Award Winning Film Amreeka to Play at Arab American National Musuem
The word “America” represents the end of the rainbow for many immigrants seeking a better way of life. For native Arabic speakers dreaming of a new life in the U.S., the word often comes out sounding more like “Amreeka” than “America.”
Amreeka, the award-winning feature film debut of Arab American writer/director Cherien Dabis, will have its Michigan premiere at 6 p.m. Saturday, August 29, at the Arab American National Museum (AANM) in Dearborn.
Cherien Dabis will be present for a post-screening Q & A session. This special evening also includes a halal iftar dinner (those observing Ramadan will break their fast, while others may simply enjoy the delicious Arabic meal) plus dessert and coffee.
MEDIA NOTES: Cherien Dabis is available for interview Friday, August 28 and Saturday, August 29. Please contact James Lewis, jlewispr@gmail.com, to schedule. To download production photos, visit http://www.imageevent.com/amreeka.
Tickets for the film screening only are $7 ($6 for AANM Members), while tickets for the entire evening (film, Q&A, dinner, dessert) are just $10 ($9 for AANM Members). That’s a complete evening of dining and entertainment for less than the price of a multiplex movie ticket.
To purchase advance tickets, available ONLINE ONLY, visit http://www.arabamericanmuseum.org/amreekamichiganpremiere. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Email questions to Rachid Elabed at relabed@accesscommunity.org.
Amreeka chronicles the adventures of Muna, a single mother who leaves the West Bank with Fadi, her teenage son, with dreams of an exciting future in the promised land of small-town Illinois. Told with heartfelt humor by writer/director Dabis, Amreeka is a universal journey into the lives of a family of immigrants and first-generation teenagers caught between their heritage, the new world in which they now live and the bittersweet search for a place to call home.
Amreeka stars Nisreen Faour as Muna; Melkar Muallen plays her 16-year-old son. Also in the cast are Hiam Abbass, Alia Shawkat, Yussef Abu-Warda and Joseph Ziegler. For more on the film and Dabis, please visit www.amreeka.com.
Amreeka premiered as on official selection at this year’s Sundance Film Festival; was the opening night presentation at New Directors/New Films; and won the critics prize in Directors Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival, where it also took home the FIPRESCI Prize.
National Geographic Entertainment is hosting advance screenings of Amreeka in major U.S. cities in advance of a mid-September commercial opening. In metro Detroit, the film opens September 18 at the Uptown Birmingham Theatre and Landmark Maple 3. For group sales information, email amreekagroupsales@gmail.com.
This special event is presented by: Arab American National Museum; National Network for Arab American Communities; American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan; www.ArabDetroit.com; Greenlight Film Funding; and Mike Mosallam, in collaboration with National Geographic Entertainment.
The Arab American National Museum documents, preserves, celebrates, and educates the public on the history, life, culture, and contributions of Arab Americans. It serves as a resource to enhance knowledge and understanding about Arab Americans and their presence in this country. The Arab American National Museum is a project of ACCESS, a Dearborn, Michigan-based nonprofit human services and cultural organization. Learn more at www.arabamericanmuseum.org and www.accesscommunity.org.
The Arab American National Museum is a proud Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Read about the Affiliations program at http://affiliations.si.edu.
The Museum is located at 13624 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, MI, 48126. Museum hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday, Tuesday; Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission is $6 for adults; $3 for students, seniors and children 6-12; ages 5 and under, free. Call 313.582.2266 for further information.