Yasmin Bakhtiari [Interview]

Hello Folks! Today we are sharing some wonderful responses from an artist on the rise. It’s Yasmin Bakhtiari! Yasmin is the star, writer, and producer of the scary AF film released earlier this year entitled Evil Little Things. I truly loved the film in ways that I was not expecting. By concept alone, I was simply expecting to have some fun with a somewhat silly horror film about dolls. Well hot damn if I wasn’t completely wrong, and left the viewing more compelled and full of fear than anything else.

Evil Little Things is great, and Yasmin shines in it. We are very honored to have her featured on the site today to tell us a bit about the film and what the future holds for her. So Folks, please enjoy some wonderful words from the great Yasmin Bakhtiari!

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What initially drove you to the world of entertainment? Was it something you have wanted to do since your youth, or did you happen to find yourself in this world one day?

I’ve always been fascinated with the world of entertainment, even as a child. I put myself in this world through writing stories and wanting to see them on film.

What was your very first paid gig in the world of entertainment? And were there any sort of lessons learned from this experience that still impacts your work today?

My first foray into the world of film was writing and producing Evil Little Things. Everything in life is a learning experience. I’ve certainly learned many things in this experience. The most memorable are the friendships I made. Starting out in the world of fiction story-telling, script writing and movie making is very different, just as challenging and just as intriguing. I love all aspects of this world.

If you were handed the opportunity, to star in the biopic of any legendary figure in world history, who would it be?

I love historical stories. I find all European history interesting, and I feel Queen Elizabeth the first one of the most intriguing characters in history. Strong, independent and regal with a sharp wit as well as a sharp sense of humor, she held on to her empire and kept the upper hand in her life and her monarchy as a woman in a man’s world. However, being an Iranian American I certainly wouldn’t want to star as Queen Elizabeth I, I would have to find something more along the lines of an Iranian version of Fiddler on the Roof.

What else does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to plug to our readers?

I plan to keep writing and making movies. Making Evil Little Things was like a catharsis for me. It was therapeutic. All my childhood fears of talking dolls, scary movies and Twilight Zone episodes wrapped into one meatball. I love hearing other writers talk about “What inspired them” to write certain stories, especially Stephen King. He wrote little scenarios at the end of his book Skeleton Crew, a collection of some of his best short stories. I will never forget what inspired him to write some of his stories as long as I live. I, too, have vivid reasons for writing the original stories of Evil Little Things, all based on childhood fears of dolls and Twilight Zone episodes.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

I thought my answer of my life being an Iranian version of Fiddler on the Roof was funny. My sisters and my brother and I laugh quite a bit, especially reminiscing on our childhood immigrant stories and what scared us.  Memories of working with Matt Green the director of Evil Little Things, and my co-writer, Nancy Knight, actually the entire cast and crew, our fun memories and how hard we worked always makes me smile.