Balancing familial expectations with the desire to live life on their own terms is a relatable struggle that many young adults feel as they search for their place in society. The challenge is amplified when language plays a significant role in shaping their identity. That theme is highlighted in the equally humorous and emotional new dramedy, ‘My Uncle Jens.’

The Norwegian/Romanian film, which is presented in Norwegian and Kurdish with English subtitles, highlighting the power that comes with mastering a new language and the intricacies of translation, particularly when associated with migration. The movie acknowledges the struggles many people face when moving to a different country, while also embracing the inherent comedy found in even the most dramatic circumstances.

Brwa Vahabpour, who grew up in Norway but is of Kurdish background, made his feature film debut on ‘My Uncle Jens.’ He also wrote the script for the dramedy, which stars Peiman Azizpour and Hamza Agoshi, after penning and helming several short films.

‘My Uncle Jens’ follows Akam (Azizpour), a young literature teacher as he lives a peaceful life in Oslo. His serenity is interrupted, however, when his estranged uncle, Khdr (Agosh), from the Iranian part of Kurdistan, comes for a surprise visit. Despite limited space in his shared flat with friends, Akam feels obligated to invite his uncle to stay for a few days.

However, his uncle quickly makes himself at home and shows no sign of leaving anytime soon. Torn between his sense of familial duty and growing tension in the flat, Akam begins to suspect there’s more to his uncle’s visit than just a casual trip. What follows is a series of revelations and unexpected events that could have life changing consequences for them both.

‘My Uncle Jens’had its World Premiere in the Narrative Feature Competition, which was presented by Kickstarter, at last month’s SXSW. In honor of the film’s premiere, Vahabpour and Azizpour generously took the time the morning after the project’s initial screening at the festival to sit down for an exclusive interview at the Stephen F. Austin Royal Sonesta Hotel to talk about making the feature.

Film Factual (FF): Brwa, you wrote the script for the new dramedy, ‘My Uncle Jens.’ What was the inspiration in penning the screenplay for the film? How did you approach creating the story?

Brwa Vahabpour (BV): I started working on the script about four years ago. I was working on a different, much bigger project, both in scale and budget. But I felt like I needed to start on a smaller, more intimate film with only a few characters and a smaller space.

I recalled some situations with my family members from Kurdistan. I grew up in Norway, but I have a lot of relatives who live in Kurdistan, who I hadn’t spoken to in many years.

It wasn’t the case that I couldn’t speak to them – they were just a phone call away; it was because I had complexes with my language. I didn’t feel comfortable speaking the Kurdish language.

So that was the basis for this character, Akam, who also grew up in Norway and has family outside of Norway. He’s also someone who struggles with the Kurdish language.

I thought about what would be the worst thing that could happen to a character like that. I decided that it would be a distant, strange relative coming on a surprise visit, and then seeing what happens from there. So that’s how the project started.

FF: Peiman, you play Akam in the movie. How did you become attached to star in the dramedy? What was it about the character and overall script that convinced you to take on the role?

Peiman Azizpour (PA): I meet Brwa about a year-and-a-half before we began shooting the movie. He showed me his short films. He also told me about the Akam character and his story, and I found it to be very interesting.

I was drawn to all the things he just spoke about – how you’re influenced by language, culture and identity when you come from one country and then move to another country. Everything is new, especially the language and culture, but you want to fit in.

Language is so important, especially the Kurdish language, which has been suppressed for so many years. So I think it’s important to remind people to hold onto their native language.

FF: Brwa, besides scribing the script, you also made your feature film directorial debut on the project. How did you approach helming the movie?

BV: It’s a big leap from making short films to a feature film. But I was fortunate in 2020 to be able to direct some episodes of a TV series in Norway. It’s been a common thing for my generation to start by directing a TV series before you go on to direct a feature. I think that’s very good training to have before you go on to direct a feature.

So I had the experience of working with a bigger crew and having more days to work. We only had 23 days to shoot this film, but after a few days, you feel like, okay, this is a job, and you have to get up and go to work. With a short film, it doesn’t feel like that way, as you cram everything into a few days.

I also work as an editor. That helped me realize that the best way to think about the story is different in a feature than in a short. You have to keep an audience’s interest for a longer time in a feature. I don’t know if that’s more difficult than in a short film, but it’s at least different.

