14 & Muslim is a documentary by director Wendy Rowland that explores what it means to be a Muslim teenager growing up in Canada. It follows the story of three young teens, Sahar, Malaieka and Ahmad, as they take their first steps into young adulthood. The documentary premiered on CBC on Sept. 21.
Director Wendy Rowland talked to the Charlatan about the documentary.
The Charlatan (TC): Why choose the art form of the documentary as a tool for sociocultural representationi?
Wendy Rowland: Well, primarily because I am a documentary filmmaker but also because this form is an incredible way to share stories. Making a documentary gave me the opportunity to spend time with these kids and their families, which I felt was a privilege. It helped me get to know these kids better. It is an art form that could be seen as a window to the world.
TC: The personalities depicted in 14 & Muslim are intelligent and self-aware teenagers who are in a constant search for their identity. Is this a theme that you kept in mind throughout the writing process, or was it something that emerged over the course of filming?
WR: The theme was something that actually emerged over the course of filming it. I have teenagers myself, and I see that being 13 and 14 today is much tougher than it used to be. You can only imagine how much harder it must be for the kids from 14 & Muslim, considering the rise of Islamophobia under Donald Trump’s influence as well as how the hatred is spreading across the border to Canada.
It became a coming-of-age film, especially as we saw the kids turn into young adults during occasions like their graduation ceremony. You can see that these kids want to please their parents, but there will come a time in their search for identity when they will begin to question things a lot more.
TC: What kind of research was necessary for a project like this?
WR: The important thing for my producer and I to do was to be aware of the fact that we are not Muslim, especially keeping in mind the issue and prevalence of cultural appropriation. For this, we delved into research with numerous Muslim academics, communities and mosques. We asked the kids, “We are not Muslims—how do you feel about that?” You can’t tell the story for somebody else and you must respect that.
TC: In that case, what should filmmakers, writers and documentarians consider when their subject matter involves something unique to their own beliefs, values, cultures or upbringings?
WC: Over time, I felt like I had become a part of their family. I think to feel that, we needed to be aware and respectful of their culture, and needed to build trust with them. As well as that, it was important that since these were kids, which means they were minors, it was necessary to also keep an honest and open relationship with their parents regarding the whole process.
TC: Do you have any finishing comments, or anything that viewers must keep in mind while watching your documentary?
WC: I would say that they must keep an open mind while watching it. As well as that, I have a daughter in Grade 9 too, so as a mother, I can understand the anxieties she has. But it is also important to realize that the kids from 14 & Muslim have anxieties too, but not the shield of white privilege to protect them from it.
