prod. tubafilms
dir. khalid shamis

imam and i is the reason i came to the cape. this is the film about the life, death and legacy of imam abdullah haron, an islamic cleric who was labelled a terrorist by the security police in the 60s, detained in may 1969 and pronounced dead in september of the same year.

the imam was my grandfather and part of the film looks at how a grandson journeys to understand his grandfather when as child his memory is constructed around a mythical martyr figure.
i went into production on the film in 2005 and am now in post.

the film premiered at the Encounters documentary film festival in South Africa in June 2011 and received the audience award for best film.

CapeTalk - The Aiden Thomas show interview with Khalid Shamis on 'Imam and I' - July 2011

imam and i trailer

imam and i promo part 1.

imam and i promo part 2.


the killing of the imam  
A short animated film by Khalid Shamis.

short animated documentary - 2010
prod. tubafilms
dir. khalid shamis

finished now and showing at festivals worldwide are the animation sequences for the documentary 'Imam and I', which will form part of the film but also be a stand alone short film. the short film is titled, 'The Killing of the Imam'.

The Killing of the Imam was commissioned by Rainbow Circle Films as part of their Ikon series. It was the winner of Best South African Short film at the 2011 South African Film & Television Awards (SAFTAs).

illustrations by Jason deVilliers, design by Toby Atwell, animations by Shukry Adams, music by Mark Roberts and all the rest by me.

check out a version of the film in Spanish