For Immediate Release

January 26, 2024

Film Screenings Shed Light on Muslim-American Students’ Murders & Their Families’ Fight for Justice

A new documentary, ‘36 Seconds: Portrait of a Hate Crime,’ centers on the 2015 murders of Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha and Razan Abu-Salha. DA Deberry will join a panel discussing the film and the criminal case, which was prosecuted by the Durham DA’s Office in 2019.

On February 10, 2015, three Muslim-American students were murdered in Chapel Hill. A new documentary tells the story of Deah Barakat, his wife Yusor Abu-Salha, and her sister Razan Abu-Salha — and their families’ fight to have the killings recognized as hate crimes.

In 36 Seconds: Portrait of a Hate Crime, filmmaker Tarek Albaba makes an impassioned case for justice for Yusor, Razan and Deah, and for his community. The film charts the families’ agonizing overnight pivot from trauma to advocacy as they struggle to prevent their loved ones’ deaths from being dismissed as the result of a random parking dispute.

Triangle residents will have three opportunities in February to view the award winning documentary in honor of the 9th anniversary of a globally-felt tragedy that underscored both the dangers of Islamophobia and the limitations of America’s hate crime system.

"We are witnessing another dangerous spike in hate crimes across our country. Due to this heartbreaking turn of events, our documentary, ‘36 Seconds: Portrait of a Hate Crime’, has become more relevant than ever,” says Director/Producer Tarek Albaba. “In our film, we tell the human story behind a hate crime – the brutal assassination of three Muslim-American students. We strongly feel that this project makes both an emotional and intellectual appeal that can change hearts and minds. We encourage everyone to see this timely film.”

“It's been nine years since we lost Deah, Yusor, and Razan in a senseless and tragic murder. However, their legacies live on through the work of the Our Three Winners Foundation and The Light House Project,” says Nadia Khan, executive director of The Light House Project. “Although it can be difficult to be reminded of their loss, we feel it is important to come together as a community to support one another and show a united front in fighting implicit bias and hate. This film is a poignant way of shining a light on the tragic events of February 10, 2015, and the journey that has unfolded in the years since. We are honored to bring this film to the community and hope to have everyone's support at the screenings.”

Local audiences can view the film and engage with filmmakers and community leaders at the following exclusive screenings:

Durham screening:

• Monday, February 12, at 7 p.m. (doors at 6 p.m.), Carolina Theatre
• Screening to be followed by a panel discussion including Durham County Board of Commissioners Chair Nida Allam, Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry, and North Carolina Senator Jay Chaudhuri, moderated by WUNC’s Leoneda Inge.
• Admission $14. Purchase tickets here.

Cary screening:

• Tuesday, February 13, at 6:30 p.m. (doors at 6 p.m.), the Cary Theater
• Screening to be followed by a panel discussion featuring the film’s executive producer Omar Altalib, community member Doha Hindi, and Light House Project Chairman Ibraheem Khalifa, moderated by Our Three Winners Board Member Arif Khan.
• Admission $14. Purchase tickets here.

Raleigh screening:

• Monday, February 19, at 6 p.m., Witherspoon Student Center
• Screening to be followed by a panel discussion including filmmakers, academics, community leaders and historians.
• Free admission with priority to the NC State campus community. Register here.

Intended to initiate essential conversations about hate crimes, systemic discrimination, and the urgent need for societal change, the screenings are presented by partners including the Light House Project, Our Three Winners Foundation, the People’s Alliance Fund, the Durham County District Attorney’s Office, Multicultural Student Affairs at North Carolina State University, Picture Motion and Full Disclosure Films.

All screenings are open to the public.

Media inquiries

For questions related to the film and interview requests for the filmmakers, contact Sheryl Gauntlett Jadrosic, sheryl@picturemotion.com.

For inquiries related to the Durham screening, contact Sarah Willets, sarah.k.willets@nccourts.org

For the Cary screening, contact Nadia Khan, nadia@lhproj.com.

For the Raleigh screening, contact Rachel Montesinos Jorro, rmontes@ncsu.edu.

About ‘36 Seconds’

‘36 Seconds: Portrait of a Hate Crime’ chronicles the aftermath of a tragic hate crime in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, offering a poignant reflection on the challenges faced by Muslim Americans in the American South. Through the lens of resilience and advocacy, the film emphasizes the pressing need for societal change in addressing hate crimes and discrimination. The film had its world premiere in November 2023 at the DOC NYC Film festival and has been officially selected to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, where it will have its West Coast premiere on February 13. Additional 2024 screenings are slated in New York, Washington D.C., Berkeley and North Carolina

Instagram: @36secondsfilm