Mohamed Al-Daradji - MA Film and Moving Image Production

Mohamed Al-Daradji is a successful film director and has received nominations for Oscar and Golden Globe awards.

Mohamed studied our MA Film and Moving Image Production course (now MA Filmmaking) where he specialised in cinematography. It was during his time at Leeds Metropolitan that he directed his debut feature film 'Ahlaam' which was nominated for Oscar and Golden Globe Awards in 2007.

Mohamed’s second feature film, 'Son of Babylon' was shown at the world renowned Sundance, a key annual international festival for independent cinema, in January 2011. Mohamed was recently the subject of an interview in the Guardian. Guardian journalist Kate Connolly writes:

What is most remarkable about 'Son of Babylon' is that it was made at all. Filmed entirely on location in Iraq, its makers took the decision that if it was worth doing, the project had to be made in situ, in tribute to the war-torn land and its long-suffering citizens. "I had invitations to film it in Jordan and Morocco," says Al-Daradji. But, he says, "we were not just making a film. I was making it for my family, for Iraq, for a nation which exists, but has not yet been discovered by the outside world. Which exists, arguably, only because we've filmed here."

• Read the full article in the Guardian
• Find out more about our MA Filmmaking course
• See examples of our students’ work at our annual student showcases