First New York Run Of Nijla Mu'min's JINN Announced At BAM

From Friday, September 6 through Thursday, September 12, BAM presents the first-ever New York run of Nijla Mu'min's breakthrough feature Jinn (2018), previously featured in the BAM film series We Can't Even: Millennials on Film.

In Mu'min's delicately observed coming of age story, Summer, a carefree, 17-year-old Black girl, finds herself navigating complex questions of faith, family, sexuality, and identity when her mother converts to Islam. The story draws on some of the filmmaker's own experiences to fashion a bittersweet portrait of a young woman-played by luminous newcomer Zoe Renee-finding her way in the world. Jinn's nuanced, multifaceted view of Muslim life remains a rarity onscreen; as Mu'min relates to Filmmaker Magazine, "There's a mainstream narrative about Islam in the media in this country, and with this film I'm trying to get away from that and show what it means to be curious or fascinated, or to question your identity." Aided by delicate visual language, Mu'min's breakout film explores this questioning with precision, empathy, and generosity.

"The rare coming-of-age story that doesn't simply pat kids on the head and tell them they just need to love themselves. Instead, Mu'min holds her characters accountable for the way they discombobulate each other's lives, while giving them the space to do better, if they can figure out what better is."-Amy Nicholson, Variety

"The most radical thing about Jinn is its softness. Director Nijla Mu'min has filled her debut feature with pastel colors, airy head scarves fluttering in gentle breezes, and dark skin beautifully lit in a spectrum of satiny shades. The film gently cradles its protagonist, Instagram-obsessed high schooler Summer (Zoe Renee), giving her space to make mistakes as she explores both the world around her and her own internal world."-Katie Rife, AV Club