Embassy of the United States Baghdad, Iraq

November 22, 2010

Students from the Women’s College of Fine Arts, the Fine Arts Institute, and alumnae animated a film documentary projection "New Muslim Cool on Monday" (State Dept.)

As part of “Jusoor” (Arabic for “Bridges”), the United States Embassy’s cultural outreach program that promotes dialogue between the peoples U.S. and Iraq, the Embassy in Baghdad hosted a group of Iraqi filmmakers, film students from the Women’s College of Fine Arts, the Fine Arts Institute, and alumnae from U.S. educational exchanges for a screening of the acclaimed documentary New Muslim Cool on Monday, November 22.  New Muslim Cool focuses on the experiences of Puerto Rican American rapper and Muslim convert, Hamza Perez. The film takes viewers on a ride through the streets of urban America as Hamza takes his message of faith to young people as a member of the hip-hop duo, “M-Team.” The film also portrays his struggle to raise two children as a single father, his quest to find a Muslim spouse, and we see some of the challenges of being Muslim in our post-9/11 world.  

New Muslim Cool was produced and directed by Maytorena Taylor whose credits include Ramadan Primetime, Special Circumstances, Paulina, Home Front, Immigration Calculations, and many other short films and television segments.  New Muslim Cool was awarded the Feature Film Freedom Award at the 5th Annual Al Jazeera International Documentary Film Festival in Doha, Qatar.

The film presentation at the Embassy was followed by an hour-long panel discussion featuring Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer Russell Brooks and Iraqi actor and filmmaker Basheer Al Majed. Attendees engaged in a lively discussion about the themes presented in the film, religious tolerance, and Muslim life in the United States. 

As part of the Jusoor program, the Embassy will regularly screen American–made documentaries and feature films that share ideas, foster dialogue, and building bridges between the peoples of Iraq and the United States.