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The many lives of Amin Baahmed, starting with his breakout role as Dante Annunziata in Drive – The Pretenders
INTERVIEW Olive Walton
WORDS Eli Peng
Interview taken from IMAGINE Magazine Issue Three Pre Order here
One day he’s breakdancing in front of Big Ben. The next, he’s dressed up, all dapper, to educate us on the storytelling impact of anime across cultures. It’s hard to pin down actor-dancer-model-journalist Amin Baahmed, but that’s rather the point with debut actors, before the world has had its first real look.
Despite a mysterious and brooding demeanour, what has been easy to identify in Baahmed is a measured thoughtfulness. Talking about his breakout role in Drive – The Pretenders, he reflects on a depth and complexity in Dante that took him somewhere unexpected.
Only time will tell who Baahmed really is. Until then, his own words will have to do… We eagerly await his performance as it reveals yet another dimension to this kaleidoscopic man.
Olive Walton: What was your reaction when you found out you’d be playing Dante Annunziata?
Amin Baahmed: Tearing up. I remember exactly where I was at that moment: I took a shower at the Airbnb in London, then got the call so I interrupted the proceeding to take the call. I thought it was just gonna be another round for the casting. But the call turned out to be a video call with both the director Sergej Moya and producer Karsten Gunther saying “Hey Amin, we would like to shoot a movie with you”. Then I couldn’t hold it. Until the last moment I always thought “Okay, there might be another round,“ but I never dreamed about getting the actual role in the end, especially considering that it was gonna be my first one. Honestly, I feel like I can still not really put into words how grateful I am for this chance I have been given. I just promised the two of them that I was gonna give this movie everything I got from the bottom of my heart.
OW: Talk to me about the emotional journey Dante goes through over the course of the film?
AB: Dante is haunted by a terrible incident that killed the light in his soul, torn between the urge to destroy himself and his will to keep faithful to his ambitions. All of a sudden, a new light comes into his life. He first rebels against it, fearful of losing something that he has let too close to his heart once more. To feel again he has to risk being hurt, severely. Will he go for the leap? I guess we’ll have to find out.
OW: The film was shot across Prague, Frankfurt, the Amalfi Coast and several racing circuits. What was your favourite location to film in, and do you have a favourite memory from the shoot?
AB: Oh yeah, one thing that immediately came to mind is a cute little place close to the port in Sorrento, Italy, with loads of tiny fish restaurants. We were shooting there on my very last day on set and I was lucky to wrap up my journey there. On top of that I learned that some stairs we had been shooting a scene at have also been part of “Equalizer“. So I was like: “Damn, I walked the same stairs as Denzel Washington. These shoes won’t ever see another doormat again.”
“I never dreamed about getting the actual role in the end, especially considering that it was gonna be my first one”
OW: Motorsport plays a central role in the story. Did you have to undergo any special training or preparation for the role?
AB: Sure did. Months before the shoot we would visit GT races at places like Nürburgring where the team of Mercedes AMG and Winward kindly showed us loads of valuable information about the sport, culture and tradition of racing. Beyond that I of course made my own research, watched all the documentaries there are on racing and got myself a Playstation 5 plus racing emulators to get a better feeling for the proceedings during a race before we would actually shoot on track. I was kind of struggling with the controls at first, since I have not touched video games in quite some time but eventually I wrapped my head around it. Finally, of course during production we had the privilege to be in touch with actual GT drivers such as Gabriela Jílkova, who had always been open for every question I had about the sport.
OW: You’ve worked as an actor, journalist, model and dancer. How do these different disciplines influence your creative work?
AB: Good question. I feel like these different occupations help me to tackle creative tasks from different viewing angles. Each of these disciplines taught me different skills that come in handy for different work and fertilize each other rather than standing in each other’s ways. Ultimately, I feel grateful to be able to find so many channels to articulate thoughts and feelings. Not only my own, sometimes I even get the chance to help others express themselves. The only problem I have at times is to schedule the different projects, which unfortunately interfere with each other more often than not.
OW: You appeared as a speaker at re:publica last year, exploring how anime can provide a sense of belonging for people with migrant backgrounds. What inspired that topic and why do you think those stories resonate so deeply across cultures?
AB: Ohhmagat! I did not expect to talk about anime here but will always use the chance to do so! To put it shortly: Anime tells universal stories about emancipation from underprivileged circumstances. They show that it´s okay to fail, feel hurt and lay on the ground for some time but that you always have a reason to get up again and can achieve much more than others might make you feel like you can. And above all, that you are not alone. That´s why so many people around the planet hold these stories so dear to their hearts, myself included 🙂
OW: You also work as a reporter for the youth media network Bremen NEXT and COSMO and you are part of the podcast, Parallel Dazu, where you engage with social issues. How important is it for you to use your platform beyond entertainment?
AB: I won’t say that people with platforms are obliged to make use of it. Especially as quite a few people with bigger platforms don´t even have so many nice things to say. But I do think that it can be a beautiful thing to raise attention to topics or people that might otherwise not be heard as much. Ideally in a way that lets the ones, who are actually affected by the issue, talk themselves. But yeah, sometimes it feels like pro-democratic and empathetic voices are heard less than others. Trying to put the volume up a little on their side won’t hurt, I guess.
“Anime tells universal stories about emancipation from underprivileged circumstances. They show that it´s okay to fail, feel hurt and lay on the ground for some time but that you always have a reason to get up again”
OW: Where do you stand on the idea of separating art from the artist?
AB: I think it can be quite interesting to combine knowledge about the artist with the art for deeper or alternate understandings of the actual piece of art, whether music, film, dance or whatever else. I mean, that´s kind of why this interview exist as well, doesn’t it? At the same time, I am of the opinion that art also needs to resonate with the recipient independently from the artist. If not, I would rather consider it a product or service than actual art. However, when an artist crosses non-negotiable ethical boundaries, we as an audience need to reflect upon our consumption of that person’s art, as attention equals platform.
OW: You move between journalism and acting, two professions that tell stories in very different ways. What has each taught you about empathy and understanding people?
AB: From journalism I learned that everybody, and I sincerely believe everybody, has a story to tell, if you are willing to really listen sincerely. And in acting, especially as you work on a character, you learn time and time again that what you see on the surface or and hear in the words is never literally what is really going on inside. Our communication can be hesitant, dishonest, ambiguous, overwhelmed and so on. You never really know what is really going on inside another person’s mind. That makes it complex and interesting but also why we get into fights. Makes me notice how often I forget about these things in my own life.
OW: Looking ahead, what do you hope to achieve in your career, both professionally and personally?
AB: Man, I just hope to do art as much as possible. Hopefully in ways that resonate with some people and maybe even inspire somebody someday. And on top of that: I have been uplifted by people, who gave me a chance. I hope to also one day be in the position when I can uplift others as well. That would be great!
Drive – The Pretenders will release later this year.
