Fordson: Faith, Fasting, and Football is probably the best documentary I have ever seen. It is simply inspirational and endearing. Even more than that, Fordson is so outgoing and it just speaks to the viewers. It didn’t bore me to a day dream like countless numbers of other documentaries I have seen before.
Fordson is a documentary directed by newcomer Rashid Ghazi and is based on the lives of Arab-Americans living in Dearborn, Michigan. Dearborn is home to the second-largest population of Arabs, the first being Saudi Arabia. The documentary focuses around the lives of Fordson’s football team in 2009 and how they play football while fasting during the month of Ramadan, an Islamic holy month in which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset.
Along with the enigmatic story of how these young men are practicing their hardest with their very skilled coach, they also reflect on their feelings of the September 11 attacks and how it affected them. The boys, along with their parents and family and even the coach bring out their thoughts on how 9/11 brought the Arabs down to the level in which all Arabs were conceived as terrorists and aliens in America and how the tragedy rendered Arabs to be suspected terrorism based on their name or appearance. Being the home to so many Arabs, Dearborn was threatened and insulted due to the fear and misconception that was brought out because of 9/11. Not only does it make us feel just what they felt, but it also gives us an inside look into a Muslim’s life during Ramadan, which on its own is quite interesting and is done very nicely in this film.
The documentary shows Arab boys playing football, the American sport, and how they continue to do it despite the fact that they are so hungry and thirsty from fasting. It beautifully shows that Arabs living in America are not aliens or strangers; they are Americans as well. The film captures that idea in such a wonderful way that it leaves you wondering, “What really is the difference between an American and an Arab-American?”
Fordson: Faith, Fasting, and Football is not rated.
Nashrah and Kelli • Sep 15, 2011 at 3:07 PM
It seems like a unique movie and I want to watch it.
Sana Ali • Sep 15, 2011 at 3:03 PM
I also watched this documentary over the weekend and I am really glad I went. I am happy with the fact that it really shows that there is no true definition of an American, except for the fact that they live in America. An American can come from anywhere and have any faith and I feel like this movie shows that Arabs living in America really do love and respect their country just as much as any other American.
Hafsa Wahid • Sep 14, 2011 at 1:26 PM
I watched this documentary too and it’s amazing! I recommend everyone to watch it!