Barzan

Sam “Barzan” Malkandi, an Iraqi refugee in the U.S., was working toward his piece of the American Dream in a Seattle suburb. But a footnote in the 9/11 Commission Report connecting him to a high-level Al-Qaeda operative through his childhood nickname changed everything. To neighbors, Sam Malkandi was the model immigrant and perfect family man. To investigators, Malkandi was a covert terrorist who represented a potential link between Iraq and the 9/11 attacks. To audiences, Malkandi is a mercurial character whose story embodies controversial issues of immigration, xenophobia and the price of security in the 21st century.

This film puts a face on the duality of the U.S. since 9/11. Immigrants still see a land of opportunity, but Americans want security as well. Sadly, immigrants now face closer scrutiny than ever. It is not clear who the “bad guys” are and too often innocents get swept up by the opaque government agencies charged with keeping us safe. While Sam may have caused some of his own problems, his case puts a human face on the tricky issues the U.S. struggles with. Shot both in Iraq and Seattle and featuring haunting sand animation sequences, the film takes audiences on the geopolitical journey of a family torn apart by suspicion.