FF: What was the casting process like for the rest of the dramedy?

BV: For the uncle, the character was actually written for (Agoshi). I had known him from before we made this film, as we had worked together on a couple of short films. So I knew he was going to play the uncle. He’s not a trained actor, but he has experience in directing theater, music and writing, so he has an artistic feeling inside of him.

For the main character of Akam, we had a longer casting process. But before we started that process, I actually took Peiman in for casting because I had a feeling that it was going to be him.

But we didn’t know each other that well as we hadn’t worked together before. So we had to turn over all the rocks to find the right actor.

PA: And he did!

BV: When we did that, it was a process to find out that my initial feeling was right – Peiman was the right person for the role.

For the other actors, we had a regular casting process. For the Kurdish people in the café, who are the friends of the uncle, we had a process of looking into the Kurdish community. So they’re first-time actors who have the same experiences as the characters in the film. Since they’re first-time actors, I had to work with them differently.

But it was very rewarding. I have worked with first-time actors before, so it was a great experience.

FF: How did you approach working with the other actors once they signed on to star in ‘My Uncle Jens’ to build the characters and story together?

BV: I had to adapt a little bit because Peiman’s a trained actor, as are many of the other actors, including Sarah Francesca Brænne, who played Elina. But the others, like the uncle and his friends, aren’t trained actors, so I had to cater to different needs. That was a bit challenging, but I found it to be very rewarding when I worked with them. What do you think, Peiman?

PA: Yes, like you said, it was different to work with each of them. Like Brwa said, Hamza isn’t a trained actor, but he’s really good, and we quickly learned how to work through the scenes together. It was very fun.

It was also a bit challenging at times to work with the actors who weren’t as experienced. But when you have a great director like Brwa, who knows how to tell me how to get what he wants, made the shoot very easy. It was interesting to see how he could work.

We had very good people around us, including Renée (Hansen), who was the producer. She was on set with us all the time, helping us whenever we needed it. Like Brwa said, we shot the movie in 23 days, so we had to work quickly to get everything done, and Renée helped us with that.

BV: I also have to support what he’s saying about our producer, Renée. She really catered to our needs, including me catering to the different actors’ needs. Production-wise, it was a very safe space to work.

PA: This project really means a lot to me. When I first spoke to Brwa, he told me all these things about the story and how much it means to him. So it was also important to me to bring this story to the screen, as it’s our language and culture.

FF: Brwa, earlier you mentioned working as an editor. How did you approach putting the final version of ‘My Uncle Jens’ together with its editors, Brynjar Lien Aune and Cătălin Cristuțiu?

BV: Yes, I worked closely with the two editors, Brynjar Lien Aune, who I have worked with before, and Cătălin Cristuțiu, who’s Romanian. I’m very inspired by Romanian cinema, and one of the biggest inspirations for this film is a Romanian film called ‘California Dreamin’ from 2007. Cătălin was actually the editor on that film, as well. He had time to help us out on this film, so I’m lucky to have worked with him, as well as with Brynjar.

But we had a challenge with the language because the film is 50/50 in Norwegian and Kurdish. One of my editors is Norwegian, and the other one is neither Norwegian or Kurdish. Meanwhile, I’m both Norwegian or Kurdish.

So it was a big collaboration to find the best takes and how to edit the film. It’s a good thing to have editors who don’t speakthe languages because they can see things from a different perspective, which give the scenes a different rhythm.

FF: ‘My Uncle Jens’ (had) its World Premiere in the Narrative Feature Competition at this year’s SXSW. What does it mean to you both that the film (played) at the festival?

BV: We had our premiere (the day before the interview), and I must say, I think it was a great experience. I was a bit worried about the language – not only the Norwegian language, but also the Kurdish language, but also the fact that they’re switching between languages.

I was worried that something would be lost in translation, but it was quite the contrary. From what I heard from the reactions in the theater, people were laughing and invested in every twist and turn. The questions we got afterward were amazing. So I really had a good experience.

PA: Yes, I agree – I loved it. It was an amazing experience. It’s my first time in the U.S., so it (was) a great feeling to be (there) at this big festival.

It was amazing to see the audience, who didn’t understand any of the words that were being spoken, still get the point. Like Brwa said, the questions we got from the audience afterward were also amazing. I (loved) the atmosphere (at the festival). So I hope to (go) back again someday!