The documentary short film 'Stranger at the Gate', nominated for the 2023 Academy Awards and executive produced by Nobel Peace Prize laureate and education activist Malala Yousafzai, will be premiering in Chicago this week.
The director of the film, Smartypants founder Joshua Seftel, and two lead subjects, Richard “Mac” McKinney and Bibi Bahrami, will be participating in live panel discussions following two screenings at the Illinois Holocaust Museum on Tuesday, May 9th at 6 pm, and at the Wayfarer Theaters on Wednesday, May 10th at 7 pm.
A prize winner at the 2022 Tribeca Festival and nominee for the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, Stranger at the Gate is distributed by The New Yorker as part of the magazine’s award-winning New Yorker Documentary series.
“This film is a powerful true story of forgiveness and redemption,” said Malala Yousafzai. “I am honored to support the filmmakers and everyone in Muncie who shared their incredible stories. I hope the film challenges every viewer to question their assumptions and show kindness to everyone they meet.”
Praised by film critics and considered a leading awards contender, Stranger at the Gate tells the true story of U.S. Marine Richard (Mac) McKinney. Suffering from P.T.S.D., McKinney decides to bomb the mosque in his hometown of Muncie, Indiana. When he arrives at the mosque to gather more information for his plan, the congregants, including Afghan refugees and an African American convert, welcome him, get to know him, and show him deep love and kindness. Within weeks, the story takes a stunning turn. Instead of committing an act of violence, McKinney converts to Islam and becomes president of the mosque.
“At this time of division and hate, the story at the heart of Stranger at the Gate gives me hope,” the film’s director, Joshua Seftel, said. “The heroes in the film have inspired me to believe that love really can conquer hate.”
Stranger at the Gate is the newest film in Seftel’s decade-long effort to combat Islamophobia and shatter stereotypes: “Secret Life of Muslims,” a set of shorts nominated for Emmy, Peabody, and IDA Documentary Awards. Seftel's deep commitment to the mission of his project stems from his having experienced antisemitism as a child. “When I began to notice the level of Islamophobia in the U.S., I thought, maybe I can do something as a filmmaker to give a more accurate depiction of American Muslims.”
Stranger at the Gate was nominated for Best Documentary Short for the 2022 Critics Choice Documentary Awards. It won Best Documentary Short (Jury Award) at Indy Shorts International Film Festival 2022, the Special Jury Mention at the 2022 Tribeca Festival, Best Documentary Short at Woods Hole Film Festival 2022, the Indiana Spotlight Award at Indy Shorts International Film Festival 2022, and the Social Impact Award at HollyShorts International Film Festival 2022.
Stranger at the Gate is now streaming free for audiences worldwide at newyorker.com and on The New Yorker’s YouTube channel.