"...provides a unique forum for us to critically reflect upon our own assumptions and perceptions of difference, specifically surrounding the hijab, women, Islam, gender, and power." — Larissa Bailon Favela, Ohlone Community College
"A very powerful and personal exploration about what the veil means to these four women. I highly recommend it." — Professor Persis Karim, San Jose State University
Four Muslim American women find that in post-9-11 America, their choice to wear or not wear the hijab (the Muslim headscarf or covering), has become a focal point for debate and education. Arwa, born in the US to Palestinian parents, bootstraps a new identity that includes being Muslim and embracing her love of sports. Mahsa, an Iranian-born woman who grew up under the eyes of the Islamic revolution, rejects wearing the hijab in the US but wants her daughter to be free to choose whether to adopt the hijab. Nur, a recent convert who was born and raised in the Southern U.S., embraces the hijab as part of her journey away from sexual objectification. Dian, an Indonesian businesswoman who left the corporate world to pursue a more spiritual life, melds her fashion sense with the need to be modest as required by her religion. Their "counterstories" reveal not only each woman's unique perspective, but also challenge us to see the complex identities within any category of people and to witness the particular struggles faced by ordinary Muslim women in America.
This film is available with a Digital Site License (DSL), which allows colleges, universities, or libraries to encode, locally host, and stream the film to their community on a closed, password-protected system.
Rental Information
This film is available from AFD for public screenings and television broadcast. For information regarding rental rates and formats, please contact [email protected] for institutional/non-theatrical screenings, or [email protected] for theatrical, festival, television, or other bookings.