Schenectady native up for documentary Oscar
“Stranger at the Gate” targets love over terror
When a producer brought filmmaker Joshua Seftel an Indiana newspaper story of love overcoming hate in a small Islamic community in Muncie, Ind., the Schenectady native knew there was a timely story waiting to be told.
What began as a five-minute segment for “Secret Life of Muslims,” a series of short documentaries Seftel created in response to Islamophobia, grew into the 30-minute “Stranger at the Gate,” which has been nominated for a 2023 Academy Award for Best Short Documentary.
“Stranger at the Gate” focuses on Bibi Bahrami, an Afghan refugee and cofounder of the Muncie Islamic Center, local Muslim community members and how their kindness changed the violent trajectory of Richard “Mac” Mckinney, a former U.S. Marine with PTSD who planned to bomb the small Muncie mosque. Instead, he found a Muslim community ready to welcome him, and eventually converted to the faith he once hated. Mckinney’s ex-wife Dana and their daughter Emily are also featured.
Seftel grew up experiencing antisemitism in Schenectady — he can still vividly recall the slurs and pennies hurled at him by his peers — so when the wave of Islamophobia hit after 9/11, he felt compelled to create “Secret Life of Muslims.” A five-minute segment starring Mckinney was filmed for “Secret Life,” but the more Seftel and his team, including Delmar native Suzanne Hillinger, dug into the community and the averted terrorist attack, they discovered a new story.
“When we started figuring out who those people were and talking to them, we realized that they were the story, they were the heroes,” Hillinger said. “There’s often so much focus on the person who almost did the thing, and what’s often missing are the people who he encountered along the way who
helped shift his perspective and change history.”
Mckinney first came to the mosque to gather evidence to support his extreme Islamophobia and scout out where to place his homemade bomb. When Bahrami, her husband Dr. Saber Bahrami and Jomo Williams, a Black Muslim, encountered the agitated and aggressive former Marine, they welcomed him into the center. Their acts of kindness — invitations to events at the center, homecooked meals, simple conversations — saved their lives.
“It’s a story of grace, it’s a story of kindness and compassion and forgiveness,” Seftel said.
Bahrami’s warmth onscreen is simply who she is, Seftel said. She’s known to show up to screenings of the film with giant containers of homemade cookies to personally hand out to every attendee, and she’s become an inspiration and mentor for those struggling with feelings of hatred. After one screening, Seftel recalled, a weeping Ukrainian woman approached Bahrami for help dealing with the hate she felt toward Russians because of the war. Bahrami gave her a hug, assurance and words of wisdom.
“I just think this film resonates with people right now because it’s about this moment where we are divided in many different ways,” Seftel said. “We all, I think deep down, don’t want to be divided. This film, in some ways, is a little bit of a roadmap or a blueprint for what America could be.”
Hillinger and Seftel hope the honor and the media attention that comes with the Oscar nomination helps “Stranger at the Gate” reach more people. After the first screening held at the Islam Center in Muncie, Seftel recalled a man who stood up and said, “We need to make sure every American sees this film.”
“This Oscar nomination is like a step toward what we feel is an obligation to figure out how we make sure every American sees this film because it’s really an important message and a timely message,” Seftel said. “It’s a message that can bring hope and change.”
“Stranger at the Gate” is available to watch for free on Youtube, Vimeo and the film’s official website. The 95th Academy Awards will be broadcast live March 12 on ABC.