke empathy and self-reflection, and my aim is to craft narratives that linger with audiences long after they’ve watched. By drawing on my own experiences and infusing them into my art, I hope to create films that not only entertain but also remind people of the beauty and resilience of the human spirit.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1-Resilience:
Resilience has been at the core of everything I’ve achieved. I always knew I wanted to move to Los Angeles and become a filmmaker, but when I shared that dream, people would laugh. It seemed impossible—especially since I didn’t even have a passport being from a war torn country. I couldn’t get into a club, let alone move to the United States. But I believed in myself, and I understood that as long as I didn’t give up, I hadn’t failed. The journey to make it here took almost 10 years, and while it wasn’t easy, I never stopped working toward my goal.
Advice: Resilience isn’t about never facing setbacks—it’s about refusing to let those setbacks define your path. For anyone starting out, focus on persistence. Keep your eyes on your ultimate goal, and don’t let temporary obstacles make you lose sight of what you’re working toward.

2-Adaptability:
On my journey, I had to adapt constantly. My first job ever was in a shoe factory in Turkey, where people laughed when I said I wanted to go to the US. From there, I took on many different jobs, but my longest role was as a tour guide in Istanbul. Speaking four languages fluently gave me access to the world through tourists visiting from different cultures. That experience not only improved my social skills but also taught me how to connect with people, understand their stories, and adapt to all kinds of situations. Later, in Sweden, I studied engineering, which strengthened my problem-solving skills—a trait I already had as an illegal immigrant and a refugee, where even the simplest tasks could become so challenging.
Advice: Learn to embrace change. Every job, every experience, no matter how unrelated it may seem, is an opportunity to grow. Build skills that will serve you in the long run, and stay open to learning from unexpected sources.

3-Problem-Solving:
Because of my journey I had to learn to solve problems on the go. Whether it was finding ways to navigate life without documentation or figuring out how to save money while pursuing my dreams, I was always thinking creatively to overcome challenges.
Later, my engineering background helped refine this skill even more. Today, I apply that problem-solving mentality to everything I do—whether it’s storytelling, filmmaking, or navigating complex situations on set.
Advice: Problem-solving is a skill you can develop by breaking big challenges into smaller, manageable steps. Practice thinking critically, staying calm under pressure, and finding creative solutions. It’s a skill that will serve you in any field or life situation.

The most important lesson I’ve learned is that success comes from consistency and belief in yourself. No matter where you start or how many people doubt you, what matters is that you keep moving forward. Every decision I made was guided by my ultimate goal of becoming a filmmaker in Los Angeles, and by staying focused and resilient, I was able to make it happen. To those early in their journey: Never underestimate the power of perseverance and the value of every experience, no matter how small it may seem

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed, I remind myself of one simple truth: I’ve overcome far worse. When I was working in Turkey, earning barely enough in a shoe factory, and telling people I was going to move to the U.S. and become a filmmaker, they laughed. And honestly, in that moment of my life, they were right—I couldn’t move to the U.S. yet. But I knew that with time and solving one problem at a time, I would achieve my goal. I didn’t listen to what they were saying because I had a plan, and I knew it required patience.

Patience wasn’t something that came naturally to me—I wasn’t always the most patient person as a teenager. But that period of my life taught me that slow and steady truly wins the race. Focusing on small steps, like learning new skills, saving money, planing my journey to go to Sweden and from there to LA. eventually brought me closer to my goal, even if it felt far away at the time.

When I feel stuck now, I use the same approach. I break things down into smaller, manageable tasks. Instead of letting the big picture paralyze me, I focus on the next thing I can do. This mindset comes from my experiences as an immigrant, where every day was about solving a new problem—whether it was navigating life without an ID, finding shelter, or learning new languages. Those challenges taught me how to prioritize, adapt, and trust the process.

Advice: Overwhelm is temporary, but progress is permanent, even if it’s slow. Start by asking yourself: “What’s the next small thing I can do right now?” Focusing on incremental steps, staying patient, and trusting your long-term plan will carry you through. Remember, slow and steady really does win the race.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kadir.mayel/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kadir-mayel-65836216a/

Image Credits

Vedant Dave

Ritika Telang

Rytham Singla

John Soto

Gabriel Acosta