MINNEAPOLIS – Ilhan Omar, the first Somali-American Muslim woman to be elected legislator has been featured in a new documentary that chronicles her success story in Minneapolis.
The documentary, titled “Time for Ilhan,” was directed by Norah Shapiro and will be screened at the renowned Tribeca Film Festival, Face2Face Africa reported.
It follows Omar as she runs for the 2016 House of Representative’s campaign, hoping to gain the Minnesota state representative seat.
The documentary is explained succinctly, “Ilhan Omar’s story will present a counter-narrative to the pervasive negative portrayal of both politics and Muslim immigrants and women in America.”
“It will also raise questions about barriers to access to the political process in this country, and offer a refreshing and inspiring example of overcoming them.”
it was so exciting to celebrate Norah Shapiro’s new documentary #TimeForIlhan with the star herself, 1st Somali-American Muslim legislator elected in the U.S. & #VoteRunLead Alumna @IlhanMN, before viewing it at the @Tribeca Film Festival tonight! #Tribeca2018 #TFF #RunAsYouAre pic.twitter.com/aBhkW3f2l0
— VoteRunLead (@VoteRunLead) April 23, 2018
Omar became the nation’s first Somali-American lawmaker after being elected last November 2016 as a state representative from Minneapolis.
The 33-year-old Omar was born in Somalia before she fled to the US to escape civil war.
She stayed for four years in a Kenyan refugee camp before ultimately moving to the Somali-American neighborhood of Cedar-Riverside, where she has lived for nearly two decades and is currently director of policy initiatives at Women Organizing Women.