Why Safi Graauw Approaches Storytelling Not Just As a Craft, But As a Responsibility

LBB’s April Summers sat down with the director and storyteller following his recent TED Talk, eager to explore his commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices and perspective as an intersectional environmentalist.

​LBB> Safi, your background in Earth Sciences clearly informs your storytelling approach. How did that academic journey shape your purpose as a filmmaker, and when did you know film was the medium to carry your message?

Safi> Ever since my parents moved from Suriname to the Netherlands, I knew I wanted to become an Earth Scientist. Watching National Geographic documentaries from a young age, I always had that purposeful curiosity. The scientific path I wanted to take seemed to be very clear.

During my master's degree I stumbled upon a choice. Did I want to become the scientist that would research phenomena, and documented his research in a scientific paper to be published in a journal? Or, did I want to become the type of scientist that builds a bridge between science and society and documents their findings in another form: film.

I chose the latter, and that moment is when I knew film was the medium to carry my message. I wanted to become the type of person that provided society with new perspectives through this art form.

LBB> You’ve said that the message should always lead the creative process. Can you talk us through how you build a film from that central idea outward, especially when working across both fiction and narrative formats?

Safi> My idea of storytelling is relatively simple. It’s the message that counts, much more than the form in which the message is moulded into. A famous design principle in architecture and industrial design is “form follows function”. I kind of take that to heart in filmmaking as well. We take the heart of the message, and then mould it into the right form to achieve the most powerful narrative, that’s what being an effective storyteller is all about. So, whenever we have a story to be told, that’s where we start. And from there, we dive into a creative process in which we find the most compelling and interesting audiovisual way of portraying it. There’s one rule though: It should never be boring.

LBB> From environmental issues to social narratives, your work consistently aims to contribute to something bigger. How do you balance purpose with the demands of branded storytelling?

Safi> Balancing purpose with the demands of branded storytelling requires an internal conversation about ego. It’s about understanding who you are and who you are working for. It’s a conversation that comes before I say yes to a project. I know what I’m working for, I know why I’m working for the brand, and its commercial/social objectives then merge with mine. Once that internal conversation is done, it’s all about finding the most interesting angle and getting the best out of the work that is to be done.

LBB> You have described yourself as a 'vehicle' for stories that matter. What kinds of voices or perspectives are you most drawn to amplifying through your work? What inspires you?

Safi> The stories that matter are stories that provide new perspectives when it comes to the environment and culture. As an intersectional maker, I think these are the two perspectives that we need the most to ensure we make our planet better than how we found it. On the one hand, the stories that build a love for our planet; and on the other, stories that build a love for each other. Empowering these types of stories is something I strongly believe in.

Work that has inspired me comes from directors that have struck a chord with me such as Ryan Coogler, Guy Ritchie, Kim Gehrig, Barry Jenkins and Jeymes Samuel. All of them make films, big or small, that fire me up and get me working harder at my own craft.

LBB> Your recent TED Talk focuses on the power of words through a deeply personal and cultural lens. What first drew you to this subject? Was there a specific experience or realisation that made you want to investigate how language shapes us?

Safi> The power of positivity became a deeply personal topic to me because of my mother, whom I lost when I was 23. In her passing, she left me a profound gift: the realisation that life is incredibly short, and there’s simply no room for negativity within it. My mum, even in her hardest moments, kept a collection of beautiful affirmations that she would read to herself.

She helped me realise that there are different kinds of optimism. There is the false kind, where we sugarcoat things and deny their existence. And there is real optimism, which embraces the negative things but keeps us in a “can do” mindset. I always lean towards the latter. Positivity is not about ignoring the negative things, it’s actually about embracing them and still saying; “We can do this!” or “We’ll find a way!". And that inspired my TED talk.

LBB> Looking back on your journey as a self-taught director, what have been some of the pivotal moments - or unexpected turns - that brought you to where you are today?

Safi> Oh man, I’ve had so many of these. The most important one was getting my first big gig for an agency called HERC with a creative team I deeply respect: Emilio de Haan and Rogier de Bruin. These guys called me after I won a prize called a ‘Young Rooster’ for the “most interesting talent in the Dutch advertising industry” and gave me my first big commercial gig. It completely re-shaped my attitude and ego when it came to making commercials, and enabled me to really learn and master the short form and commercial way of storytelling.

Neil Henry is an agency producer that taught me the ropes of how to treat people right on set. He showed me how to radiate peace and guide your team and client from a positive place on set. During his time at Justdiggit, an NGO that restores landscapes in Sub-Saharan Africa, Wessel van Eeden showed me how positive storytelling can contribute to actual tangible change. All of these important moments come with deep connections to people.

Some other big pivotal moments have been in the longer format, like directing the first season of the hit TV show Kameleon in 2023, and being nominated for 6 Belgian Ensor Awards. Then I was hired as a showrunner/creative producer and director on the biggest TV crime-franchise in the Netherlands. And, now I’ve landed my first box office feature film, which is in pre-production now.

These pivotal moments have been more about the people that I shared these moments with, than the moments themselves. For me, it’s about connecting in the right way which creates space for magical things to happen in our art.

LBB> Anything else you want to share?

Safi> I believe filmmaking is a visionary team sport. It’s about getting what you want for the right price. It’s about guiding and communicating your vision to your team and client as clearly and calmly as possible. As directors, showrunners and lead writers, we can sometimes forget that we are only as good as our team allows us to be.

Becoming a great director, in my opinion, means becoming a powerful visionary and great communicator. In my mission to change and contribute different perspectives through art, this is a central belief that I try to live up to in each and every project that I do.

Projects in which its team creates a strong bond and the art builds and elevates our love for each other and our environment frame by frame.