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About the Film
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Ojalá Supieras
(I Wish You Knew)
In the shadows of colonial archives, a forgotten faith whispers across centuries. Ojalá Supieras (I Wish You Knew) unearths the silenced history of Islam in colonial Mexico. It is a story of forbidden belief, suppressed identity, and survival through secrecy.
This visually immersive documentary blends dramatizations of Inquisition trials, archival documents brought to life, and expert reflections that connect past and present. Figures like Pedro Lorenzo and María Ruiz are accused of practicing Islam in secret, revealing how religion, identity, and resistance intertwined under empire.
Through reenactments of silenced voices in the archives, the film reframes Mexico as a crossroads where Muslims, Jews, Christians, and Indigenous peoples all shaped the nation’s foundation.
This is not only a film — it is an act of reclamation.
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Previous Showings of Ojalá Supieras
Biographies
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About the Filmmakers
Mariam Saada, Ph.D
DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, RESEARCHER — OJALÁ SUPIERAS
Dr. Mariam Saada is a mother, professor, researcher, lecturer, and screenwriter. She was born in Paris and is multilingual in French, Arabic, English, Spanish, and Portuguese. She holds a Ph.D. in Spanish Historical Linguistics from the University of California, Los Angeles, and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Spanish from California State University, Los Angeles.
Her academic career has been devoted to uncovering the connections between the Arab-Islamic world and Hispanic civilization. In 2016, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Mexico, where she examined Arabic and Islamic documentary traces in Colonial Mexico (1570–1820) across seventeen archives throughout the country. She is the author of ¡Allah! ¡Hashem! ¡Dios! El español no es tan español published by Editorial Dunken, Buenos Aires, 2019. She has also published nine academic articles in specialized journals.
Dr. Saada is also the director of the forthcoming documentary (her first film), Ojalá Supieras (I Wish You Knew), a visually immersive work that unearths the silenced history of Islam in Colonial Mexico. Through archival manuscripts, dramatizations of Inquisition trials, and historical testimonies, the film gives voice to men and women accused of crypto-Islam and persecuted for their faith. More than a film, it is an act of historical reclamation—reconfiguring Mexico’s national narrative by revealing how Muslims, Jews, Christians, and Indigenous peoples all contributed to the nation’s foundations.
Her work—both academic and cinematic—opens new pathways for understanding cultural memory, offering audiences a deeper vision of how erased histories continue to shape our present. By recovering these hidden voices, Dr. Saada creates a space for dialogue among disciplines, religions, and cultures, reminding us that history is not static but alive—and that the echoes of past struggles for dignity, identity, and faith still resonate in our time.
Mohannad Malas
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER — OJALÁ SUPIERAS
Strong advocate for education, innovation, and helping minorities. Recipient of an honorary Doctorate degree in Humane Letters from California State University, San Bernardino. In November 2024, was recognized as the Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year at the National Philanthropy Day in Orange County, CA.
Produced and executive produced over 20 films including award-winning films such as:
The Game Changers, 1948: Creation and Catastrophe, American East, Americanish, The Great Muslim American Road Trip and 2 Oscar-nominated films Stranger at the Gate and The Present, which also won BAFTA
Established the Malas Chair for a Master’s program in Islamic Studies at Claremont Graduate University and the Malas Chair in Islamic Law at the University of California, Irvine. Serves on the Board of Trustees of Claremont Graduate University, the Board of Trustees of the University of California, Irvine Foundation, the Advisory Council to the UCI Law School, and is a founding board member of UCI Beal Applied Innovation.
Miguel A. Márquez
WRITER, CINEMATOGRAPHER, EDITOR — OJALÁ SUPIERAS
Miguel A. Márquez is a Mexican director, cinematographer, and producer with over 30 years of experience in film and documentary. Born in Torreón, Coahuila in 1974, his career has taken him to more than 35 countries, where he has led projects recognized with awards in five nations.
He specializes in documentary filmmaking and is currently working on three international projects. His work has premiered at major festivals, including the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, the 2024 Cínica Festival in Mexico, the Reykjavik International Film Festival, and the Festival Internacional de Cine de Durango. In addition to directing, Miguel is also an accomplished photographer, editor, screenwriter, and graphic designer. He has shared his expertise through masterclasses at institutions such as the Tecnológico de Monterrey and the Goethe Institut in Mexico City.
