Recently, the Huz and I caught the short run of The Tiger Hunter, a film directed by Lena Khan. (For an article about Khan and making The Tiger Hunter, go here. For those of you who don’t already know, I watch a lot of film – especially smaller, independent films. I believe that if you want to see more diversity in Hollywood and popular media, then you have to do your best to support media that reflects those sensibilities. I was struck by her take on an immigrant story set in the late 1970s/early 1980s. The story was inspired by her father’s story, and Khan set out to create a film where the main character is Muslim. That she is one of a small handful of Muslim women filmmakers, makes this film a definite accomplishment. It seems the film’s theater distribution is limited, so please check out their Facebook page for screening information.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say that the cast that includes Dani Purdi, Rizwan Manji, Jon Heder, and Karen David, is amazing. The story is very heartening, and serves as a reminder of the optimism one carries and humanizes the hardships that many experience upon immigrating to the U.S. Though we disagree on the film’s ending, the Huz and I were glad to have made our way to San Francisco to watch this. I do wish that it had a broader distribution. If there is a screening near you, please be sure to buy your tickets and check this out!

Maraming Salamat,
Joanne L. Rondilla, Ph.D.
South San Francisco, CA