Mohammad Mehdi Zafari joins the global migration centre as visiting researcher.

Mohammad Mehdi Zafari is a documentary filmmaker and cultural researcher specializing in
visual anthropology, migration studies, and intercultural communication. A member of the
Hazara community of Afghanistan, his personal trajectory across Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan,
and France has profoundly shaped his perspective on migration, exile, and cultural identity.
His unique position as both researcher and subject of migration studies enables him to
provide critical insights into the lived experiences of displaced populations, enriching
contemporary debates on forced migration, cultural adaptation, and transnational identity
formation.
 

Zafari studied visual anthropology at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales
(EHESS) in Paris and received specialized training at Ateliers Varan and La Fémis. From 2017
to 2021, he served as Acting Director of the Institut français of Afghanistan, where he
coordinated cultural diplomacy initiatives and managed international projects in complex
contexts.
 

As a filmmaker, he has directed documentaries exploring displacement, memory, and
resilience, with a particular focus on Afghan communities. His films, produced in
collaboration with institutions such as Arte, UN Women, and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation,
bridge academic research with accessible visual storytelling. Currently a Fellow at the Global
Migration Centre, he is developing interdisciplinary approaches that connect visual
anthropology, documentary practice, and migration research.