Praying with Lior

Praying with Lior introduces Lior Liebling, a thirteen year old boy with an extraordinary spirituality, who also has Down syndrome. The Film chronicles the four months leading up to Lior's feverishly anticipated Bar Mitzvah, through the eyes of the diverse "village" nurturing him -- his Reconstructionist dad (Rabbi Mordechai Liebling,) stepmother Lynne Iser, Orthodox yeshiva, non-religious siblings, liberal community, and late mother. With intimacy and patience, the film illuminates Lior's spirituality, his unique role in the community, his family's journey of healing from grief, and what it means to be "praying with Lior." http://dantrachtman.com/lior/index.htm

Offering an open dialogue about faith, pluralism and the future of Islam in the West, The New Muslim Cool follows four members of a struggling young Muslim hip-hop label as they tour the United States. Along the way the characters discover a vibrant and diverse community of American Muslim artists, activists and bloggers who are working in the crucible of post-9/11 America. In effect, this film offers a passionate dialogue with multiple view points about the shape of Islam in the West. They ask: Can young American Muslims build a cohesive culture that brings together the best of Islam and America, and will the rest of the world be ready for what they have to offer? http://hartleyfoundation.org/New_Muslim.php