Conversations with Zohar Varadi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zohar Varadi.

Zohar, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I first got into film when I started filming friends on our BMX bikes and in the mountains skiing back in Switzerland. As I quickly realized that I wasn’t actually going to become a pro rider, I also realized that I was finding quite a passion being behind the camera. Quickly, I started making music videos for my band and for my mother, who is a musician too, and before I even realized myself, it seemed like this was becoming my future. After shooting various music videos, working for a film production company, and shooting my first narrative work, I decided it might be time to leave Switzerland. The way to do that was by applying to college in the United States. As I am soon coming on my last year at Chapman, we’ll see what these past years in this new country have really taught me.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would say that overall it has been somewhat of a smooth road, especially when I didn’t know how little I knew. As I learn more and more and attempt to perfect my skills, the road gets rougher as I realize just how much I still have yet to learn. Would I really be living if I stopped learning though? I think after graduating it might get a bit tougher as an international student to stay in the United States but I am hoping that I’ll be able to stay here and continue working on projects with the people I’ve met along the way and those I have yet to meet.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My main focus is in cinematography as director of photography, although I’ve recently crew’d a lot as gaffer or key grip for friends and fellow artists. I did have more experience in music videos and action sports filmmaking, especially when it came to mixing skiing and filmmaking, as the good Swiss that I am! However, in the past two years, I’ve been primarily focused on narrative work. To this day, I would say I am most proud of the music video I did for the Swiss artist Noga, who also happens to be my mother. The song is about being connected to our lost ones, and although I had less technical knowledge back then, I still think that it is one of my projects that has the most emotional impact and depth to it. On the side, I also take a lot of film photos and develop them in my bathroom at home. I would say my proudest work overall was when I was able to sell my pictures and donate all the profits to various groups that acted during the BLM marches in 2020. For the first time in my life, I actually saw my work do some tangible good.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Coming from a tiny city like Geneva, albeit big for Switzerland, LA seems to always surprise me with new things and opportunities, especially in film. All the stuff I would see on TV as a kid, I drive by on a daily now. I will say that my favourite might be the big parks in LA, like Elysian, and the nature that’s close to the city. There’s not many big cities that give you the size and chances that LA does while being close to mountains and deserts to get some air. My least favourite thing is the fact that you can’t just bike or walk places, you seem to need a car to go anywhere.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hyphenproductions.ch
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoharvaradi/