Turkish Tea & Film Screening: "Misafir" with Yale World Fellow Mariam El Marakeshy

Join MENA for a special Affinity Week gathering. Enjoy Turkish tea and pastries at this relaxed social gathering as we screen the short film Misafir “A Guest” (30 minutes), followed by a moderated discussion and Q&A with the filmmaker, Yale World Fellow Mariam El Marakeshy.

Synopsis
Misafir “A Guest” is an award-winning documentary film bringing the stories of 3 teen immigrants from countries of wars who fled to Istanbul. The film highlights their background story, how they integrated into such a multicultural city, their contributions, and how Istanbul embraced them as "Guests" not as "Refugees"

About the Filmmaker
Mariam El Marakeshy is an award-winning film director, producer, writer, multimedia storyteller, educator, and cultural specialist who works internationally on stories about migration, culture, social justice, education, museums, the environment, and media ethics. She has worked with National Geographic, ITN UK, the United Nations, and numerous NGOs.

Her films have received global recognition, including the USA Social Impact Media Award, the UN IOM Global Migration Film Award in Switzerland, the London City Film Award, the Environmental Media Award in Canada, and the Romania Cultural Media Award.

Mariam is a fellow of Columbia University, New America, and other prestigious programs. She teaches students and professionals around the world, and her work appears in international education programs. She authored the EU ethical media guidelines “Report Diversity!” and created the “SuperDiverse Gamekit” for migrant children and multicultural classrooms.

She also designs immersive storytelling and education experiences for museums, focusing on community participation. Her academic background includes a Master’s in World Cultures in Germany, and she is a UN-accredited intercultural facilitator working on global cultural understanding programs.