This Animated Film Lets Muslim Kids See Themselves as Heroes

Quick Overview

The animated film "Time Hoppers: The Silk Road" is making history as the first Muslim animated feature to secure a nationwide theatrical release in the United States, aiming to counter negative narratives and showcase positive Muslim cultural and scientific contributions from the Golden Age of Islam to young audiences.

Key Points: "Time Hoppers: The Silk Road" is the first Muslim animated feature to receive a nationwide theatrical release in the US, scheduled for February 7th and 8th. The film follows four students from the fictional Ugly Academy who time travel to protect popular historical scientists from an evil time-bending alchemist. Key historical figures highlighted include mathematician Al-Khwarizmi (father of modern optics) and astronomer Mariam Al-Astrulabi. The creators, Michael Milo and Flordeliza Dayrit, aimed to provide positive representation, countering Islamophobic narratives prevalent in media. The production involved a dedicated team, including support from Canadian production incentives, and the creators also launched a companion mobile game and a TV series on Muslim Kids TV. The film's core mission is to show Muslim children they can see themselves as heroes and to educate all children about the significant, often overlooked, contributions of Arab and Muslim scholars during the Islamic Golden Age.

Context: This segment features an interview on Zeteo's "Mehdi Unfiltered" program with Michael Milo (Producer) and Flordeliza Dayrit (Co-writer and Director) of the animated film "Time Hoppers: The Silk Road." The discussion centers on the significance of the film achieving a nationwide theatrical release in the US, which is a major milestone for Muslim representation in mainstream animation, and how the movie aims to educate children about historical Muslim scientists.

Detailed Analysis

The video is an interview segment discussing the animated film "Time Hoppers: The Silk Road," which achieved the milestone of being the first Muslim animated feature with a nationwide US theatrical release on February 7th and 8th. Host Mehdi Hasan speaks with producer Michael Milo and co-writer/director Flordeliza Dayrit. The film centers on four students from the fictional Ugly Academy who travel back in time to protect influential historical scientists, such as Al-Khwarizmi and Mariam Al-Astrulabi, from an evil alchemist. Milo noted that the film's creation was a decade-long journey, supported by Canadian production incentives and the team’s own production capabilities. Dayrit emphasized the goal was to provide positive role models for Muslim children, countering negative stereotypes and Islamophobia in media, and ensuring children see themselves as heroes. They also mentioned an accompanying mobile game and a TV series on Muslim Kids TV. The creators stressed the importance of showing the positive historical and cultural legacy of Muslim civilizations, which they feel is often overlooked in Western education and media.