Australia's first Muslim rom-com does more than just challenge stereotypes

The lead star of Australia's first Muslim romantic comedy, Ali's Wedding, has dismissed the negative stereotypes associated with people devoted to Islam.

Speaking to Be, Osamah Sami, who also co-wrote the film, says the production will help audiences see "the love and care" of Muslims, a very different perception to the terrorist links often presented in the media.

"Those stereotypes, they exist in a faux world," he says. "They’re not real. They’re our perceptions of the world because the reality is what you end up seeing in the film. The reality is the love and care and family."

Ali's Wedding, which was first screened at Sydney Film Festival in June before its national release this week, explores a modern-day love story between two Muslim Australians.

"One of the happiest moments for me on set filming, was [when] we were shooting a scene inside the mosque," Osamah explains.

"You might think, 'Oh what goes on in a mosque', and you’ll be very surprised, once you see the film, to see that it’s all very light and everyone just gets along with their business."

He adds: "What audiences can take from it [the movie] is hopefully they end up seeing at the end of the day we’re all the same and we’ve all got the same sort of feeling structures and all that goes along with it".

Director Jeffrey Walker agrees, telling Be: "There’s more things that make us similar than make us different".

"That’s what we are ultimately exploring with Ali’s Wedding. You might go into it thinking a certain thing and all of that washes away as ultimately you realise it’s a love story and a sweet film and that these are people you relate to and that we’ve been under those pressures no matter what your background."

Ali's Wedding not only challenges stereotypes on a greater scale, but it makes its mark in the local entertainment industry in terms of diversity.

"It’s an all-Muslim cast," Osamah proudly says, acknowledging Australia's multicultural population is not very well "reflected on mainstream TV and film" as of yet.

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Recounting one of his favourite scenes he filmed, he tells Be: "So I was looking over and I saw the cast and there was a multitude of just characters who look like the people I see on the street.

"And it was reflective of the people that are here today, the people who you see in real life, which is not reflected on mainstream TV and film.

"So that was really exciting and the most exciting part about it is bringing all these faces up to the forefront of Australian cinema."

Ali's Wedding releases in cinemas on August 31.

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