Jacob + Malika

 Jacob + Malika is the story of a Muslim girl who moves to the U.S. and falls in love with an American boy next door. The star-crossed pair attempts to keep their relationship alive despite disapproving family and a hostile culture. This short film is intended to promote compassion and understanding in a divisive political climate.

Filming was completed in July 2017 by members of the Scary Cow Productions film cooperative on location in Redwood Shores, Sandpiper Lagoon, and San Carlos, CA. The talented crew includes director of photography Chris Rasmussen, assistant director Jose Lopez and associate producer Sahar Kazemzadeh. Jacob + Malika stars Connor Mulraney and Marisa Darabi as the title characters, with a supporting cast that includes Geeta Rai, Hateem Harraz, and a dozen others.

 Director’s Statement: I wrote the first draft of this story a year ago after a major presidential candidate called for a ban on all Muslims from entering the United States. I figured the American people would be smart enough to dismiss him after that, but I wanted to explore the emotional damage that could be done in such an alternate reality through storytelling.

I could never have told Malika’s story without the help of several Muslim friends. But Jacob’s story is told from the same world that I grew up in, not conservative middle America, but a progressive oasis, where the illusion of what America should have been was shattered in 2016. That shattering is the story that I wanted to tell. — Vahan Bedelian