We recently connected with Sofi Dawalibi and have shared our conversation below.

Sofi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is Yellow Brick Road, my college thesis film.
By the time I started developing it, I was exhausted from constantly trying to come up with multiple projects that didn’t feel deeply connected to me. Writing Yellow Brick Road became a cathartic experience, it gave me a way to process my grandmother’s passing and reflect on many of the experiences that had shaped my life leading up to that point.
One of the film’s main characters was directly inspired by my grandmother. She was a fisherwoman in the small town of Ubatuba, Brazil, and sold homemade sweets for a living (the best sweets I’ve ever had). She was also an incredible cook, an honest person, and someone who left a lasting impression on me because of her independence. Capturing her spirit and values through that character was one of the most meaningful parts of making the film.
The project was also special because my mother came to help during production. She worked as a PA on set and got to see me in that environment for the first time. Sharing that experience with her was incredibly rewarding and made the film feel even more personal.

Sofi, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a writer and director, but really I’m someone who loves every part of the creative process. While writing and directing are my primary focuses, I genuinely enjoy being involved in all aspects of filmmaking, whether that’s cinematography, production design, or collaborating with other artists to bring an idea to life. There’s something incredibly rewarding about watching a story evolve from a simple concept into something tangible that people can experience and connect with.
My love for film started early and was shaped by coming-of-age stories, romantic comedies, and the visual style of films from the 80s and 90s. I’ve always been drawn to stories that capture the excitement, uncertainty, and emotion of growing up.
What I strive to create through my work are stories that make people feel something. I usually approach filmmaking from a place of genuine love for movies. I hope that with my films and other stuff I’m working on that most of all people leave with a smile or a lighter heart. My longtime goal is to craft things that stay with people long after the credits roll and that they can come back to when life gets a little tough.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Honestly, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is seeing other people’s reactions to the work. I remember the first time I screened one of my films for a public audience, I could barely look at the screen. I found myself watching the people around me, paying attention to when they laughed, got emotional, or leaned in during certain moments and I just kept thinking that I should go back to the editing room for certain things. Seeing a story connect with someone else is an incredible feeling and reminds me why I love making films in the first place.
Another thing I find rewarding is the permanence of creating something. I’m not the biggest fan of the shift away from physical media. I love collecting DVDs and owning films that I can revisit, I’m a big fan of rewatching, going back to something you know. There’s something special about creating a piece of art that exists beyond the moment it was made.
What fascinates me most is the idea that art can outlast the artist. Long after we’re gone, films can continue to move people and create connections across generations. The thought that something you create today could still be meaningful to someone centuries from now is both humbling and inspiring. To me, that’s one of the most beautiful things about being a creative.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve had to unlearn is the idea that everything needs to be perfect, that stories need a rigid structure and that every detail has to fit neatly into place for them to work.
In film school, I was often taught that structure was the most important thing: that every story needed a clear beginning, middle, and end, that every conflict needed an antagonist, and that everything had to be carefully constructed according to a formula. While I understand the value of structure, I’ve come to realize that some of the most of my favorite stories don’t fit perfectly into those boxes.
When you write from the heart and draw from your own experiences, life rarely presents itself in such a tidy way. Real experiences often don’t have clear villains or dramatic turning points. They come from emotions, memories, relationships, and moments that stay with you. I’ve learned that it’s okay to write about those things. It’s okay to write what you know and what you’ve lived through instead of feeling pressured to fictionalize everything or force it into a traditional framework.
I’ve also had to let go of the idea that a project needs to be perfect before it can be successful. Filmmaking has taught me that something will always go wrong on set. A lighting setup won’t work the way you imagined, a location changes, an actor improvises (which I have come to love), or a shot you’ve been planning for weeks suddenly becomes impossible. No matter how much preparation you do, you’ll run into unexpected challenges.
The best thing you can do is stay calm, think creatively, and keep moving forward. Some of the best moments in filmmaking happen because you were forced to adjust your plan. Once I stopped chasing perfection and started embracing the unpredictability of the process, I became a much better filmmaker.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sofidawalibi.wixsite.com/filmmaking-and-scree
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sofimakesfilms/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofi-dawalibi-437249224/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sofidawalibi
• Other: https://vimeo.com/user68132756