Walah's Corner Store

Walah's Corner Store (2014)

Origin: USA | Documentary | Director: Amina Waheed | 25 minutes

Amina Waheed, docu 25 min. USA 2014.

"Walah" runs a small corner store in Englewood, one of Chicago's poorest neighbourhoods on the city's south side. A Palestinian immigrant, he belongs to a large population of Arab-Americans, who own the majority of businesses in the predominantly black neighbourhood. This was once a thriving centre for black owned businesses in the 1960s and 70s, but today it is struggling with violent crime and profound neglect. Falah Farhoudeh (aka "Walah"), is a Middle Eastern emigre in his late 60s who has operated a convenience store in Englewood for about a decade. But he is no mere business owner but a crucial part of the community, providing an ex-convict with a job, giving food to customers even when they cannot pay, and offering good counsel to anyone who wants it.The film plunges into the inner workings of a small business in a tough neighbourhood and the delicate racial balance of two very different communities co-existing. Walah's Corner Store manages to say a good deal about inner-city US in general and Englewood in particular, and gives an insight into another vision of the American Dream.
Abu Muhammad's story is a familiar one. Forced to leave his home in Palestine in the lead up to the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, he survived exile by roaming from one country to the next in search of work. He finally settled in the US a little over 20 years ago, where he tried his hand at a variety of businesses. His life is defined by a constant hustle, and his will to survive makes him more like his customers, than he might realise. Abu Muhammad is not perfect. He rails on the idea of welfare, but creates a kind of lending programme for his customers. He does not sell alcohol, but still sells junk food. Regardless, Abu Muhammad commands respect, something neighbourhood residents say they do not feel walking into other stores.
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/witness/2015/02/walah-corner-store-150208155213705.html

http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2014/04/17/coming-soon-amina-waheeds-superb-chicago-shot-documentary-corner-stores

Trailer: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10155173771705557

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