...with cancer - a journey she beautifully captured in her award-winning film, "The Son and the Moon," made with her friend Emilie Monies. It follows her, her husband, and son. I frequently bump into her and always want to hang out with that smile. Here are Roja’s 10 Questions.
Interview by Jonathan Soriano
Name: Roja Pakari
City: Frederiksberg
Occupation: Documentary Director
What do you do for recreation?
I’m really good at doing nice things for myself, like working out, getting tons of facials and other wellness treatments, making chili oil and reading books. So, if it’s about fully unwinding, it’s 100% being home alone, watching series on the couch and eating Iranian takeout (Gorme sabzi).
If you were to do something other than what you do for a living today, what would it be?
I’d be a psychologist. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the grades for it. But I fell like documentary has some of the same elements.
What was the last gift you got for yourself?
I just went to Japan with my family, which is a gift in itself because I’ve dreamed of going there for 10 years. But while there, I gave myself the gift of a full Japanese look!
What was the last gift somebody gave you?
I got a chocolate heart from some very sweet Norwegian festival folks a moth ago and it some of the best chocolate I have ever had. It was amazing!
What is your biggest vice, and how do you deal with it?
I’m always late. I’m trying to get better at it every single day, but I feel like its in my genetics. My husband calls me the time optimist. But I will say that im never late when it with people I dont know.
How do you navigate through difficult situations?
I’ve learned that accepting the emotions in a given situation helps me get through it more easily. By nature, I’m a positive person and extremely action-oriented, which isn’t always the best approach in tough situations. Sometimes it’s better to simply accept the difficult emotions and fully live through the tough situation.
Name one of your favorite people in the world and why this person is one of them.
I feel like all the people closest to me are my favorites. After I got sick, I had neither the time nor the desire to keep unnecessary people in my life. So, the ones around me today are my absolute favorites.
What do you do to stay/get in shape?
I’ve always walked a lot, and like everyone else in Copenhagen, I bike everywhere. For the past three years, I’ve been doing reformer training twice a week and right now Im trying to make it tree times a week. I never had the discipline to work out when I was younger, but if I skip training today, my back starts hurting, so that’s 100% my motivation.
What was your proudest moment and why?
This year has been one long proud moment. I’m extremely thrilled that my debutfilm “The Son and The Moon” has been so well received. We were a small team that trusted our instincts and dared to make exactly the film we envisioned which often means a low budget. So for us to also win awards is a treatment to believing in the story you want to tell and not thinking that it has to be mainstream to catch the audience. In Denmark we are still behind with the diversity.
Which city is cooking you the best meal and where?
That it’s such a tough question. I mostly travel for food, so every city I’ve been to has given me the best meals. But if you twist my arm, I’d probably say New Orleans. I don’t think I had a single bad meal there. We stayed on Frenchmen Street, where there was a little jazz bar serving some of the best food I’ve ever had. It was something as simple as pizza and sliders, but it was the combination of Creole, Cajun, soul food, and Italian influences that elevated the dishes to another level.
See more of Roja on her instagram account: @roja_pakari