Moving Forward By Facing The Past — A Conversation With "I'll Meet You There" Filmmaker Iram Parveen Bilal

Iram Parveen Bilal was walking through Thomas Bradley Terminal at LAX, awaiting her mother’s arrival for treatment of a life-threatening condition. Amidst the thoughts already racing through her mind, Iram heard the commotion of a crowd growing louder as she walked - a murmur of a different energy than that normally heard at airports. She tracked the uproar until it revealed itself: a group of protestors voicing their disapproval towards the Muslim ban which had just been enacted.

Iram had long-feared the reaction of America - particularly its majority - in the hypothetical event of political action against the oft-misunderstood Muslim population. Would people in positions of privilege stand up for their fellow human beings? Or would they side with the oppressors - either directly or, through silence, indirectly? This appeared to be the day of reckoning that Iram had so feared, and she couldn’t withhold her emotion. Tears began to fall as she stood there, realizing the gravity of the situation that she, her mother, and millions of other global citizens had found themselves in.

But then, seemingly out of nowhere came a woman - fighting her way through the crowd and making her way towards Iram. “You’re going to be okay,” the woman said, embracing Iram. It was the sincerest form of empathy, an unspoken understanding: a stranger helping a stranger caught in the middle and clearly in need.

It appeared, at least in this microcosm of the ongoing political crisis, that the majority was not going to sit by and allow for such prejudicial injustice. That woman’s small act of kindness did not erase Iram’s fears, but it restore some sense of hope as it pertained to the future of America and the world.

This was the decisive moment in which Iram knew that she needed to continue production on her screenplay in-progress - the film that would go on to become I’ll Meet You There. Though funding and the red tape of Hollywood stood in her way, the timing would never be better, and Iram had never been more inspired to tell a much-needed story.

Tune into this episode of Stories of Transformation to hear the story of Iram Parveen Bilal’s incredible, multi-faceted life and career. Describing herself as having a heightened sense of awareness - a deeply empathic soul - Iram understands cultural differences through the vicissitude of her overall lived experience. Her depth of understanding of the human experience is wide-ranging, and evident in her words and storytelling. Through her filmmaking, Iram Parveen Bilal explores ideas which have inspired her, and she hopes that, in turn, her work will inspire others to share their own stories.

For full show notes
https://www.baktashahadi.com/podcast

Connect with Iram Parveen Bilal
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/iramparveenbilal
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/irampbilal
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/irampbilalofficial
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irampbilal/

Resources
Learn more about Iram and her work:
https://www.iramparveenbilal.com/

Watch I’ll Meet You There on VOD:
https://www.levelforward.live/imyt

Help support Iram’s next filmmaking endeavor:
https://www.seedandspark.com/fund/forbidden-steps#story

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Credits

Produced by: Joseph Gangemi
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-gangemi-audio/

Digital Marketing & Media by: Katherine An
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-a-91081b56/

Theme music by: Qais Essar
www.therabab.com

Artwork by: Masheed Ahadi
https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/masheed

Episode Music Credits
“I Will Find You” - Andrew Word
”Spiral” - Alon Peretz
”Horizon” - Cloud Cover