Adeel Alam is an Arab-American trying to carve out a place in the semi-pro wrestling world … by adopting a terrorist persona in the ring.

Filmmaker Q&A

Introduce yourself:
I’m Ben Kegan. I just graduated from Whitman College, a small liberal arts college in Walla Walla, WA. While in school I’ve made various short films (both documentary and narrative) as well as a television pilot and a dramatic web series. In addition to film I performed in a long form improv comedy troupe and wrote short stories for our campus literary magazine.

What inspired this film?   How did you find your subjects?
TEAM TALIBAN was the result of a recent fascination with professional wrestling. I didn’t grow up watching pro-wrestling. I think that outsider perspective actually helped me while making the film. I got involved with wrestling after two things happened. First, I got turned down for a film internship, and then I read Roland Barthes essay “The World of Wrestling”. After reading Barthes I became fascinated with wrestling as a performative mode of entertainment. I wanted to explore the gap between performing a show and creating a reality through the use of spectacle. Without an internship my summer was wide open, so I decided to make a film. I spent three months traveling the independent pro-wrestling circuit. During this time I met Adeel, the focus of the film.

What were some of the biggest challenges/surprises?
I didn’t realize how physically exhausting it would be to film wrestling matches. Wrestlers have a tendency to fly out of the ring, so I was constantly ducking out of the way. There were a few close calls, but no chairs or tables ever hit me. So that’s good. The biggest surprise was how nice and laid back most wrestlers were. It’s easy to have an image of pro-wresters as supper aggressive due to the roles they play, but the truth is most wrestlers are calm and pretty quiet. They’re just professionals trying to make it in a career choice that’s a little out of the norm.

Who are some of your favorite filmmakers?
I admire filmmakers who constantly push themselves in new directions with each film. I think Jonathan Demme is great in this regard. He seems to move effortlessly between documentary and narrative, letting each influence the other. THE AGRONOMIST is an amazing doc, and RACHEL GETTING MARRIED is one of the best films I’ve seen all year. Werner Herzog also falls into this category for me. GRIZZLY MAN was such a beautiful and sad film. Pretty much anything Nanette Burstein has worked on is amazing. I loved AMEIRCAN TEEN. It was like “The Hills,” only intelligent.

What is your all time favorite documentary?
F FOR FAKE. It’s the best doc ever made. Fact.

What other projects are in the pipeline?
Just launched a dramatic web-series called DRY CREEK. It’s a deconstructed western set in Eastern Washington. Am I allowed to plug a non doc project? Check it out at www.DryCreekSeries.com

Why did you become a filmmaker?
I love filmmaking because of how exhausting it is. It demands everything, and that intensity is very appealing to me. It’s such an intimate form of expression, yet that intimacy is dependent on extensive collaboration. It’s how I can express myself, and a way to understand the world. If I could sing that would probably be easier, but I can’t.

What are some of your creative influences?
Ira Glass has been a huge influence. I guess he isn’t necessarily a “filmmaker,” but he’s one of the best storytellers I can think of. He wrote this thing called the “Storytelling Manifesto” which has so much good information in it. He talks about the need to fight tooth and nail against mediocrity in art. I believe in that. I also have a This American Life comic book. It’s probably the geekiest thing I own.

Did you go to film school?
I went to Whitman College, which is a liberal arts school. I majored in film though, so I was able to approach it from a theoretical and historical side, while making several films along the way.

What do you shoot on?
I shot on MiniDV, using a Canon XL2. It was the best camera I could afford at the time, and while it isn’t HD I’m pleased with the results.

What has been the most unexpected thing to happen since taking the film on the festival circuit?
Hearing stories from people who grew up on wrestling. The best are fans from wrestling’s golden years. During those days wrestling was divided into territories. Back then it was less exposed and carried a weight and mystery that isn’t quite as present today. Also, launching into long discussions with audience members after the film. I love that.

Why did you want to screen your film at SILVERDOCS?
Doc filmmakers are awesome. Doc films are awesome. People who like docs are awesome, so why not go to a festival that combines all of these things?