MOSTResource.org

Resources on Muslims for the Entertainment Industry

  • Story Bank
    • Business & Technology
    • Entertainment
    • Culture & Lifestyle
    • Medical
    • National
    • Faith
    • Sports
    • Women
    • World
  • Resources
    • Faces & Places
    • Statistics
    • Infographics
    • Research / Reports
    • Quick Takes
  • Perspectives
  • Events
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Staff
    • Parent Organization
    • Videos
  • Story Bank
  • Business & Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Culture & Lifestyle
  • Medical
  • National
  • Faith
  • Sports
  • Women
  • World
mostresource storybank video

Explored Our Story Bank Yet?

Our curated collection of thousands of stories has helped top Hollywood writers, producers, and creatives. Watch our brief video to learn more.

Media & Entertainment, Women — December 3, 2019   

Filmmaker Minhal Baig On Her Sundance Hit “Hala”

Original article by Mary Sollosi published in the Entertainment Weekly on 02/04/2019

Photo Credit: EW
Photo Credit: EW

“Hala” is the debut feature of writer-director Minhal Baig which not only recently premiered at the Sundance film festival but got acquired by Apple, making that the company’s first acquisition at the festival.

According to Entertainment Weekly, “the film was expanded from Ms. Baig’s 2016 short “Hala” and chronicles the emotionally turbulent coming-of-age of a Muslim Pakistani-American teenager (Blockers breakout Geraldine Viswanathan) as she navigates her sexual awakening and contemplates her cultural identity during her senior year of high school.”

Though the film is not directly autobiographical, Ms. Baig says that “there are parts of me in all of these characters.” But primarily, it is a coming-of age story which “happens to feature a Muslim-American, Pakistani-American teenager.” The filmmaker says that she really wanted to normalize the Muslim-American experience and make the story a universal one. “I didn’t want it to feel like you can’t relate to it if you’re not from that background.”

“Hala” is currently in selected theaters and is streaming on Apple TV Plus starting Dec 6th.

CLICK HERE for a Los Angeles Times review.

Read more ...

Our Experts Are Here To Help

Want to start a conversation with our experts for help with your project?

Related Articles

  • Traveling Exhibit Spotlights Michigan’s Arab & Muslim Communities
  • A Brief History of Latino American Muslims
  • Filmmaker Minhal Baig On Her Sundance Hit “Hala”

More From The Story Bank

Traveling Exhibit Spotlights...

Halal Metropolis is a traveling exhibition which explores Muslim lives in Southeast Michigan as viewed "through historical and archival research, documentation of current conditions, and explorations … [Read More...]

A Brief History of Latino...

According to a recent PEW report, about 8% of all Muslim Americans adults are Latino, the population increasing by about a third from 2011. Latino Muslim communities have found a home in mostly urban … [Read More...]

Filmmaker Minhal Baig On Her...

"Hala" is the debut feature of writer-director Minhal Baig which not only recently premiered at the Sundance film festival but got acquired by Apple, making that the company’s first acquisition at the … [Read More...]

Author On Experiencing...

Nadine Jolie Courtney is the author of the new novel All-American Muslim Girl. The YA book is about a sixteen-year-old girl’s rite-of-passage as she explores her Islamic faith, and encounters such … [Read More...]

New Film Follows Formerly...

A new report from Muslim Advocates has found that while Muslims make up about only 1% of the U.S. population, they make up 9% of state prisoners. The Honest Struggle is a new documentary that … [Read More...]

Enter your email to receive periodic updates

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About | Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy© 2002–2019 MOST ResourceMOST Resource globe