Series Classification: G (General Audiences)
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Latifa Daud & Mahmood Bhikoo
Latifa Daud at home in Auckland. Photo: Photography by Ainsley Duyvestyn-Smith | @ds_documentary
Latifa, 26, is a university graduate and freelance writer.
Latifa has muscular dystrophy, which has made growing up in Auckland an interesting experience. Dealing with racism, sexism, ableism, and Islamophobia has inspired Latifa to keep a personal blog and continue her writing. She is currently working on a personal book project about her family's history of migration.
Latifa's grandfather Mahmood's family arrived in New Zealand in 1908, from Gujarat, India, and worked as traders in the Waikato. As one of a handful of Muslim families in NZ at the time, they were involved in establishing the first Friday and Eid prayers in the 1950s, and in building the first mosque in Ponsonby. Living in NZ, Mahmood has had many jobs, but has been running a family-owned dairy on Dominion Road, Auckland, for the past 40 years.
Latifa loves to hear stories about her family, which she says were early stories of resilience, racism, and building a community.
Her great-great-grandfather was tired of being on a boat by the time he reached Auckland, so he asked if he could stay. He was told by an immigration officer that as long as he could read and write in English, he could stay.
Latifa says people are often shocked when she tells them how long her family has been in NZ.
"When people tell me to go home, it makes no sense to me. How many times can I tell them, 'I am home.'"
She's working on a book about her family, and hopes it'll inspire Muslims to remain strong in the face of Islamophobia.
"I want to show how far we have come as a community, and that we're all part of the wider New Zealand community."
Crew shot outside the Al-Masjid Al-Jamie Mosque - Left to Right, Director Ghazaleh Golbakhsh, Producer Gemma Duncan, Director of Photography Kelly Chen, 1st Assistant Camera Nahyeon Lee, Production Assistant Sara Shirazi, Sound Recordist Debra Frame. Photo: Photography by Ainsley Duyvestyn-Smith | @ds_documentary
Latifa and Mahmood - This Is Us | Photography by Ainsley Duyvestyn-Smith @ds_documentary
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Ghazaleh Golbakhsh, Director Photo: Photography by Sascha Stejko
Series director Ghazaleh Golbakhsh is an Iranian-New Zealand writer, filmmaker, and Fulbright scholar who has recently completed her PhD in Media and Communications.
She has written and directed award-winning short films. Ghazaleh is currently developing her first feature screenplay and publishing her first book of personal essays.
| Twitter: @baronessghaz | Instagram: @ghazalehgol |
Photo: RNZ/NZ On Air
