Shortly after the US presidential election in 2016, the first Travel Ban was issued and barred individuals from entering the US from seven predominantly Muslim countries as well as banning any refugee trying to seek asylum. Upon hearing this news we were devastated, and then outraged that this could happen. We had always considered the US welcoming to those of diverse cultures, faith and identity. And with one of us an immigrant, we also felt this was unreal as well as unjust.

We decided as a team of filmmakers to highlight the story of a refugee in our Seattle community and in so doing, transformed our outrage into activism. We created our first short film, Little Rebel, to celebrate the achievements and fortitude of an exceptional woman from The Gambia, Isatou Jallow. Isatou is everything we want for a hopeful American; she is strong, brilliant, full of courage and also happens to be Muslim. Isatou has overcome tremendous odds to now be a PHD student in Law with a focus on access to education for the disabled in The Gambia. Little Rebel went on to screen at 30 film festivals around the world, earning 4 awards, and played at multiple community events throughout the country as well as used by academic institutions, non profit organizations and in The Gambia to help push through their first Disability Act.

Following the success of Little Rebel, and in light of the US’s continued political climate of intolerance, Reel Witness created our current film, This Being Human. This short documentary also explores the life of a young refugee who left everything behind in war torn Iraq at age 15 in a solo quest for a brighter more peaceable future. Now 22, Hameed’s salvation is also scholarship in Seattle bound by a big altruistic dream.

We at Reel Witness are committed to creating personal tales of resilience and humanizing the facelessness of emigration in these politically polarizing times, not just in the US but around the world. Like Little Rebel, these films have been made pro-bono and will again be gifted to any non-profit organization, church, mosque or institution passionate about creating dialogue around the refugee experience and building more tolerance to all those around us who help shape and create our global diverse community.