War, racism, religious intolerance and all of the other ways human beings create barriers, weigh heavily on Ali Adhami. 

Long before Adhami shot his award-winning short film, “Reinforced,”  a commentary on these divisions, for Aimee Gillette’s Intro to Film/Television Directing at De Anza, the seeds of the movie were planting themselves in his consciousness.

Adhami left his native Iran for Armenia when he was 17 years old. For the first time in his life he was hearing other people’s version of who the “other” or the enemy was.

It was an eye opening experience for him that made him realize the way he was raised was not the only cultural narrative. His subsequent travels in Malaysia and Singapore and, eventually, the USA, only reinforced his growing awareness that all people are basically the same. Adhami said, “Leaders and governments create this sense of us versus them in order to maintain their power over the people.”

“Reinforced” shows three tribes from an omniscient point of view. The people on-screen, whose characteristics are indistinguishable other than the color of their clothes, begin to clash based on their superficial differences. Their weapons are rudimentary and give the movie “a timeless feel, something that could resonate with different generations,” said Adhami.

“Reinforced” has been a hit amongst the De Anza community. It has also received countless awards and festival recognition, also making it to the Semi-finals of the Student Academy Awards.

Since 1973, several student films are chosen for the finals and a winner is selected for each of the several categories annually. This year’s 43rd annual student award competition had 1800 entries, and “Reinforced” made it to the semifinals, along with 80 other films.

Although Adhami’s film wasn’t chosen as the final winner, the act of making it to the semifinals is a huge accomplishment.  Usually these finalists consist of graduate students and thesis films from four year schools such as UCLA, USC, Columbia and NYU.

It is remarkable for a film like “Reinforced,” to achieve the levels of success it has, especially for a film that was made at a community college.

Many have noted Adhami’s unique vision and style, and his “talent, passion and creative brilliance,” said screenwriting Professor Barak Goldman. Adhami’s achievements shine a light not only on his work, but on the Film/TV department at De Anza College.