Shireen Alihaji & Brandy Young | Pasadena, CA
Gospel No. 1
Film, 5:00 min. (2018)


This film reflects on heartbreak and turning to spirituality to ground and re-center the heart through ritual. It extends a thread from the larger tapestry that is the Latinx Muslim experience. In so doing, this film celebrates and normalizes Afro-Latinx Muslim identity. Foregrounding the power and dignity of an Afro-Latina Muslim in her floral crown, the artists honor power within a setting that aligns gender, ethnicity and religion.


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This film was created collaboratively by:

Starring Myree T
Directed by: Shireen Alihaji and Brandy Young
DP: Jaime Ballesteros, Robert Penna
Styling: Marina Hernandez and Muslim Vintage
Locations: Jessica Augustine, Melissa Perez, Bernabe Bolanos

Song: Shireen Alihaji, Rene Pacheco, Crystal Cerecedes, Jonathan Rivera, Andrew Ramirez, Art Zavala Jr.
Poem: Rumi
Hadith: Qudsi

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