The Story So Far
Once upon a time, in a far away land, there lived a young Palestinian. Drawn to music from an early age, the boy fell in love with the Oud. He learned to play in the midst of war, finding solace in his instrument. Lugging it through his undergrad and grad studies, he began writing music and discovering how sound could carry complex ideas.
Film scores fascinated him for their versatility and use of technology. They led him behind the scenes of film sets and into tight-lipped editing rooms, where sound and picture came together.
His first feature documentary, "The Red Stone" (2012), launched his career as a film director and earned him his first international award in Canada. Its success led to his next major film, "Forbidden Pilgrimage" (2014).
His career gradually converged on journalism. Lugging his Oud across the Atlantic for the first time, he moved to the United States, where he told American stories to international audiences while deepening his knowledge of US politics. He later brought that experience to American public radio, becoming an editorial lead for NPR’s Here & Now and All Things Considered. It was an uncommon journey for an immigrant into two of the country’s best-known news programs. Today, he uses his position to help others find opportunities to tell stories of their own.
