Professor Aggie Ebrahimi Bazaz’s, groundbreaking film How to Tell a True Immigrant Story will be screened at the 44th Annual Atlanta Film Festival Sept 17th – 27th. This 13-minute film is described by the festival as a “360-degree tapestry of reflections on belonging, racial profiling, and resilience among members of an immigrant community in upstate New York.”
This unique offering will be featured in this year’s “Virtual Reality” category and has already received critical acclaim from other noted and nationally respected film festivals. In this film, professor Bazaz hopes to convey the lived experiences of individuals in a participatory way. “The film is also an intentionally structured, reflective statement meant to intervene in local, regional, and even national discourse. 360-degree videos also offer opportunity to experience one’s self and one’s space anew,” says Bazaz.
Sharing the spotlight at this year’s festival is associate professor Daniel Robins short experimental documentary film, Petting Zoo.
This deeply personal film documents Robins 1974 experience with a local TV news station crew who visited his home to document and learn about Jewish rituals. A narrative evolves about the formation of American Jewish identity and transforms into an analogy for the current rise in nationalism and anti-Semitism.
Petting Zoo has made its rounds on the international circuit with screenings held at Analogica 9 in Bolzano, Italy, Rome, London, Paris, and San Francisco. You can watch these films during the festival at the links below.
https://atlantafilmfestival2020.eventive.org/films/5ecfeeff5e6f59002f46b566
https://atlantafilmfestival2020.eventive.org/films/5ecfeeff5e6f59002f46b535
-Karin Smoot