Zayn Alexandre
Lebanese director and actor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zayn Alexandre (aka Zayn Alexander) is a Lebanese American film director and actor based in New York City.[1] He is known for his work on the short films Abroad and Manara.
Zayn Alexandre | |
|---|---|
Zayn Alexandre at the 2018 Santa Barbara International Film Festival | |
| Born | |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupations | Director, Actor |
| Years active | 2012 - present |
Early life
Zayn was born and raised in Lebanon.[2] Zayn studied psychology at the American University of Beirut and left for the United States to pursue acting in 2010.[3]
Career
In New York City, Zayn met fellow actor, Pascale Seigneurie, who would soon become a frequent collaborator.[3] The two paired up to create Abroad, a film about a Lebanese couple pursuing their acting dreams in America and struggling with being typecast in Middle Eastern roles. Seigneurie wrote the short film, Zayn directed.[4] The film was shot in one day.[5] It debuted at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in 2018.[6][7][8] The Moise A. Khayrallah Center has awarded Zayn and Abroad The 2020 Khayrallah Art Prize.[9][10]
In 2019, and Seigneurie followed up with Manara, a short film about a Lebanese funeral and a family coping with the cultural pressures of Lebanese society.[3] Manara was filmed in Tyre, Lebanon.[11] It debuted during the 76th Venice International Film Festival in September 2019.[3]
A new short film titled Saint Rose was set for release in 2024,[12] which has been selected to compete in the Shorts Competition at the Red Sea International Film Festival.[13] The film continues Alexandre's exploration of cultural and societal themes, telling the story of a woman striving to escape a stifling marriage imposed by a conservative society.[14]
