San Marino Family Brings The World To Their Home

Online, June 22, 2011 (Newswire.com) - San Marino, CA - On Tuesday, June 21st William and Shelley Enger invited filmmakers from Afghanistan and Morocco to their home for dinner and conversation with family and friends. The Enger's are Citizen Diplomats with the International Visitors Council of Los Angeles (IVCLA) and help shape foreign relations through the open exchange of ideas with emerging leaders from around the world. The two filmmakers, Ms. Diana Saqeb from Afghanistan and Mr. Rabii El Jawhari from Morocco, came to the Los Angeles area as participants in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), the flagship international exchange program of the U.S. Department of State.

The IVLP aims to give practical exposure to emerging leaders from around the world to gain first-hand knowledge from their American professional counterparts. As a cultural component to their program, the Enger family invited the filmmakers to their home to get a real feel for life in America. Mr. Enger said "they were delightful and we engaged in a thought provoking conversation. We invited friends, Ian and Ali Stewart. Our 15 year old daughter, Anna, also participated in much of the conversation. The time just flew by." The international filmmakers thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to visit an American home and have open dialogue on topics of common interest. Everyone realized that they had more in common than they did differences.

Ms. Saqeb is one of the founders of BASA Afghanistan Cinema Club, which organizes classes, discussions and critiques for people interested in filmmaking in Kabul. BASA also organizes workshops in the rural provinces, thus enabling even those in remote areas to acquire filmmaking skills. Mr. El Jawhari is a documentary filmmaker. His recent productions include a film on the sequestered people of Tindouf (allegedly mentally ill people kept as virtual prisoners) and a film on perceptions of Europe and America as seen through Moroccan eyes. The latter focused on how America is viewed by Moroccans from different backgrounds and ages. Mr. El Jawhari sees this film as a tool to fight stereotypes and misperceptions on both sides of the cultural divide.

For information about the International Visitors Council of Los Angeles visit www.ivcla.org

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