A Survivor’s Story Through the Lens of Green Meadow Graduate Hasan Oswald: Mediha Documentary Chronicles Yazidi Genocide
by Neil Perry Gordon ’76
“Revelatory…pulsates with a devastating optimism… MEDIHA offers what few documentaries covering this region’s conflicts do… By entrusting Mediha with the camera, Oswald has given her and her brothers an opportunity to exercise hope. They in turn have offered audiences asacred invitation.”
– Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter
The documentary Mediha takes viewers on a deeply personal and harrowing journey, following
the life of Mediha, a young Yazidi girl who survived ISIS captivity. Directed by Hasan Oswald, a
Green Meadow Waldorf School alumnus who graduated in 2007, the film offers an unfiltered,
raw perspective on the aftermath of the 2014 Yazidi genocide. What distinguishes this film is its
powerful self-representation. Mediha, along with her brothers Ghazwan and Adnan, not only
appears in the documentary but actively contributes, capturing many of its poignant moments . The film has opened theatrically in NYC’s Film Forum, and opens October 18th at the Laemmle theater!
Since starting his filmmaking career, Hasan Oswald has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to capture the human experience through verité cinema. His approach is marked by unfettered
access and deep intimacy with his subjects, creating a seamless connection that heightens his
storytelling’s immediacy and personal nature. Oswald has previously covered critical social
issues, such as the water crisis in Flint, Michigan (Forgotten USA), drug trafficking and
homelessness in Camden, NJ (Higher Love), and the international diaspora of conflict refugees for NatGeo (Hell on Earth).
“Heart-wrenching…Crushingly beautiful…”
– David Ehrlich, IndieWire
In Mediha, his latest documentary, Oswald continues this tradition of impactful storytelling by
focusing on Mediha’s journey as she processes the trauma of her captivity and embarks on a
search for her missing family members. The film has garnered significant attention, winning the
Grand Jury Award and Audience Award (runner-up) at Doc NYC 2023. Oswald himself was
named one of Doc NYC’s 40 under 40 documentary rising stars to watch, co-presented by HBO Documentary Films.
Backed by executive producers Emma Thompson and Rick Dugdale, Mediha not only
documents the struggles of the Yazidi people but highlights Mediha’s bravery in reclaiming her
narrative through video diaries. This collaboration between filmmaker and subject showcases the resilience and strength of the Yazidi community while giving viewers a profound, first-hand look at their ongoing challenges.
For Hasan Oswald, whose Green Meadow Waldorf School roots have shaped his artistic vision, Mediha is not merely a documentary—it’s a collaborative human effort to shine a light on forgotten stories. The camera, in this film, becomes more than a storytelling tool; it becomes a lifeline, allowing Mediha to regain agency while giving the world a glimpse of a reality that should never be ignored.
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