Series 2

SISTERHOOD SOFTBALL

Empowering women through sports.

About the Film

Following the first all-female Muslim softball league in North America, Sisterhood Softball depicts a league that empowers women through sports in a community where women traditionally don't participate and are seen as disempowered by those outside of their communities.

Director

Farhiya Ahmed

Producers

Lisa Rideout, John Choi

Writer

Farhiya Ahmed

Cinematographer

Editor

Silas Eli

Katie Chipperfield

Sound

Siyao Guo

Composer

Terry Gilmore

Runtime

8 MIN

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Laurels

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About the Director

Farhiya Ahmed

As a Somali-Canadian filmmaker, Farhiya Ahmed’s interest in storytelling came from exploring complex narratives, social issues, and lived experiences of fi rst and second-generation immigrants. Through film, Ahmed wants to explore the untold stories of people in her communities and show a nuanced depiction of immigrants with specifi city and universal themes. Being a filmmaker, Ahmed appreciates the power of cinema to illuminate different perspectives. She is inspired to create subtle, intimate fi lms that are emotionally motivated and driven by deep human connections and relationships. Ahmed is interested in the human scale with all its immensity and vulnerability. She is also a determined and self-driven storyteller who strives to take her role as a Muslim woman filmmaker seriously by bringing our communities to the proverbial cinematic table with the stories she chooses to tell.

Artist Statement

Sisterhood Softball is a film about perseverance and the strength of a community to empower women. The story of the only all-women Muslim softball league in North America, this documentary seeks to showcase the inspiring stories of Muslim women who have overcome societal barriers and personal challenges to pursue their passion for sports.

The film shows us a pathway to create change for the individual and the broader community exploring how these women break stereotypes and redefine what it means to be a Muslim woman in sports. We aim to highlight their resilience as they navigate their faith and cultural expectations.

By creating nuanced and rich depictions of underrepresented communities, I hope to build interest in these stories and ensure that our film reaches and is accessible to the communities depicted. While it deals with one league's specifics, it tells a community's universal story. Sisterhood Softball tells inspiring stories of ordinary Muslim women doing extraordinary things to make their communities better places and shows us the power of sisterhood to change perceptions.