Creating Change (2024)
Director: Dina Amin
Producers: Brian J. Bowe & Bidisha Biswas
Camera: Yousef Hammad
Sound recordist & music design: Alaa Barghouthi
Production coordinator: Yasmin Amin
Music composition: Brian J. Bowe & Alaa Barghouthi
Production house: Scene Z
"Creating Change" is a poignant short documentary that traces the perspectives and aspirations of two young Palestinian content creators as they work to challenge stereotypes and redefine the Palestinian narrative.
The film delves into the lives of Donia and Rand, two inspiring Palestinian figures representing the resilience and determination of their generation. Donia, a bright soul from the Shuafat Refugee Camp and a student at Bethlehem University, employs dark comedy as a coping mechanism amidst the daily challenges posed by the occupation. Rand, a passionate advocate from Bethlehem, shares her strategies to fortify Palestine's image in the media. Her dedication to amplifying the Palestinian narrative and promoting a more accurate representation of Palestinians is inspiring.
Filmed in the summer of 2023 during media literacy workshops in Jerusalem and Ramallah, the documentary showcases the determination of workshop participants to promote understanding and present a more accurate depiction of Palestinian life. The film encourages critical thinking about the media's impact on public perception while inspiring hope in this young generation of Palestinians. This video was made possible through a grant from the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs.
Dreaming of a Free Press (2022)
Director: Joe Gosen
Producer and soundtrack composer: Brian J. Bowe
A free and responsible press is the cornerstone of a strong and healthy democracy, but global declines in press freedom demonstrate that it remains a fragile institution. Dreaming of a Free Press examines the state of journalism from the perspective of emerging Tunisian and American journalists, who represent the future of the field.
Dreaming of a Free Press follows a collaborative project between U.S. and Tunisian journalism faculty and students aimed at strengthening press freedom in the aftermath of Tunisia's 2011 revolution. The project began in 2019, when students and professors from Western Washington University traveled to Tunisia to work with counterparts at the Institute for Press and Information Sciences. The students took part in discussions about the role of journalism in society and worked on reporting projects in the in the run-up to the 2019 Tunisian presidential elections. In 2022, the Tunisian delegation traveled to Detroit to participate in an international journalism and mass communication conference. While there, they interviewed scholars and professionals about the state of press freedom around the world.
Dreaming of a Free Press provides a look into the challenges and opportunities facing the future of journalism worldwide and the role journalism education plays in bolstering this fundamental right. The film was the recipient of the 2023 Creative Research Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication’s Visual Communication division. The project was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of State.
The Death of an Imam (2011)
Director: Geri Alumit Zeldes
Producers: Brian J. Bowe, Salah D. Hassan and Geri Alumit Zeldes
Soundtrack composer: Brian J. Bowe
On October 28, 2009, FBI agents shot and killed Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah in a Dearborn, Michigan warehouse. It was the first killing of an American Muslim religious leader by the U.S. government. This short documentary examines the news reporting associated with the shooting. It explores the issues at the core of the incident: The allegations of a terrorism conspiracy, the use of FBI informants, and Muslims in the mainstream media.
This documentary was directed by Geri Alumit Zeldes and co-produced by Brian J. Bowe, Salah D. Hassan and Geri Alumit Zeldes. The project was created at Michigan State University and was made possible through a grant from the Social Science Research Council. The film won the King Family Foundation Best of Festival Award at the Broadcast Education Association’s Festival of Media Arts and was nominated for a regional EMMY award.