DEARBORN – A film tackling Islamophobia and immigrants was screened on Saturday, May 13, in Dearborn, Detroit, as part of a cross-country event involving more than 50 screenings in about 25 states in May, to show solidarity to Muslims and immigrants.

“Let’s get to the core problem, which is Islamophobia,” Vivian Hua, a filmmaker and writer, told Detroit Free Press on Saturday.

Saturday’s film screening, A Stray by writer-director Musa Syeed, was hosted by the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn.

The film, which premiered at the 2016 SXSW festival, depicts “universal, relatable truths about the plight of those newly arrived in the country”, according to a review from Indiewire.

“A Stray” gives perspective on what it is like to be a young immigrant dealing with a traditional family and immersed in a very new American culture.

“It’s rare to hear about a film (about) a Somali American,” said Hua.

It is part of Seventh Art Stand, a cross-country event involving more than 50 screenings in about 25 states in May.

The effort calls itself as “an act of cinematic solidarity against Islamophobia.”

Seventh Art Stand was sparked by the Trump administration’s original attempt to ban travel to seven Muslim-majority nations.

That ban has been blocked in court and rewritten to target six countries. The new version is now under review by the federal appeals court.

Hua is one of the lead organizers of the Seventh Art Stand, along with Courtney Sheehan of the Northwest Film Forum in Seattle and Richard Abramowitz, an indie film distributor and marketer.

It has drawn support from well-known filmmakers and actors, including John Turturro, Paul Haggis and Steve Buscemi.