Fathia Absie ( so, Fadxiya Cabsiiye, ar, فتحية إبسيآ) is a

Somali Somali may refer to: Horn of Africa * Somalis, an inhabitant or ethnicity associated with Greater Somali Region ** Proto-Somali, the ancestors of modern Somalis ** Somali culture ** Somali cuisine ** Somali language, a Cushitic language ** Soma ...

-American writer, producer, actor and filmmaker. She has worked with both documentaries, as well as fictional narratives, and published a

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

titled, ''The Imperceptible Peace Maker''. Fathia is the co-founder of Eat With Muslims, a project designed to bring Muslims and non-Muslims together over dinner and stories in the hopes of building bridges between neighbors and communities of different faiths and cultures.

Career

Absie moved to Minnesota around 2010 and was formerly a social worker. She has worked for a number of organizations, including the

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) is the administrative department of the Ohio state government responsible for supervising the state's public assistance, workforce development, unemployment compensation, child and adult prot ...

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...

, the

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, and

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in Washington D.C. Absie stars in her own film, ''The Lobby'', about a relationship between a white man and a Somali-American woman. In 2013, she joined ECHO, a

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...

-based non-governmental organization serving immigrant communities. In 2011, Absie released her first documentary film, ''Broken Dreams'', a documentary that explores the collective outcry against the recruitment of the Somali youth in Minnesota by religious fanatics. The case brought unwanted attention from the U.S. government to the Somali community in Minnesota and around the country. Following the disappearance of the young Somali men, the FBI launched the largest US counter-terrorism investigation since the 9/11 tragedy. In 2014, Absie published a graphic novel, ''The Imperceptible Peacemaker'', through CreateSpace, a self-publishing service owned by Amazon. An allegory of vigilante justice, its superhero protagonist, and a tech billionaire create a suit that gives him the ability to become an invisible force for good, fighting tyranny and injustice around the world. Ms. Absie also worked with Twin Cities PBS where she hosted countless programs and the documentary, Giving Thanks! 2016 Fathia Absie was the Drama film directed by Musa Syeed · About a young Muslim refugee in Minneapolis crosses paths with a stray dog. Absie played Barkhad Abdirahman's mother. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5447852/ In 2015, Absie released her second film, the fictional narrative ''The Lobby'', which she starred in as well as wrote and directed. It premiered at the

Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Film Festival The Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Film Festival is a springtime film festival in the U.S. state of Minnesota that has been held since 1981. It began as the Rivertown Film Festival in Stillwater by Al Milgrom of Pine City and even ...

in April of the year. This was a fictional story about the relationship between a white man and a Somali-American woman. November 2017, Absie reunites with Barkhad Abdirahman, this time playing him and Faysal Ahmed’s feisty mother at Eric Tretbar’s film, “First Person Plural” A modern-day Romeo and Juliet, starring Faysal Ahmed and Broadway great, Pearce Bunting among others. Absie begins the preproduction of a narrative called "Grapes Of Heaven" A heartbroken Somali-American woman and a writer visiting the small coastal town of Berbera, Somaliland where a famous Somali poet named Bodheri died of a broken heart in the 1930s.

Filmography

*''Broken Dreams'' (2011) *''The Lobby'' (2015) *''

A Stray ''A Stray'' is a 2016 American drama film starring Barkhad Abdirahman. Plot A young Somali man named Adan (played by Barkhad Abdirahman) is kicked out of his home and must survive on the streets of his hometown, Minneapolis. He begrudgingly befr ...

'' (2016)

Works

*''The Imperceptible Peace Maker'' (2014)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Absie, Fathia Living people Ethnic Somali people Somalian women film directors American women film directors Somalian journalists Somalian women journalists Somalian emigrants to the United States Year of birth missing (living people) African-American Muslims African-American film directors African-American journalists 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women