Testimonials
Testimonials from the EFS Film School Experience
Concept:
The EFS Film School, led by the filmmaker Rouzbeh Rashidi, offers a transformative educational experience that challenges conventional approaches to cinema. These testimonials from past students and alumni highlight the impact of Rashidi’s teaching and emphasize the school’s commitment to fostering creativity, collaboration, and personal growth. The following themes and quotes encapsulate the essence of the EFS Film School experience.
Theme 1: A Transformative Journey in Filmmaking
Many students reflect on the deeply personal and artistic transformation they experienced during their time at EFS Film School. Rashidi’s unique approach to filmmaking and teaching encourages students to explore new perspectives and challenge their creative boundaries.
• “I cannot recommend this enough. Those five days with Rouzbeh Rashidi taught me so much about who I am, not only as an artist but also as a person. This is for whoever wants to expand the way they think of cinema in a radical way and explore a more personal guttural kind of filmmaking.” - Aida Berisha
• “I’ll come back to this comment section once I find the words to describe this experience. Thank you so much, RR, for such a transformative week. It will not be forgotten!” - Aida Berisha
• “It was a consciousness and sensory expanding week, thank you, Rouzbeh Rashidi.” - Meijuan Foo
• “Thank you, Rouzbeh Rashidi, for your experimental calm and inspiring teaching.” - Guido Pontani
• “For the last six weeks, I have participated in the Experimental and Personal Filmmaking course by Rouzbeh Rashidi. Each session was interesting as it is expanding one’s mind, consciousness and vision. Filmmaking is living, and the most important films are the ones we are not making, according to Rouzbeh. It was overall very satisfying to listen to Rouzbeh and to hear his thoughts about experimental and personal filmmaking. I have seen so many experimental films in the last weeks, and it is exciting and frightening at the same time. It is the fear and excitement of not knowing what you will see, hear or experience. It is thrilling to realize how one’s experience of perceiving the movie is so personal with all senses. As Rouzbeh states, filmmaking is like living, or living is filmmaking. The philosophy and depths are endless and limitless. Infinity of creation, deleting pressure and exploration of the senses.” - Eline Farideh Koning
Theme 2: Creative Collaboration and Shared Vision
The EFS Film School is not just about learning; it’s about creating a community of like-minded artists who inspire and support each other. Students frequently mention the importance of collaboration and the powerful connections they made during the course.
• “It really was a switch-in-brain-path new-lens-on-making portal-to-majik-plane sort of experience for me; I still come back to my notes often when I am working on new films or making them up in my head. I deeply appreciated your teaching style and was very affected by your devotion to the act of film, the concepts of collaborating behind its making, and the spaces you helped to create for conversation, discussion, and most importantly, sharing.” - Holly Mia
• “Such an inspiring experience, thanks Rouzbeh; glad to have this shared experience and made friends along the way.” - TAM
• “Thank you for your thoughtful teaching and engagement this week. It was great to learn from you and all of the other students, and this was a very special class.” - Ryan O’Toole
• “Thank you a lot for your input, ideas, comments, and your vision on (experimental) film! It was a very inspiring course and a great exercise.” - Janna Heiss
• “Thank you for such an inspiring course.” - Catherine Phillips
• “Audio/visual Berlin artists, poets, creative souls, highly recommended.” - Diane Zillmer Studio
Theme 3: Pushing Boundaries and Expanding Perception
Rashidi’s courses push students to think beyond traditional filmmaking techniques, opening their minds to new sensory and consciousness-expanding experiences.
• “What a fun and unusual week. Thank you, Rouzbeh Rashidi, for bringing your life learnings and honesty. I can’t wait to explore what was discovered. How great to meet such a diverse group.” - JAGARA
• “Thank you very much for such an inspiring and wonderful experience.” - Bahar Tus
• “I absolutely loved my time in this class with so many inspiring souls. Thanks, everyone!” - Darmyn
• “Such an eye-opening experience! Thank you for this, Rouzbeh!” - Freddie
• “So much to take from this experience.” - zenz_a
• “Weeping in departures, thank you, Rouzbeh, thank you, everyone.” - Ray Pelka
Theme 4: A Lasting Impact
The influence of Rouzbeh Rashidi’s teaching extends far beyond the duration of the course. Students frequently express their continued reliance on the lessons learned during their time at EFS Film School, returning to these insights as they progress in their creative journeys.
• “I visited his class last year. I made my first experimental film and highly recommend his class and meeting Rouzbeh.” - Karina Siegmund
• “I can’t believe how far we got in 5 days; thanks again.” - Jose Ramon
• “It was magical. Thank you for everything, Rouzbeh.” - Taaneya Balaji
• “It was an absolute masterpiece! Thank you for being who you are.” - Abdullah Abudiak
• “It was an incredible experience; thank you so much, Rouzbeh.” - Cíana Fitzgerald
• “The whole course was amazing and fascinating, thank you.” - Likuna Daushvili
• “It was amazing, thank you so much.” - Clarice Gargard
• “Thank you, it was a great course.” - Vedika Kushalappa
• “Really enjoyed it. Thank you.” - Oisin McFarland Smith
Conclusion:
These testimonials from EFS Film School alums underscore the importance and lasting impact of Rouzbeh Rashidi’s approach to film education. The experience is not just about learning filmmaking techniques; it’s about discovering new ways to perceive and create, fostering a collaborative spirit, and embarking on a journey of personal and artistic growth. The EFS Film School offers a unique opportunity to redefine cinema and push the boundaries of creative expression.
