Time For Ilhan documentary chronicles the beautiful and seemingly impossible triumph of the first Muslim woman to ever hold legislative office in America, Ilhan Omar.
An African immigrant refugee that escaped and survived the Somali civil war, a woman who lost her mother at the age of 2, a mother to three kids, a wife to a supportive husband, a daughter of a proud father and a leader in her community—Ilhan Omar is of the people, by the people. And her election couldn’t have come at a more pivotal time in American politics. It is time for Ilhan.
Time For Ilhan removes any false and negative media representations of Ilhan and lets you get to know the woman herself. You’re right by Ilhan from the beginning of her 2016 campaign all the way to the magnificent end as she fights to become elected member of the Minnesota House of Representatives.
But absolutely no triumph is without its obstacles. Ilhan is the underdog in a fight against two challengers: 44-year incumbent Phyllis Kahn and fellow Somali American Mohamud Noor. Throughout her campaign, every aspect of Ilhan’s identity is picked apart and dissected. As an immigrant, her “Americaness” is called into question as to whether she is a legitimate citizen of this country. As a Muslim, she often gets accused of anti-semitism while others accused her of becoming “white-washed.” In Ilhan’s own Somali community, she has significant support but there are still those who’d rather vote for Mohamud Noor because he is a man. With so many different identities, the big question in her campaign becomes exactly who is Ilhan Omar fighting for? But it was Ilhan’s intersecting identities that ultimately proved that she was fighting for everyone.
Ilhan Omar’s election also coincided with the election of Donald Trump. So there is a moment where the election of a Black Muslim immigrant woman will have you feeling like this country is finally progressing but that feeling of hope is brought to a screeching halt the night a bigoted white man who hates immigrants is also elected. But this documentary shows us one very important thing—the fight is not over. Quite the opposite, Ilhan’s election has contributed to the renewed and vigorous political efforts of women, most especially women of color, who refuse to remain silent and are actively becoming apart of government. Ilhan Omar represents a beacon of light.
Time for Ilhan is a call to action for women everywhere. Stand up and let your voices be heard. No one believed that a Black Muslim immigrant woman who never held office could ever become elected. Time for Ilhan shows us that you don’t need the experience to lead in this country. You just need compassion, determination, and resilience. This documentary shows that not only is it time for Ilhan— it’s time for people of color, women, immigrants, and young people everywhere.
The Director, Norah Shapiro will be hosting a ‘TIME FOR ILHAN Take Action’ tour at the beginning of March to screen the film and hold discussion panels in order to inspire average citizens to take grassroots actions in their communities.
Nominated for Outstanding Documentary at the 2019 NAACP Image Awards and world premiered at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival, Time For Ilhan will be released on all VOD platforms and DVD on March 8 in celebration of International Women’s Day.
