Newest Americans Project Kicks off Documentary Film Series

Rutgers University | This month, the Newest Americans project premiered Notes for My Homeland, the first in a series of short documentary films, which is currently showing on National Geographic’s Proof website. Notes for My Homeland tells the story of Syrian-American composer and pianist Malek Jandali, an American citizen who blends traditional Arab music with Western harmonies. In the film—which features Jandali’s music plus archival video and photos from Syria—Jandali looks at his Syrian identity from an American perspective, against the backdrop of the current Syrian dictatorship, civil war and the Arab Spring.