Writing an American Story: Playwright Yussef El Guindi

Playwright Yussef El Guindi writes stories of immigrant experience in the United States. “I pick Arab American or Muslim American characters... but they are essentially immigrant stories,” says El Guindi. Weaving themes of war, betrayal, and sexuality, El Guindi's plays address the current atmosphere of mutual distrust between America and Arab countries, while attempting to dispel misperceptions about Arab-Americans.

  • Laila Kazmi
    Director
  • Laila Kazmi
    Producer
  • Resti Bagcal
    Videographer
  • Laila Kazmi
    Editor
  • Yussef El Guindi
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 1 second
  • Completion Date:
    April 26, 2016
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • PBS NewsHour Art Beat

    United States
    May 3, 2016
  • KCTS 9 Television
    Seattle, WA
    United States
  • PBS.org Streaming portal

    United States
  • Arab Film Festival
    Seattle, WA
    United States
    July 23, 2016
Distribution Information
  • Cascade Public Media/KCTS Television
    Country: United States
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Laila Kazmi

Laila Kazmi is a Seattle-based filmmaker and television producer. Her first love is discovering and telling the stories of diverse people, places, and history. She received a 2016 NW Regional Emmy® award for her short documentary 'When Music is Medicine' and was nominated for a 2016 NW Regional Emmy® for 'Heartwood: The Art of Humaira Abid,' which also screened at the Portland Film Festival and Seattle's South Asian International Documentary Festival. Laila has lived in Seattle, Chicago, Bahrain, and Karachi (Pakistan). She is currently a senior producer at Seattle's PBS affiliate television station, where she launched the Web and broadcast immigration series, 'Borders & Heritage.'

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