Zaman is also notable for his use of non-professional actors to play the majority of the leading roles in his films. His team has recruited refugees from public places such as cafes and community centres to act in his films. As he says, “[f]or me, casting is an important part of the filmmaking process, maybe 50% of the whole film. If you have the right cast, half of the job is done.” He also borrows from amateur actors’ expressions and clothing to lend authenticity to his work. While his scripts are written in Norwegian, the dialogues in his films are often in Kurdish or other languages spoken by refugees.
