Zara Durrani is a Vancouver-based Leo Award-nominated TV host, producer, and storyteller whose work highlights culture, travel, and human connection. Born in Pakistan and now proudly Canadian, she is passionate about telling stories that bring people and communities together.
Through her platform and series On Location Vancouver, produced with the support of TELUS STORYHIVE, Zara interviews artists, entrepreneurs, athletes, and community leaders while exploring destinations across British Columbia and around the world. Her work has taken her to global events, including the Cannes Film Festival, the Paris 2024 Olympics, and, most recently, the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, where she attended the men’s and women’s hockey finals and was invited by CBC to go live from the arena during the broadcast.
In addition to hosting and producing video content, Zara is also a travel writer whose work appears in publications such as Drishti Magazine and Drift Travel. Whether interviewing an Oscar-winning actor on an international red carpet or highlighting a small local business in British Columbia, her work is driven by curiosity, storytelling, and a deep love of connecting with people.
What is your channel called and what is it about?
Most of my content lives under my own name across Instagram and YouTube, along with my interview series On Location Vancouver and my upcoming self-produced travel series Wanderlusting in France.
The idea is simple: I go where the stories are.
Sometimes that means interviewing someone fascinating right here in Vancouver, and other times it means travelling and documenting cultural experiences around the world. I cover travel, sports, fashion and community stories, but the common thread is always people. I’m endlessly curious about what inspires people and the journeys they take, and I love sharing those conversations with my audience.
When did you start it? What motivated you at the beginning?
My background has always been rooted in storytelling. I’ve worked in television, produced digital content, and covered events around the world, but over time, I realized that the stories that resonated with me most were the ones centred around human connection.
That realization pushed me to begin creating and producing more of my own work. I wanted the freedom to follow stories wherever they led, whether that meant interviewing an athlete at an international event, covering a cultural festival, or travelling to communities across British Columbia to highlight local artists and business owners.
Who were you inspired by? Any influences?
I grew up watching Christiane Amanpour. At the time, she was one of the only women of colour I saw reporting on global stories with such authority and compassion. Seeing someone like her covering international events and asking thoughtful questions made a lasting impression on me.
But beyond that, I find inspiration in people themselves. Every conversation teaches me something. Whether the camera is rolling or not, I always walk away having learned something new about the world or about another human being.
English is not my first language, so communication has always felt very intentional to me. I’ve come to believe that conversations are incredibly powerful. If we listen with an open heart, they can change the way we see each other and remind us how much we actually have in common.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing inspiring individuals from environmental leaders like David Suzuki to Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr. – artists, entrepreneurs, and community builders. Those conversations continually remind me why I do this work. Storytelling, at its core, is really about listening.
How would you describe your audience?
My audience is curious, globally minded, and deeply interested in culture and storytelling. Many are based in Vancouver and across Canada, but I also have viewers from around the world who discovered my work through travel and event coverage.
They enjoy discovering new places, meeting interesting people, and seeing what happens behind the scenes at major events or within local communities. I think people connect most with the authenticity of the conversations.
What is your creative process? Do you have people who work with you?
My work often starts with a conversation or encounter that sparks my curiosity. From there, I research the story, plan interviews, and develop the segment.
I host, film, and produce much of my content myself, although depending on the project, I collaborate with camera operators, editors, or photographers. Producing and shaping the story is just as important to me as being on camera.
For example, I recently moderated a panel for International Women’s Day on Gender Apartheid and Global Solidarity with Afghan Women Workers under Taliban rule, alongside senior United Nations officials and civil society leaders. Experiences like that often lead to deeper storytelling opportunities, and I’m now continuing to follow that conversation through interviews with some of the people I met there.
How do you monetize your content? Do you also have another job?
This is my full-time work. I’m self-employed as a creator and storyteller, and my work includes brand partnerships, speaking engagements, red carpet hosting, moderating panels, and producing content for organizations and events.
What’s unique about my work is that many opportunities grow organically from conversations and relationships. A story often begins simply by meeting someone interesting or being invited into spaces where important conversations are happening.
My work moves between many worlds. One week I might be covering an international sporting event like the Olympics or attending fashion events in Milan, and another week I might be interviewing artists or entrepreneurs in communities across British Columbia.
I’ve also had the opportunity to work as a writer, including ghostwriting a book while living in Paris, which deepened my appreciation for storytelling in all its forms. At the heart of it, everything I do comes back to curiosity about people and the belief that conversations can connect us in meaningful ways.
What is your favourite piece of content you have created?
It’s difficult to choose just one, but covering global events like the Olympics and the Cannes Film Festival has been incredibly meaningful.
Recently, I attended the men’s and women’s hockey finals at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics and was invited by CBC to go live from the arena before the game and during the broadcast, then finding out the PM had tweeted a photo with me in it. Moments like that remind me how powerful storytelling can be in bringing audiences closer to experiences they might not otherwise see.
Another project I’m especially proud of is Wanderlusting in France, a travel storytelling series I self-produced that explores France through culture, people, and everyday experiences.
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
The best part is the people. I have the opportunity to meet individuals from all walks of life, from world leaders and athletes to artists, farmers, and entrepreneurs.
The hardest part is that storytelling involves a lot of behind-the-scenes work that people don’t always see, and much of that I navigate independently. Producing content, especially around time-sensitive events like the Olympics, can be demanding. But the stories and the people I meet make it incredibly worthwhile.
What are your future plans for your channel?
I want to continue expanding my storytelling internationally while staying deeply connected to communities here in British Columbia.
Some of my most meaningful experiences have been travelling to places like Terrace and Cranbrook and sharing the stories of artists, local businesses, and community leaders there. Exploring our own backyard can be just as inspiring as travelling across the world.
I’m also excited to release my self-produced travel series, Wanderlusting in France and continue building projects that combine travel, culture, sports, fashion, and meaningful storytelling.
Where can we follow you?
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another Canadian content creator that you love?
I admire Fiona Forbes. She has been such an important part of Vancouver’s media landscape for many years, and I’ve always appreciated the warmth, professionalism, and authenticity she brings to every conversation.
