Zoe Dubno

The genius of Caveh Zahedi

The filmmaker's podcast depicts his life with an intensity — and intimacy — that is unmatched even in the age of reality television

Stephanie Carwin and Caveh Zahedi in Zahedi's 2005 film 'I Am a Sex Addict'. Photo: Alamy Stock Photo / Photo 12 
issue 06 November 2021

365 Stories I Want To Tell You Before We Both Die is a podcast that experimental filmmaker Caveh Zahedi started at the beginning of this year. Each episode is a short story, ranging from six minutes to 30 seconds, told directly to the audience. Zahedi has been a quiet star of the American indie scene for decades. His films are almost always autobiographical, and his podcast, with episodes titled ‘My Least Favorite Person’ and ‘My Therapist Insists I Tell Suzanne About the Prostitute’ and ‘What Richard Linklater Said To Me About Why I Was a Failure’, is no different. The subject matter ranges from past sexual experiences, failed film projects and parenting to run-ins with famous people, and his ex-girlfriends.

Zahedi depicts his life with an intensity – and intimacy – unmatched even in the age of reality television

If Zahedi can be called a superlative artist, it is in the category of openness.

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