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For 'Amreeka' Director, Life As Inspiration For Art

Fresh Air

Published September 9, 2009 at 10:06 AM CDT

A graduate of Columbia University's Master of Fine Arts film program, Cherien Dabis was named as one of <em>Variety's</em> "Ten Directors to Watch" in 2009. — A graduate of Columbia University's Master of Fine Arts film program, Cherien Dabis was named as one of *Variety's* "Ten Directors to Watch" in 2009.

Writer and director Cherien Dabis drew upon her own childhood experiences as a first-generation Arab immigrant growing up in the Midwest for her feature film Amreeka. The film explores the journey of a single mom and her teenage son as they emigrate from the West Bank to America during the first Gulf War. Amreeka has garnered high praise from both critics and audiences alike.