Omar Naim Movies
- 2007
In the wake of September 11, 2001, the relationship between Muslim-Americans and their fellow countrymen hardly seems funny to most people, but a new breed of comedians of Muslim faith and Arabic descent are learning to disarm prejudice and defuse tension with humor. Ranging from Maysoon Zayid, a woman in her early twenties who mines laughter from the trials of being a Muslim woman with Cerebral Palsy in New Jersey, to Ahmed Ahmed, a funnyman who does a double act with a Rabbi called "One Arab, One Jew, One Stage," these comedians are challenging the assumptions of many Americans about Muslims while bringing together people of all faiths on the common ground of laughter. Documentary filmmakers Glenn Baker and Omar Naim examine the small but growing phenomenon of Muslim-American comedy in Stand Up: Muslim-American Comics Come Of Age, which shows a number of Muslim humorists at work as well as sharing the life lessons that inform their work. Stand Up: Muslim-American Comics Come Of Age received its world premiere at the 2007 Silverdocs Film Festival, a competition founded by the American Film Institute and The Discovery Channel. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
First-time filmmaker Omar Naim writes and directs the sci-fi drama The Final Cut. Set in the near future, the story concerns a microchip that is capable of recording a person's entire life. Robin Williams plays Alan Hakman, an editor who cuts together the footage to make pleasant movies for funerals. Tormented by his job and his own memories, Alan also has a troubled romantic relationship with bookseller Delilah (Mira Sorvino). While looking through footage for his next project, Alan discovers a man whom he believes is from his own past. Meanwhile, former editor Fletcher (James Caviezel) wants the footage for his own purposes. The Final Cut was shown at the Berlin Film Festival in 2004. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Williams, Mira Sorvino, (more)
