Maryam Ahmad is a freelance writer. She writes about Muslim and South Asian representation in TV and film, and the intersection of politics and pop culture.
The documentary will join other documentaries from around the world in VICE Media founder Suroosh Alvi’s Short List, which spotlights documentaries from around the world and unpacks the journey of the filmmakers as they create their stories.
"I had a lot of expectations of what 'Q' would be, and it didn’t turn out like that. How people react to it and receive it is beyond our control. It's a matter of doing what feels right by you, because that's the only kind of truth that we can know."
Each year, the festival spotlights a different country and their art, including countries of the Middle East, Malaysia, Pakistan, and countries in Africa with significant Muslim populations.
"To be honest with you, I think I make very propulsive, loud films. In my new film project 'Kasbi,' I'm showing two brown women having sex on screen. It's inherently political."
“We didn't have the riches and luxuries of other people's lifestyle, but it gave us patience, being appreciative, and learning to take real substance everywhere that you go. Having nothing made us realize that we had everything."
“Polite Society” (2023) debuted to critical acclaim and quickly gained favor among Muslim and South Asian audiences for the novelty of a brown Muslim woman leading an action film. The film is a fast-paced, entertaining story about sisterhood.
Salaam Reads focuses on positive portrayals of Muslim characters and communities to combat the stereotypes that have historically been associated with Muslims in the U.S.
Hassan wrote in a statement that “this film is more than just a story, it’s a reflection of my own youth and the struggles I faced growing up in a society that often viewed me and those like me as ‘other.'"
Abdel Gawad worked at the Arab American Association of New York, a community organization serving the immigrant community in Brooklyn. Between Two Moons is her first novel, based also in Brooklyn, and inspired by her experience there serving the community.
"Marginalized people are rarely allowed to be self-indulgent. We're told to think about how this reflects on us and how this reflects on our community and so on."
The new hijabi member of the Spider Society was only on screen for a few seconds, with one line, but for Muslim hijabi fans, she gave a whole new meaning to the Spider-Man ethos — “Anyone can wear the mask.”
