Accept the Call Directed
by
Eunice Lau USA / 2019 / 82 minutes
In English, and Somali with subtitles
Screening
Times and Venues:
SAUGERTIES Orpheum Theater
10/4/2019, 12:30PM
$10
WOODSTOCK Bearsville Theater
10/6/2019, 1:30PM
$10
Q&A Attendees *subject to change: Eunice Lau, Yusuf Abdurahman, Yasu Inoue
SYNOPSIS: Zacharia Abdurahman is a Somali Muslim raised in Minneapolis. When the young man attempts to join ISIS, the FBI intervenes and puts him in federal prison for ten years. Accept the Call is the harrowing and morally complex story of how the Abdurahman family continues with their lives. Father Yusuf is horrified by his son’s decision to become a terrorist and embarks on a campaign to warn fellow Muslims to resist ISIS propaganda. Meanwhile, daughter Ikraan speaks out publicly about the rising trend of American xenophobia towards Muslims. The centerpiece of this documentary is a fascinating series of phone calls between Yusuf and his jailed son as they attempt to understand one another. Director Eunice Lau’s film is brutally frank and emotionally honest, complemented by lyrical cinematography. Accept the Call raises urgent but uncomfortable questions for all Americans. A brave and powerful documentary. — Jay Blotcher
BIO:
A former broadcast journalist, Eunice Lau has a penchant for telling stories concerning social justice. Her film Through the Fire was nominated for best short documentary at AMPAS Student Academy in 2013. She won the Spike Lee Fellowship for her feature documentary A-Town Boyz while pursuing her M.F.A. in film directing at New York University. With her training in narrative filmmaking, she seeks to bring a cinematic form to documentary films. Accept the Call" is a continuum of her exploration on the definition of the American hyphenated identity and capturing the journey of the immigrant.
MAIN CREDITS:
Cast/Featuring: Yusuf Abdurahman, Zacharia Abdurahman, Ikraan Abdurahman, Tony Osman, and Bihi Abdirizak
Executive Producer(s): Sally Jo Fiffer, Lois Vossen
The
Woodstock Film Festival
is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization with a mission to present an annual program and year-round schedule of film, music, and art-related activities that promote artists, culture, inspired learning, and diversity. The
Hudson Valley Film Commission
promotes sustainable economic development by attracting and supporting film, video and media production.
