In partnership with MIPSTERZ, Duke Arts is proud to present a joint screening of three films exploring futures near and far: “Building Bridges: Muslims in America”  “ALHAMDU | MUSLIM FUTURISM,” and “Wish Hill”. Screenings will be followed by a Q&A with Directors Saleem Reshamwala, Aleah Marrow, and Abbas Rattani at the Rubenstein Arts Center Film Theater.

5:00 pm Building Bridges: Muslims in America (45 min)
5:45 pm ALHAMDU | MUSLIM FUTURISM (5 min)
5:50 pm  Wish Hill (8 min)
6:00 pm Filmmaker Q&A w/ Saleem Reshamwala, Abbas Rattani, Aleah Marrow

About the Films

“Building Bridges: Muslims in America” chronicles a five-year initiative of the same name started in 2018. The project showcases the richness and diversity of Muslim culture in this country. Working in partnership with the Duke Islamic Studies Center (DISC) and the Duke University Middle East Studies Center (DUMESC), Duke Performances hosted residencies by U.S.-based Muslim artists featuring substantial engagement with the Duke and Durham community, visits to nearby high schools, and public concerts. Durham-based filmmaker KidEthnic provides a behind-the-scenes look at each residency through short films documenting the series.

“ALHAMDU | MUSLIM FUTURISM” is a musically driven experimental vision of Muslim joy as resistance and liberation. It is a colorful and joyous look into a future where Muslims exist unapologetically. A future where our dignity, flourishing, and imaginations as Muslims are actualized—a future where Third Culture is the dominant wave, where Muslims exist loudly alongside each other in their found-families. The film was an official selection in festivals around the country, including the Tribeca Film Festival and Atlanta Film Festival.

“Wish Hill” is a narrative short film featuring Kaden and Damon finding their childhood wearied amidst the pandemic. As quarantine fatigue sets in, Kaden becomes increasingly aware that the new normal is capricious. With the desperate need to escape, Kaden and Damon go on an adventure filled with exploration and discovery that holds the answer to what they desire most. Directed by Durham-based, former tennis player-turned-filmmaker Aleah Marrow, the film recently received the honor of Best Children Short at Indie Short Fest.​

About the Filmmakers

Saleem Reshamwala is a journalist and filmmaker, and director of “Building Bridges: Muslims in America.” Currently, he is the host of the TED podcast, Far Flung, which explores ideas around the globe.Previously, Reshamwala has created work for LinkedIn, Soccer.com, and PBS Digital Studios, for which he filmed rappers and beatmakers in Senegal, Ethiopia, Fiji, Panama, and the Democratic Republic of Congo for the web series “Beat Making Lab.” He has also traveled around the world by boat, twice. In 2017, Reshamwala won Best Music Video at the Hip Hop Film Festival in Harlem for the music video he directed for G. Yamazawa’s (“North Cack”). He also received an Emmy nomination for his work on implicit bias and race while at The New York Times. He has degrees in journalism and philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Abbas Rattani is an academic, entertainer, founder of MIPSTERZ, and director of “ALHAMDU | MUSLIM FUTURISM.”  He is a strong advocate for individuality and self-expression in minority communities. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Religious Studies with a focus on Islamic Studies and has published, presented, and taught numerous works on Islamic ethics, social justice, morality, research ethics, film/tv communication, and religious authority. Over the past decade, Abbas has produced countless films and created content for MTV, Tumblr, and musical artists, as well as opening for comedians Lewis Black and Wyatt Cenac, and Kenan Thompson.

Aleah Marrow is a filmmaker and graduate of Syracuse University. Her work aims to explore a combination of reality, morality, human connection, as well as our relationship to time. As a former professional tennis player, Aleah has traveled all over the world having exposure to several cultures. In 2020, Aleah decided to retire from her tennis career and begin her journey of storytelling. In 2021, she wrote and directed her first short film Wish Hill, which was an official selection at the BAFTA-qualifying Aesthetica Short Film Festival, and Los Angeles International Film Festival