Sean McAllister

You can watch an interview with Sean on NHK World at http://www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/movie/feature83.html

Leaving Yamagata now with 2 heavy awards; Special Jury Prize and the Citizens’ Award. The latter being a gift from the people of Yamagata who voted for their fave film. Very touching. The whole experience was nerve racking. ...

On stage at Yamagata doc fest just won 2 prizes; award of excellence, and citizens award.

I am now back in Yamagata which is a little bizarre. Played to 600 people yesterday which was nerve racking for me and for Naoki. Yamagata is Naoki’s hometown. They asked how he felt having exposed himself so naked in the film he said ‘relieved’. I su...

My return to Japan is an anxious semi-excited occassion since I heard I was in competition at the Yamagata Documentary Festival. It was great to arrive here in luxury; I think the only way to do Japan is to make sure someone else is paying...

Holidays in August, although may nip over to Oslo to film Nizam in his life in the west, and his life and family there before hitting Libya and his father in September...

A cousin enters a goodbye party laid on for Nizam. Hey gran he said in Arabic. Why you wearing your veil, Sean is part of our family now? You don’t need to wear the veil for him. I do I do… His gran insists. Since visiting Mecca I must follow a strict religious code. An...

I couldn’t face going out tonight. I’m dying for a shit but I can’t go. I need time and contemplation on a proper toilet not a hole in ground. You can’t read the newspaper squatting, it generally stinks and often you can miss, making things real messy. Plus, ...

A scary hairy naked man stood over above my porky semi naked body pointing to a table. Before I could say anything the man let out a growl and pushed me down onto it. A hard slap onto my back, followed by another on my ass. Nizam stands giggling and filming the bizarre scene...

A panoramic view over Damascus city lit by night, charms us high from the mountainside. It is the most popular tourist stop for busloads of visitors and for those wealthy Syrians able to afford the prices here. I’m getting some landscape shots when a SMS arrives on my phone. ...

I love Saddam! Nizam’s grandmother announces when she discovers I’ve made film in Iraq. She is pouring us a thick sweet Arabic coffee. I had to wait outside the apartment while she put her veil on. Her short stocky appearance matches her beautiful characterful face. He...

Iwas woken by the call for prayer from a nearby mosque. A rattling old speaker and croaking voice. Why can’t they turn it down a bit? Still, there was no snoring from Nizam last night. We sit up from our business class flat carseat luxury on another dirtyroadside. I look over to a smelly WC. ...