“Cinema in its purest form is something that transcends photography, design and structured narrative.” Thus begins the conversation with Saddiq Abubakar, who gives us his personal interpretation on cinema. Son of Nigerian immigrants in the United States, he inherits this vocation from his father, an avid television technician and archivist who loved to record everything and who took him to the movies at least twice a week. According to Abubakar, his videos are nothing more than his visual representation of an inner need. In his work he seeks a transcendental experience that leads him to understand things with greater clarity and spiritual insight, a peculiarity that is certainly shone in the music video for Laura Misch’s Hide to Seek. Based in London, Abubakar has recently signed the Versace Jeans Couture Fall-Winter 2023 video. The interview.
What are your cinematic references?
As of late I would say my own dreams, and the sub genre of “slow cinema”. I really love the films by people like Robert Bresson, Michael Haneke, Carlos Reygadas, André Tarkovsky, Hiroshi Teshigahara and Yasijiro Ozu. Cinema in its purest form is something that transcends photography, design, and structured narrative. Cinema uses these elements of course, but it is more potent and nebulous. I’m attempting to reference anything that makes me say “that can only exist as cinema, nothing else.”
When did you first come into contact with cinema and how?
That credit goes to my dad who is constantly watching films and has been doing so since I can remember. He used to work as a cable man and would hack the cable hookups to our house giving us all the pay per view channels with all the newer films that just left cinemas. He was an avid archivist and would tape everything, stacks of vhs tapes, classic films, westerns, wrestle mania, the Tour de France, US open etc. He would also take us to the cinema twice a week and we would watch anywhere between two to four films before we would leave. Back when you could do that sort of thing without getting caught. My love and borderline obsession with films is definitely inherited from my father.
Frames from Twin Flame by Saddiq Abubakar, 2022
What setup do you usually work with? How decisive is the camera you use?
I don’t think I’ve ever worked with the same setup twice. I’m a photographer as well so I’m constantly preoccupied with what looks new and what looks different. What does this particular project need? How do I represent that visually? Experimentation I would say is the only constant in my approach.
How does your work begins, what are the creative processes that lead you to its realization?
My personal work is usually ignited by a need to navigate some kind of transcendental occurrence. Whether it’s a dream I had or a feeling from looking at the night sky. This cinematic longing could come from trauma, beauty, a period in my life or someone else’s that brought greater clarity and spiritual understanding. The biggest challenge is to remain open and sensitive to these heightened moments in the everyday so that they don’t pass me by. I am also very obsessive and quite introverted (though I don’t think I always seem it) I get lost in research and experimentation. If I’m making a film about a heist I will watch every film available about heists, read books, look at pictures, drawings, talk to someone who has robbed a bank. I would rob a bank myself! (He laughs) I’m joking but you get what I mean. As far as the practical steps of realizing my work, it varies from project to project. Most of my work is either partially or entirely self-funded and produced. This requires a lot of stamina and passion. Both attributes which I believe act as a filter when choosing what to work on next. “How obsessed am I with this?” “Am I willing to trade years of my life for minutes of this story on the screen?” “Can I handle talking, thinking and living through this story that may end up as nothing more than a hard drive on my desk?”
Architecture is the supreme tool for ideological expression on a mass scale. It has been used to inspire, oppress, indoctrinate, imprison and liberate not only human bodies but human minds. It is cultural, spiritual, political and recreational. It symbolizes what it means to be alive and sentient.
Frames from The modern madame by Saddiq Abubakar, 2022
Can you tell us how Laura Misch’s video Hide to Seek was born?
My partner Ella was shooting the cover for Laura Misch’s album “Sample the sky” and she told me one night that she really thought there was a strange kinship between Laura’s music and my sensibility as a filmmaker. “You should shoot a music video for her” she said. I listened to her album before and had a dream that she was playing saxophone and ascending into the cool gradient sky. When I met Laura I embarrassingly told her “hey I had a dream about you last night” anyway, long story short, that’s how Hide to Seek was born.
In your works we notice a certain interest in architecture. How do you choose your locations and how do you integrate them into your image flow?
For me architecture is the supreme tool for ideological expression on a mass scale. Architecture has been used to inspire, oppress, indoctrinate, imprison and liberate not only human bodies but human minds. It is cultural, spiritual, political and recreational. It symbolizes what it means to be alive and sentient. If I think hard about it maybe my time in Mecca inspired my love for architecture. Seeing these immaculate ten-story high marble pillars molded with the most intricately beautiful geometric patterns must have had an effect on me. Seeing this black stone believed by many to be a meteor covered in pure silk and threaded in 24k gold threads might have subconsciously infused in me the understanding of architecture’s power and context. Architecture is the way we see ourselves, and assign meaning to our existence. It is a container of many emotions and ideas. In my work I see architecture as a collaborative partner. I think about emotion, juxtaposition hierarchy scale and zeitgeist relevance. Is there a space, building, structure or sculpture that encapsulates this feeling? Even if the intended purpose of the building is something else, does it generate the feeling or perpetuate the narrative that I’m interested in exploring?
Growing up religious creates a heightened sense of reality it crystallizes you into a constant state of magical realism
What is your relationship with Africa and how do you see this continent within the contemporary artistic panorama?
Well I’m African American in the most literal sense. Both of my parents are Nigerian immigrants. This is a tough question to answer as I do have an aesthetic interest in the African diaspora but mostly my interests are more specific to Hausa And Fulani people (tribes of my parents) whom I see little to no representation of in art or media. Africa as a continent is immensely diverse. Perhaps the most diverse continent. To try to give an answer to your question I see a superficial fetishized and almost zoological relationship with Africa from the artistic western centric world. It looks cool to photograph dark skin now and make people look darker than they actually are. I find it in some ways to be a more aesthetic and covert kind of minstrelsy. I’m more interested in the specificity of tradition and way of life of the tribes my parents come from, which is a whole world in itself. I feel an obligation to bring this world into the western sphere. I don’t want to show Africans surfing or doing ballet. I want to show the new traditions and philosophical viewpoints from my people.
There is a strong spiritual connotation in your videos, what role does religion have in your projects?
I was raised muslim. My worldview is either an Islamic one refracted by my western upbringing or vice versa. I don’t like to dwell on it too much. I am stuck between two polarities. The sustaining element is spiritually. I think growing up religious creates a heightened sense of reality. It crystallizes you into a constant state of magical realism. My grandmother used to tell me stories of Al jinn. Supernatural beings made of fire that dwell in the darkness that we can’t see. God, satan, angels, demons. When your existence is shaped by the unseen you can’t help but be spiritual and I think that has had a huge effect on my work. I want to make tangible that which can only be dreamt and imagined. I believe that’s the biggest metaphor for cinema itself.
In your series “Sherifai” there is a shot that tells of an Islamic prayer. In your opinion, could Islam be a source of inspiration for Western directors too?
I think Islam is beautiful. Contrary to the modern belief, Islam is a religion of peace and harmony. It’s rooted in philosophy and the poetry of life. I think western people do take inspiration from Islam without knowing. Ever read Rumi? Islam is a large blanket with many sections and I believe there’s something there for everyone if you’re open to it. I’m not saying hey become Muslim and pray five times a day. But maybe this line here or this idea there could speak to your soul.
