The Creative Visionary Reshaping Celebrity Culture
In an industry often criticised for its superficiality, a young Scottish-Iranian director is revolutionising how we see our biggest stars. At just 29, Aidan Zamiri has become the go-to creative force for artists seeking authentic expression in an increasingly manufactured world.
From Tumblr to the Top
When Timothée Chalamet opened his door to meet Zamiri, the actor had no idea what to expect. The director's distinctive appearance, standing at 5'7" with a braided rat tail and unibrow, embodies the unconventional energy that has made him indispensable to stars like Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, and rapper Yung Lean.
"I literally had no clue who was knocking on the door," Chalamet recalled. By the meeting's end, they had forged a creative partnership that would define the actor's public image during his A Complete Unknown campaign.
Zamiri's work with Chalamet included viral videos of the actor dancing near the Eiffel Tower and lip-syncing along Manhattan's West Side Highway. The director even orchestrated Chalamet's memorable arrival at the London premiere on a Lime e-bike, showcasing his talent for blending the mundane with the extraordinary.
Breaking Boundaries in Visual Storytelling
This year has been transformative for Zamiri. His Grammy-nominated music video for Charli XCX's "360" was described by The New York Times as "instantly iconic." The follow-up video "Guess," featuring Eilish, earned four MTV Video Music Award nominations, including Best Direction.
Zamiri's visual aesthetic has evolved from experimental light beams and glitch effects into something more textured and raw. "I love the muck and the mire," he explains, describing his preference for showcasing celebrities' wilder sides, like filming Yung Lean with a muddied face in dirty designer clothes.
His approach combines the familiar with the impossible. Eilish crashes through walls in "Birds of a Feather," while in "Guess," she arrives at a house party on a bulldozer. "The combination of the mundane and familiar with something impossible has been the most common thread through all of my work," Zamiri notes.
The Power of Authentic Connection
What sets Zamiri apart is his genuine fandom. Raised in suburban Glasgow by an Iranian mother and Scottish-Irish father, he consumed pop culture voraciously, from Green Day's American Idiot to Black Eyed Peas' Elephunk. As a teenager on Tumblr, he observed how artists like Lana Del Rey and Lady Gaga built devoted followings through authentic sharing.
"I know what fans want to see because I am one," Zamiri says. This perspective has created unusually intimate working relationships. Charli XCX describes him as "more than my best friend," noting their shared Scottish heritage and "addiction to working."
Eilish calls them "twins separated at birth," while Chalamet considers him a "kindred spirit" who shares his cultural references from Nintendo Wii to Lady Gaga's "Poker Face."
From Music Videos to Feature Films
Zamiri's most ambitious project yet is The Moment, a mockumentary starring Charli XCX alongside Alexander Skarsgård, Rosanna Arquette, and Kylie Jenner. Set for release by A24 next year, the film explores the human desire to be cool and whether perception truly matters.
"The film is about Charli for sure," Zamiri explains, "but also about how me and Bertie feel as well," referring to co-writer Bertie Brandes.
The Cost of Creative Intensity
Success hasn't come without challenges. Zamiri admits to struggling with the quieter moments, describing severe depression when returning to his London flat after weeks on tour with Charli XCX. The intensity of his work sometimes leads him to avoid personal connections, even phone calls from his mother.
"I'm trying to be a Tesla Cybertruck right now, an automatic car," he says, describing his desire to function purely as a creative machine.
Despite not returning to Scotland recently, Zamiri finds purpose in his work. "Helping someone become the most extreme, lived-in version of themselves makes me really happy," he reflects. For someone who admits to never really knowing who he is, shaping others' images has become a path to self-discovery.
"You're always looking for a reflection of yourself in the eyes of other people," he concludes. "The rewarding thing about having a body of work that people understand is that people are telling me who I am."