What Comes After the Hunt: A Conversation with Malik Hassan Sayeed

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Howard chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Before the masterclass began, I had the chance to sit down with Malik Hassan Sayeed for a one-on-one conversation. I had already asked him a few questions during the brunch at Busboys and Poets, but this was different — just me and him.

To be honest, I was incredibly nervous; how often do you get to interview the cinematographer behind films like Spike Lee’s and now Luca Guadagnino’s? But his laid-back, grounded attitude immediately eased the tension. My nerves quickly melted into curiosity, and my erratic nature was eased as we settled into a thoughtful conversation.

DH: INTERVIEWER – DENVER HUNT, MHS: MALIK HASSAN SAYEED   

DH: Okay, let me start. I have a few questions, of course. Just want to say I really liked the movie. I really enjoyed it. I’m a big fan of Luca’s work in general. I saw Challengers five times in theaters.

MHS: [laughs] Did you like Call Me By Your Name?

DH: Yes, I did. Loved Call Me By Your Name.

MHS: My daughter loved it when she was in high school — she’s 20 now. That was her movie. She reacted so much to it. And at that point I realized, oh, Luca has the ear.

DH: Yes, yeah, it’s incredible. So my first question is, how have Howard and Professor Haile Gerima prepared you for your profession? How do you think Howard prepared you for your career?

MHS: Howard’s focus — Haile’s focus — was tough on us, because he wanted us to win. He wanted us to succeed. He’s a soldier for our community. He knows how important we are to our community, so he pushed us hard. That’s why I think we love Haile. He’s so sharp — super sharp — and he would give us the tools, but he’d also recognize individually where we were struggling, where we could be stronger.

He wouldn’t be afraid to tell us in a loving way, in the way someone who cares about you helps you grow — by telling you the hard thing you need to hear. And that’s Haile. I just saw him, actually. I spent an hour with him right before coming here and I was so happy to see him. I love Haile, because he loves us. Anybody who came through Haile, he recognized. He knew us. He even knew who I would align with — like AJ, who was ahead of me, or Brad, who came behind me. He told us, “You guys are from the same tribe — go find Malik.” Sure enough, 100%. That’s family. That’s what Haile created for the Howard film community. He’s essential.

DH: You got your foot in the door working on Clockers in 1995. What are some mistakes and successes you had then? And if you could tell your younger self something, knowing what you know now, what would it be?

MHS: Mistakes, yeah… I mean, of course we all make mistakes. I’m constantly debriefing myself. Almost every project I do, I’m micromanaging in my head — what I could do better, how I could refine this, perfect that.

But at a certain point, if I was honest with myself in the moment — which I mostly was — I can’t be too critical about work from that far back. What I will say is this: I would encourage myself to always be true to my instincts and intuition. Honor your truth. That’s the most honest thing you can do. Not filtering it through what you think other people want to see. It should speak to you. Be as honest and true to yourself as you can. That’s the hardest, but most important, thing you can be.

DH: Luca is known for the beauty in his work and how he collaborates with cinematographers. His last cinematographer on Challengers was Sayombhu Mukdeeprom — so talented.

My question is: how did you keep your style while also accomplishing Luca’s vision for this film?

MHS: Every time you work with a different director, it’s a different dynamic. You have to identify what they’re asking of you. In commercials, we work with a lot of different directors, so you learn to adapt. Some directors want you to light and frame everything and some want to do that themselves.

With Luca, he’s a very visual director — highly astute in film grammar. He knows exactly where he wants the camera to be to tell the story. So with him, he focused more on placement and framing. For me, he left the lighting and photography completely open. He only ever commented when he wanted me to push it further.

For example, in the hospital scene, I was lighting it, and he said, “I want this scene in the dark. I want her to tell this truth without the lights on.” And I was like, say less. That was Luca — he trusted me, but pushed me when it mattered. It was a great pairing.

DH: That’s very cool. I’m glad he gave you creative freedom.

MHS: Yes.

DH: You’ve worked on so many music videos — Kanye, N.E.R.D., Beyoncé. Who are some artists you wish you could work with, alive or dead? And who are you listening to right now?

MHS: I like unique artists, moody, psychedelic. I worked with Arcade Fire once. Someone like Tame Impala would be cool. Tyler, the Creator would be very interesting.

I’ve been fortunate to work with a lot of interesting people already. But music right now is funny — not everyone is saying something I can get excited about. The last group I was really into was Khruangbin — a band from Texas. Two guitar players, a bassist, and a drummer. Amazing energy.

As for hip-hop, people like MF DOOM, rest in peace. The people who came after him — Stove God, The Alchemist — they’re interesting. I’m always looking for that artist who has something new to say, someone I’d want to align myself with.

DH: Last one — LA or New York? Which city has the better film scene?

MHS: [laughs] Both. New York technicians are some of the most skilled in the world because they shoot in such tough locations. But LA has scale and efficiency — they know how to move. So both have their strengths.

DH: Okay, keeping the peace. [laughs] Thank you so much for talking with me. It was wonderful meeting you.

MHS: Thank you, Denver.