PBS WORLD Channel Announces Award-Winning 'On A Wing And A Prayer: An American Muslim Learns To Fly' Added to May Channel Line-Up

PBS WORLD Channel Announces Award-Winning 'On A Wing And A Prayer: An American Muslim Learns To Fly' Added to May Channel Line-Up

BOSTON, May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The PBS WORLD channel will present the award-winning documentary, On a Wing and a Prayer: An American Muslim Learns to Fly in its May channel line-up on May 21 at 7:00 PM EDT, repeating Sunday, May 25 at 7 PM EDT. (Check local listings.) The hour-long documentary traces the improbable dream of a Pakistani-Muslim living in America who pursues his dream to learn to fly in spite of the many risks and challenges he faces in a post 9/11 world.

In this moving film, viewers meet Monem Salam, his wife Iman and their children during the course of Monem's decision to follow his passion and attempt to secure his pilot's license. Monem is a portfolio manager, the son of a Pakistani commercial pilot. His wife Iman's family is Palestinian who, initially dubious about the marriage, now accepts the cultural differences. With three young children, Iman's prankish student days are behind her. She's happy to find time to cultivate her inner domestic diva, wisecracking about her entertaining skills and her husband's flight plans. In the aftermath of 9/11, the flying lessons are not so easy to arrange and once underway, it's a bumpy ride filled with technical glitches and confusion. It's a situation that Iman doesn't hesitate to comment on. This gently funny film follows Monem as he works towards his goal, engaging his wife, family and community in the process. Monem's "green" decision to commute by scooter only heightens his likeability. Producer/director Max Kaiser from Hand Crank Films notes: "Monem's father was a commercial airline pilot for 25 years, instilling in Monem the love of flight. Society's perceptions of Muslims made his journey a very difficult one, yet did not deter Monem from following his heart."

Viewers will learn about much more than just Monem's flying. The film tells an emotionally uplifting story about the fears, hopes, and aspirations of a Muslim man and his family attempting to achieve their simple, yet increasingly challenging, dreams.

"It's a very special story, and when I first saw Monem and his wife in the film, I knew this was something that would resonate strongly with television audiences," adds Alex Kronemer, executive producer at Unity Productions Foundation. "This is not just a story about a Muslim-American as he learns to fly. It is also a powerful story about a young family and their everyday struggles with money, work-life balance, family, community and beyond -- which is what makes it perfect for public television."

Co-produced in 2007 by Unity Productions Foundation and Hand Crank Films, On a Wing and a Prayer: An American Muslim Learns to Fly is presented and distributed by American Public Television. For more information about this film and special clips go to http://www.wingandaprayer.tv/.

About Unity Productions Foundation:

Unity Productions Foundation is a nonprofit production company whose mission is to develop balanced, fair and accurate journalistic material concerning the world's cultural and spiritual traditions in order to help increase understanding and tolerance. Other productions include: Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet, Prince Among Slaves, Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain, Talking Through Walls and Allah Made Me Funny.

About Hand Crank Films:

Hand Crank Films is a full-service production company located in Bellingham, Washington. Director Max Kaiser created the company in 2005 to offer very high-quality commercial services to small businesses in Northwest Washington. Since its inception, Hand Crank Films has expanded its services to include corporate videos, feature films, and documentaries. Their body of work ranges from Telly Award winning commercials to the Cine and Goldie award-winning documentary, "On a Wing and a Prayer: An American Muslim Learns to Fly," which will air on PBS stations this spring. Hand Crank recently participated in producing a television pilot and creating a six-minute computer-animated promotional video for a theme park in Abu Dhabi.

About PBS WORLD

PBS WORLD channel delivers thought-provoking stories, thorough investigations, and trustworthy voices from the best of public television's documentary and news programming, and signature series including Nova, Nature, Frontline, and American Experience, as well as non-fiction specials and mini-series. The channel allows viewers to discover scientific advances, natural wonders, revelations of history, lives of the great and unsung, independent voices, and perspective on today's headlines.

PBS WORLD is offered 24 hours daily to provide a multicast channel exclusively for public television stations. Drawing on both current and library programs from PBS, as well as select programs from American Public Television and NETA, PBS WORLD extends the core competency of public television and makes signature programming readily accessible to viewers around the clock.

PBS WORLD is produced and distributed by PBS, WGBH Boston and Thirteen/WNET New York, in association with American Public Television (APT) and the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA).

Contact:
Susan Barrett, PBS WORLD Channel: 617.300.5302, susan_barrett@wgbh.org
Donna Hardwick, On and On PR, 617.308.5677, dhardwick@onandonpr.com

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: WGBH

CONTACT: Susan Barrett of PBS World Channel, +1-617-300-5302,
susan_barrett@wgbh.org; or Donna Hardwick of On and On PR, +1-617-308-5677,
dhardwick@onandonpr.com

Web site:

http://www.wgbh.org/
http://www.wingandaprayer.tv/

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