Rafik Opti (they/he) is a visionary multimedia artist, filmmaker, writer, and cultural worker. Raised in Amsterdam and rooted in Surinamese ancestry, their multidisciplinary practice spans filmmaking, photography, writing and research.
Whether directing or working behind the camera themselves, Opti approaches each image with rhythm, vulnerability and a deep curiosity for those who stand in front of them. At its core, Opti’s work is an experimental and critical reflection on social and spatial dynamics, particularly within communities silenced by imperialism and racial injustice.
Their storytelling explores themes of (chosen) family, freedom, gender, and sexuality through a lens shaped by personal experience and a collective history of Black resistance. Drawing from direct cinema, magical realism, and poetry culture, Opti weaves mixed media into a pioneering visual language that reclaims dominant narratives and challenges established power structures across film and society.
Opti studied documentary direction at the Netherlands Film Academy (2018–2023), graduating with BLACK JOY (Blaka Koloku) An award-winning short film that reimagines Amsterdam through the lens of the Black experience, where simplicity, Afrofuturism, and protest converge. In April 2025, BLACK JOY received the People’s Choice Award at the Black Trans Short Film Festival in North Carolina, celebrated by the very community it was created for.
In addition to their own artistic work, Rafik moves through life as a cultural worker, organizer, space holder, and storyteller, committed to imagining freedom for marginalized communities.
Most recently, they co-directed Slay, the first Dutch documentary series centering Black and Brown trans women. This six-part series, which premiered on NPO and NTR, follows four protagonists navigating the ballroom scene and offers a vital platform for trans voices in Dutch media.
Through their expansive practice, Rafik Opti archives stories of resistance, joy, and everyday life. Pushing beyond the margins to create heartfelt experiences, that honor the stories of resilient communities.
Clients: FOAM, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Amsterdam Museum, HeyHoney, Unesco, Theatre Of Rotterdam, Rotterdam Library, Maaspodium, MaMa Rotterdam, Zuid-Boijmans Museum, De Co-Producent, Millstreet Films, Black Pride NL, Silent Nois3, Kunstlinie Almere, Eye Filmmuseum, Studio HER, Maxivive, Gallery Fons Welters, The National Martine Museum, RIGHTABOUTNOW INC, LFMC, OSCAM and The Black Archives.
