Khadim Dai has lived as a refugee for most of his life. Born in Afghanistan, his family fled to Pakistan when he was 2 to escape Taliban persecution of his minority Hazara people. When that persecution followed into Pakistan, Khadim fled on his own at the age of 17 to Indonesia.  

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Khadim embraced filmmaking to document his life, shooting a video journal on his mobile phone that traced his trek being smuggled into Thailand, running through jungles in Malaysia, and clinging to a crowded raft to Indonesia. His resulting short film won Plural+ youth award in New York in 2014.  Khadim has made many short films and as an artist he displayed in different art museums in Australia and in Indonesia. Khadim also co-founded the Cisarua Refugee Learning Center in Indonesia where now over 200 children are going to school.  His films became the visual backbone of international fundraising efforts that have allowed the refugee school to prosper and expand.

Khadim earned cinematography credits on “Chasing Asylum”, a feature-length documentary by Academy and Emmy Award winner filmmaker Eva Orner. The film tackles Australia’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, focusing on offshore detention centers. Khadim also earned cinematography credit on feature documentary “The Staging Post”, which follows refugees as they establish a school and manage their community in Indonesia after Australia began denying entry. 

Khadim was resettled in Los Angeles in June 2016 and became a permanent US resident in January 2018.  He is currently pursuing opportunities in filmmaking, speaking to student groups, and pursuing his BA at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). 

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