Experiencing Interruptions?

Brooklyn, Inshallah

Khader El-Yateem, an Arab American Pastor from Palestine, and Linda Sarsour, organizer of the Women’s March on Washington, come together in the wake of President Trump’s anti-Muslim policies. With Sarsour’s support, El-Yateem runs for New York City council. Will he be the first Arab American to ever win a seat in the race? The documentary follows the drama of his candidacy.

  • Ahmed Mansour
    Director
    Gaza Strip Closely
  • Paul Costello
    Writer
    The Presidential Plot
  • Sarah Friedland
    Producer
    The Rink
  • Seth Morrison
    Producer
    The Occupation
  • Jillian Karole
    Producer
  • Hannes Hosp
    Producer
  • Miles Kilcourse
    Producer
  • Marcia Rock
    Producer
    Dancing With My Father
  • Ziad Foty
    Producer
    El Mahal, Blue
  • Linda Sarsour
    Key Cast
  • Khader El-Yateem
    Key Cast
  • Aber Kawas
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Social Justice, Political
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 23 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 4, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    104,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    Arabic, English
  • Shooting Format:
    Sony Fs5
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Ahmed Mansour

Ahmed Mansour, a New York-based filmmaker, is a NYU Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute - News and Documentary Program - graduate. Ahmed was born and raised in a refugee camp in Gaza Strip, Palestine. He worked as an organizer, translator and guide for international journalists covering the 2014 war. He has also worked as a reporter for the Washington Report on the Middle East Affairs in Washington DC. He is a graduate of an extensive course in storytelling form Storywise Center. Ahmed has received residencies and fellowships from Duke University and the Paths to Peace Leadership Program. He's the 2019 MountainFilm Emerging Filmmaker Fellow based in Telluride, Colorado.

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Director Statement

When I was new to the USA, I had to cope with the normal phases of cultural estrangement and confusion. I was warmly accepted, even adopted by American and American/Australian families, and then, in other circles, been called a terrorist and told to go home. The candidate Rev. El-Yateem has helped me make sense of this paradox of America and NYC, one that welcomes me with the Statue of Liberty and at the same time, enforces a Muslim ban.
I feel I am walking the same path as my candidate and his family walked decades ago. Rev. El-Yateem has been an inspiration to me through his work and his life. Three years ago, I lived as a member of a nation under siege, in Gaza Strip, strangled for food and life’s necessities in a 10 yearlong Israeli enforced blockade.

The culture shock of arriving in Manhattan was not about American but largely because I was never exposed to such diversity. I never even imagined such a city could exist. Championing El-Yateem’s story helps me broadcast the lessons I have learned about the inestimable value of liberal democracy and how it embraces diversity. My experience and my passion for film and documentary make me feel compelled to tell this story. This was one chance that my Candidate decided to take, with all its risks, and I had this one chance to be there, to document this defining moment in the history of a community.