Marjoun and the Flying Headscarf is a ten-minute film about an Arab-American girl who must come to terms with her sexuality while balancing the mores of two different cultures.

The narrative explores veiling, spirituality, and domestic violence.

I made this film to promote a more realistic view of Islamic spiritual practice, and in order to break the silence around sexual abuse in the Arab/Muslim community.

As our protagonist struggles with the different forces around her, she turns to Islam and uses the religion as a means of liberation and self-definition. Therefore, the film presents a truth rarely identified in American media: Islam can be a redeemer that empowers the female devotee.

The film also explores the issue of domestic violence in Marjoun's family, daring to focus on a taboo topic in Arab/Muslim societies: incest. Rather than be silenced by the fear created by outside pressure at a time when the Arab/Muslim community in the U.S. is deeply troubled by the world focus on terrorism, I seek to provide a means for our community to discuss its internal problems. I want to open dialogue on domestic violence in our households.

The short has been acquired for distribution by the Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Center.