‘Guess Who’s Muslim’ is a hilarious four-part web series written and directed by Jonathan Abdilla, a Canadian Muslim filmmaker. His first introduction to the world of film came ten years ago, when he worked alongside William Chappelle (brother of comedian Dave Chappelle). It was William in part who motivated him to pursue filmmaking and gave him a letter of recommendation to enter a college film program.
The series is about a Donald, a young man who converted to Islam without telling his old-school parents. When he finally sits his parents down to reveal his secret, they tell him they already know:
“All the signs were there: all the young ladies stopped calling, your father saw you wearing a long white dress one day hugging a man in a beard, I believe he was your ‘bear’? Is that the right term?”
It turns out they had drawn their own very different conclusion!
Hilarity ensues as his parents attempt to learn about his new-found faith. Whilst the web-series is funny throughout and comically highlights misconceptions about Muslims and Islam, it definitely has its basis in reality.
I asked Jonathan about the production and what he’s hoping to achieve through it and he had the following to say:
“My goal with my productions is to really just humanize Muslims so there’s a balance in the image portrayed in the media. With the expansion of the internet and satellite dishes, maybe the world will have a more uniformed sense of humor, but for now, time will tell.”
The series is an experimental one and if it is well received, the filmmakers may look at creating similar series in the future, so do have a watch and leave your comments below!
You can watch all four parts below…
