Biography
Amar Somaroo (born 1 September 1995 in The Hague, The Netherlands) is a Dutch film director of South Asian descent. His passion for storytelling emerged in his early teens, leading him to begin writing his debut fantasy novel, Tibet, Kronieken der Verlossing, in 2012. At 17, he was offered a publishing contract, and when the book was released in 2014 at the age of 18, he became one of the youngest published authors in Dutch history.
After completing his degree in film directing and editing at Grafisch Lyceum Rotterdam, Amar founded his production company, Youth Novel Motions, in 2017. His filmmaking career officially began with the release of his first short film, Feathers (2015). Since then, he has worked on international film productions across South Asia and the Middle East. He is fluent in Dutch and English and conversant in Hindi and Urdu.
Amar is best known for directing the composite drama Cyanide (2021) and the short film A Woman in Kurdistan (2017), which explores women's freedoms in Kurdistan from a unique perspective. His work often explores themes of the South Asian diaspora, self-identity, and existentialism.
In 2022, he created the autobiographical documentary The Place I Call Home, which, along with Cyanide, was acquired by Amazon Prime Video. Filmed over five years across multiple countries-including Suriname, where his parents were born and raised-the documentary was nominated for Best Documentary at the Septimius Awards 2023.
In 2025, Amar developed and directed Exodus, a large-scale television pilot produced for Dutch public broadcasting. The project was nominated for Best Short Fiction at the Jaipur International Film Festival 2026. Beyond narrative filmmaking, Amar has directed and written high-level corporate films for institutions such as the Dutch Ministry of Defense and has worked extensively in Mumbai, India. He continues to be an active director and writer within both the Dutch and international film industries.
