Welcome to IN HER LENS In Conversation: Hundefreund. Hundefreund (a.k.a. Dogfriend) is a German short film currently making waves in the film festival circuit. Kickstarting this special series with an in-depth interview with the film's director Maissa Lihedheb. Maissa is a German-Tunisian director and founder of the Berlin-based platform BIPoC Film Society. In part 1 of her conversation with host Nadine, she shares about her journey into film and her thesis titled “Symbolic Annihilation in Mass Media and Its Effects on the Identity of First Generation Immigrants" Maissa breaks down how she met the film's co-producers Sailesh Naidu and Lamin Leroy Gibba, and about how Hundefreund took off during Covid-19 lockdowns. They talk about her inspirations for the film and about the creative team’s focus on assembling a crew that highlighted filmmakers of color in Germany. Hundefreund received its funding from the Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien (Federal Ministry of Art and Media of Germany) and is presented by BIPOC Film Society. Maissa Lihedheb is a film director based in Berlin, Germany. She is the founder of BIPoC Film Society. You can check out her work on her website www.maissalihedheb.com and she is currently fundraising for her attendance & admission to the prestigious NYU Masters in Film this fall. Please visit her GoFundMe to read more about her story and donate! Nadine Reumer is a Dutch actress and podcaster based between Amsterdam and New York City. For further information on her work & to get in contact, visit her website: www.nadinereumer.com This is part 1 of 2. You can follow the podcast @inherlenspodcast and the film @hundefreund.film on Instagram. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.