The Prince (2017)

Olivia, a young tap dancer and her uncle Amir, an actor, struggle with what it means to be Middle-Eastern American and artists in today's racially divided world. The film bounces back and forth between an impassioned young girl performing a dramatic interpretive dance number on stage, and an actor struggling with a life-changing career decision. Olivia has a big dance recital and she wants her uncle to be there, but Amir won't be able to make it because he has booked a huge part on a major film - it could be a game changer. One morning, as Amir is getting his niece and nephew to school, a man verbally attacks them on public transit calling them terrorists. Olivia and her little brother, Jason, are shocked and confused because as Canadian-born citizens they never realized until this moment that they were seen as different. Amir discovers how deep Islamophobia runs in this city: no one on the bus is willing to help or stand up for them. Suppressing his own inner turmoil, Amir does his best to comfort the kids and let it go, but the incident stays with them: Who am I? Why do people see me differently? How do I want them to see us? Excited for his first day on set, Amir sits in the make-up trailer trying to ignore the subtle racism surrounding him as they prepare him to play AL FAYED - the lead terrorist in the film. Meanwhile, Olivia uses the experience as inspiration to create a dance number dedicated to her uncle. The day of her recital finally arrives and Amir is sorry he has to miss it for his gig. He is faced with a career changing decision: If he goes through with playing this role he is guilty of perpetuating the stereotype. In honor of her uncle, Olivia's piece is titled "The Prince", which translates to 'Amir' in Arabic.