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Prairie Mosque

Since its inauguration over forty years ago, the first mosque in Manitoba has been home to a burgeoning Muslim community that has not forgotten its roots.

  • Nilufer Rahman
    Director
  • Nilufer Rahman
    Writer
  • Saira Rahman
    Writer
  • Nilufer Rahman
    Producer
  • Saira Rahman
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 17 minutes 8 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 31, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    35,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, 1080p HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Prairie Mosque Premiere Screening
    Winnipeg
    Canada
    October 26, 2018
Director Biography - Nilufer Rahman

Nilufer Rahman is a photographer and independent filmmaker based in Winnipeg. In 2007, she interned on the set of CBC’s hit television sitcom, Little Mosque on the Prairie. In 2010, after completing the Digital Film Production program at Langara College in Vancouver, she co-produced her first feature film, Arctic Mosque (aired on CBC and APTN in Canada and SVT Sweden), and established Snow Angel Films with her sister, Saira. In 2017, Nilufer won the MAX Films For Change competition for Letter To A Terrorist, a short art film created in response to the “trauma of our time”. Over the past few years, Nilufer has become a well-respected local filmmaker, known for making films with heart and depth that illuminate diverse voices.

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Director Statement

Prairie Mosque is a labour of love and a project initiated by us - Nilufer and Saira Rahman. The project was not commissioned by any particular organization or person(s). We grew up attending the first Manitoba mosque and for years it was like a second home. We have always had a close relationship with community and appreciate its value. Our goal in making the film was to honour our community pioneers and document local Muslim history in a way that is engaging, informative and accessible. We noticed that our community records as well as the provincial and city archives have little by way of a visual history of minorities in general – whereas we know that these communities had established roots many decades ago and call Winnipeg and Canada home. We realized that if we did not make a specific effort to gather old photos and firsthand stories from our community pioneers, that valuable knowledge would be lost.

Although we did our best to include a diversity of voices and images in the film, we acknowledge that it is not a definitive history. The experiences shared in the film highlight memories and issues that are important to us as filmmakers and to those who participated in the film. There are so many people whose stories, perspectives and contributions are important and significant, but we could not include them due to the limitation of film length. However, this is not meant to diminish their contribution in any way. Our aim was to create a film that would remind us of the spirit of those early days. We hope that by deeply reflecting on our past - the successes and the struggles - we will be enriched and empowered to shape a better future for all.