List
Muslim Stories and Voices in Documentaries
These films feature Muslim stories that move beyond stereotypes and show the complexity and diversity of the Muslim community.
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All That Breathes
2024Get this itemNominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, this mesmerizing film focuses on two Muslim brothers who have devoted their lives to saving birds of prey called black kites. They run a bird clinic in Delhi, doing the best they can with limited resources. Yes, the doc is about their selfless work, but it’s also about climate change, complicated family dynamics, and social structures that are often less than welcoming. Suggested by Rummanah and Sharon.
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Four Daughters
2024Get this itemKaouther Ben Hania pushes the boundaries of what constitutes a documentary by inserting metacommentary and actors playing the roles of absent people. What could have been a sensationalized story of radicalism becomes a nuanced look at the complex relationships between mother and daughter, a patriarchal society, and intergenerational trauma. Suggested by Rummanah and Sharon.
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All Static & Noise
2024Get this itemThis informative and compelling documentary highlights the ongoing humanitarian crisis of the Uyghur people at the hands of the Chinese authorities. Weaving personal moving testimonies from Uyghur exiles and survivors, the documentary offers a raw, tragic, and emotional portrayal of families torn apart and the deliberate attempt to eradicate Uyghur identity, language, culture, and also their practice of Islam by China's brutal policies. It also strives for hope and to expand international awareness to help stop this crisis. Suggested by Rummanah.
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The Real Mo Farah
2024Get this itemWinner of the 2023 Bafta Single Documentary, this is not your usual sports documentary. Knighted in 2017 by Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Mohammad Farah is considered to be one of the greatest runners of all time. His ten global championship gold medals (four Olympic and six World titles) make him the most successful male track distance runner in the history of the sport. In this intimate and candid film, he reveals a dark secret that he has kept hidden. He bravely traces his steps back in history, from the present day to Somalia land, piecing together the missing parts of his traumatic childhood event. Suggested by Rummanah.
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An Act of Worship
2023Get this itemBroadcast as part of the POV series on PBS and nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2022, independent filmmaker Nausheen Dadabhoy uses a myriad of Muslim voices and personal stories to create a collective memory of what it is like to be a Muslim in America for the last 30 years. It frankly discusses Islamophobia and shows how a younger generation of Muslim Americans are embracing their identity as a form of resistance. Suggested by Rummanah and Sharon.
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Shirin Ebadi: Until We Are Free
2022Get this itemHeroic, brave, defiant, Iranian lawyer and human rights activist Shirin Ebadi is the the first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. This engrossing documentary chronicles her life, accomplishments, and hopes for the future. Suggested by Rummanah and Sharon.
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The Great Muslim American Road Trip
2022Get this itemMarried couple Mona Haydar and Sebastian Robins learn just how much they didn't know about the past and present of Muslims in the United States when they follow historic Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. When asked about the goal of the show, Haydar replied that it was an opportunity to be real on camera. It originally aired in three parts on PBS. Suggested by Andrew.
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Flee
2022Get this itemAmin (a pseudonym) reveals a hidden past about himself and his family when they fled the war in Afghanistan in the 1990s. This earned three Oscar nominations: Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary, and Best International Feature Film. We loved how this documentary uses a mixture of animation and archival footage to tell a beautiful, at times heartbreaking, story of compassion, courage, and creativity. Suggested by Chris, Rummanah, and Sharon.
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Breaking Bread
2022Get this itemNof Atamna-Ismaeel was the first Muslim Arab to win Israel’s reality TV show MasterChef. Believing that food is a path to social change, she creates a food festival in Haifa where Arab and Jewish chefs work side by side to create delicious dishes. You don’t have to be a foodie to enjoy the documentary--the message of friendship is universal. Suggested by Sharon.
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Muhammad Ali
2021Get this itemIslam had a profound impact on Ali-- and as with so much of his life, he in turn was a fierce advocate for his faith, the greater Muslim community and a champion of social justice causes informed by his devotion to his faith. This Ken Burns documentary offers a great overview of Ali's multifaceted, larger-than-life legacy. Suggested by Chris and Rummanah.
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Life Without Basketball
2019Get this itemBilqis Abdul-Qaadir was the first hijabi Muslim woman to play NCAA Division I basketball and was well on her way to the WNBA, but her dream of turning pro was blocked by the International Basketball Federation's ruling on not allowing any headgear. This insightful documentary shows how Bilqis' faith and identity were pitted against her dreams. Unable to play, she started the organization Muslim Girls Run Hoop Too and helped pave the way for other Muslim female athletes. Suggested by Rummanah and Sharon.
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Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl)
2020Get this itemA heartwarming and heartbreaking look into the lives of Afghan girls who secretly attend Skateistan, a charity-run school, and learn how to skateboard. Though the current state of Skateistan is unknown, its impact on the girls' lives is long-lasting. The film is the winner of the 2020 Oscar for short documentary. Suggested by Rummanah and Sharon.
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Kedi
2017Get this itemOne of the most watched documentaries in the library, this heartwarming movie follows seven stray cats through the ancient streets of Istanbul, as they live and interact with the people who take care of them. It is a unique inside look at the primarily Muslim city and the humans who cherish their feline friends. Suggested by Amy G. and Sharon.
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Between Allah and Me (and Everyone Else)
2016Get this itemThe hijab, a head covering worn in public by some Muslim women, is highly discussed within and outside the Muslim community. Many people are unaware that the hijab is a personal choice and a relationship established between the individual and Allah (the Arabic word for God). This enlightening and candid documentary explores the challenges faced by four practicing Muslim women in North America as they decide to start or stop wearing hijab and how the hijab is perceived by others. Suggested by Rummanah.
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New Muslim Cool
2015Get this itemDocumentarian Jennifer Maytorena Taylor shines a light on the spiritual journey of Hamza Jason Perez, a young Puerto Rican religious convert who is constantly trying to reinvent himself to become a better person and to help improve his community. This thought-provoking film not only dispels the common myth that Muslims are only from the Middle East and South Asia but also shows the limitations of freedom of speech and freedom of religion in the United States. Suggested by Rummanah.
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These Birds Walk
2014Get this itemFilmmakers Omar Mullick and Bassam Tariq's remarkable documentary follow the lives of lost children in Karachi, Pakistan, and the humanitarian effort of the Edhi Foundation. In equal measures of heartbreak and beauty, the directors opt for observational cinema to tell their story. Suggested by Rummanah.
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