Fluent in Spanish, English, German, French, and Italian, Miguel brings a global perspective and creative vision to every project. With a strong foundation in cinematic direction from the London Film and Communications Academy, he continues to combine critical thinking, resilience, and leadership in his pursuit of powerful storytelling.
Levent Akbarut
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER / AI TECHNICAL ADVISOR — OJALÁ SUPIERAS
Levent Akbarut is the Associate Producer of Ojalá Supieras (I Wish You Knew) and an activist engaged in Critical Muslim Studies on Decolonization. He recently authored a chapter titled “Hope in Islam” for a theology anthology on hope in religion, published by Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo (UAEH) in Mexico.
As Associate Producer, he oversees project development and planning, fundraising strategy, community and interfaith outreach, contract reviews and audience engagement planning. He also advises on AI-driven tools.
Levent co-founded the Islamic Congregation of La Cañada Flintridge. A former board member and chair of both the Islamic Center of Southern California and New Horizon School Pasadena, he has also served as publisher of Minaret Magazine and an opinion writer for the Los Angeles Times on religion.
Media
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Still Images
Below you will find still images from the documentary,
Ojalá Supieras (“I Wish You Knew”).
Film Credits
Director
Dr. Mariam Saada
Executive Producer
Mohannad Malas
Associate Producer / AI Technical Advisor
Levent Akbarut
Writer, Cinematographer and Editor
Miguel Ángel Márquez
Composer and Singer of the Featured Original Song, “Ojalá”
Elot Vit
Original Song “Ojalá”
Composer and Singer of the Featured Original Song, “Ojalá”
Elot Vit
“Ojalá” (English lyrics)
At night I pray
In the darkness before dawn
I beg Allah for my soul
For a past I cannot forget
In my heart, I confess
I am the innocent bird
I am the living song
The call to the Adhān
I ask you to remember me, my love
For I will speak of you
Among forbidden books
Fire or danger
My voice will not die
Because it is the echo of my people
It is a story of freedom
In the darkest night
Prayers for peace are heard
Crossing centuries and borders
Beyond the sea
Hear the divine song of my people
That sounds like the water of the river
My love for the land is rebellious
It will remain engraved in manuscripts
We are sister cultures
Bound by silence and a shared past
We are Mexico and Spain, the motherland
Our skin tones intertwined
Ojalá
Ojalá
Ojalá
Ah ah ah ah
Ah ah ah ah
I wish you knew
That memories live
In the heart of this land
That crossed the seas
In a wounded ship
From Al-Andalus to the Americas
I wish you knew our struggle
Drawn with blood on parchments
A flame that burns like never before
Because one path united us
We are sister, mestizo lands
With an anthem that blooms again
We rise again from the ashes
The truth will live forever
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“Ojalá” (Spanish lyrics)
Por las noches yo rezo
En la oscuridad del alba
Ruego a Alá por mi alma
Un pasado que no puedo olvidar
En mi corazón confieso
Soy el pájaro inocente
Soy el canto latente
El llamado a la Adhán
Yo te pido me recuerdes, vida mía
Que yo hablaré de ti
Entre libros prohibidos
Incendio o peligro
Mi voz no morirá
Porque es el eco de mi gente
Es historia de libertad
En la noche más oscura
Se escuchan plegarias por la paz
Que atraviesan los siglos y fronteras
Más allá del mar
Oye el canto divino de mi pueblo
Que se escucha como el agua del río
Mi amor por la tierra es rebelde
Quedará grabado en manuscritos
Somos culturas hermanadas
Por silencio y pasado compartidos
Somos México y España la madre patria
Nuestros colores de piel enlazados
Ojalá
Ojalá
Ojalá
Ah ah ah ah
Ah ah ah ah
Ojala supieras
Que memorias viven
En el corazón de esta tierra
Que cruzaron mares
En un barco herido
Desde Al-Andalus a la América
Ojalá supieras nuestra la lucha
Dibujada con sangre en pergaminos
Una llama que arde como nunca
Porque nos unió un solo camino
Somos tierras hermanas mestizas
Con un himno que vuelve a florecer
Renacemos de entre las cenizas
La verdad por siempre vivirá
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