Arab Film Series

Prayer of the Wanderer

Expired July 31, 2023 3:59 AM
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8 films in package
Abroad
Jad and Rania, a Lebanese couple living in New York City, struggle to achieve their shared dream of breaking into the entertainment industry due, in part, to the typecasting of Arab actors.
Closed captions available
Baladi (My Country)
Gamal, a young and lonely Egyptian Muslim immigrant, has to find a place to live when his friend kicks him out. Fritzie, a grieving Ashkenazi Jewish widow, is struggling to pay the bills on her house. When the pair meet at the park, an unlikely friendship develops that will change their lives forever.
Between Land and Sky
Between Land and Sky is an experimental semi-biographical animation that moves between several visual mediums including live video and stop-motion animation to tell a story of dreams lost and estrangement, while invoking ritual music and body dance gestures of the narrator’s homeland in the south of Egypt.
I Say Dust
Two Arab-American women in New York City fall in love, argue home and identity, engage in a chess battle, and express themselves through the power of the spoken word.
Kingdom of Strangers
On the Pacific coast of Los Angeles, Ali and Yaffa struggle to remember the Arab Mediterranean cities they have left behind.
The Sailor
An Egyptian living and working in Pittsburgh reflects on his new surroundings through a series of images and observations.
Mariam
Zaid, a young Arab-American amateur drag queen, has to confront his conservative father and ailing grandfather about his identity.
Prayer of the Wanderer Q&A
Filmmakers Jenna Bosco and Shayma Aziz in Conversation with Haytham Saqr

PRAYER OF THE WANDERER is a short film program that explores the complex and multifaceted experiences of Arab American immigrants in their pursuit of identity within the context of living in the United States. By delving into their narratives, this event seeks to shed light on the richness and diversity of Arab American cultural heritage while confronting the challenges faced by individuals in navigating their dual identities. Through a carefully curated selection of films, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of the Arab American community's varied contributions to society while inviting audiences to contemplate the universal themes of belonging, adaptation, and self-discovery.

 

Featuring works by Ahmed Ragheb & Lily Ekimian, Darine Hotait, Jenna Bosco, Randa Ali, Reem Jubran, Shayma Aziz, and Zayn Alexandre.

An Egyptian living and working in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, reflects on his new surroundings through a series of images and observations. The resulting montage is a poignant cinematic postcard that explores the contradictory nature of the immigrant experience: at once lonely, frightening, and exhilarating.



Lily Ekimian Ragheb and Ahmed T. Ragheb are a married filmmaking duo based in Pittsburgh, PA. Lily, Russian-American, grew up between Washington, D.C., and Cairo, and Ahmed, Egyptian-Dutch-American, was born and raised in Cairo. Their work emphasizes identity, feminism, cultural dislocation and domesticity. Their short films have screened at festivals including AFMI’s Arab Film Festival and Uppsala Short Film Festival. Together they own the production company Studio Ragheb.

  • Year
    2021
  • Runtime
    11 minutes
  • Language
    Arabic
  • Country
    United States, Egypt
  • Genre
    Drama, Experimental
  • Subtitle Language
    English
  • Note
    https://studioragheb.com/short-films/the-sailor
  • Social Media
  • Director
    Lily Ekimian Ragheb and Ahmed T. Ragheb
  • Screenwriter
    Lily Ekimian Ragheb and Ahmed T. Ragheb
  • Producer
    Lily Ekimian, Ahmed T. Ragheb, Lara Ragheb
  • Cast
    Nour El-Din Sherif
  • Composer
    Daniel Knox & Nick Jones
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