''Just Like Us'' is a 2010 documentary about a comedy tour of international comedians throughout the Middle East. Directed by Egyptian-American actor/comedian
Ahmed Ahmed
Ahmed Ahmed ( ar, أحمد أحمد), (; born June 27, 1970) is an Egyptian-American actor and comedian.
Early life
Ahmed Ahmed was born in Helwan, Egypt. His family moved to the United States when he was one month old and he grew up in Riversi ...
, the film premiered at the 2010
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by TriBeCa Productions, Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive progra ...
.
Synopsis
Modern technology and globalization have made the world a much smaller place and caused us to be more interconnected as people, yet cultural misconceptions persist. Through a celebration of culture and comedy, this film uproots the widely held misconception that Arabs have no sense of humor − when in fact they laugh, and are, just like us. This documentary features Egyptian-American comedian Ahmed Ahmed, in his directorial debut, along with a host of critically acclaimed international stand-up comedians. Presented by Cross Cultural Entertainment and Cross Cultural Productions, ''Just Like Us'' exemplifies their goal of reintroducing socially relevant issues to the world in an effort to build cultural bridges in this age of greater tolerance, understanding and acceptance. The film documents four countries in the Middle East, showcasing the cultures of Dubai, Lebanon, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Egypt with sold-out crowds totaling over 20,000 people. Contemporary stand-up comedy has the powerful ability to provide relief, encourage a younger generation, break down barriers and serve as a platform for cross-cultural dialogue. This art form is very new to the Middle East and older generations did not have the opportunity to appreciate this creative platform. However, during the current Internet age, stand-up comedy has flourished in the Arab region over the past few years, and continues to show us that laughter is the common language of the world.
Comedian Ahmed Ahmed hosts a celebration of culture through comedy by sharing his experience through the Middle East. It features an international lineup of stand-up comedians that reveals an appreciation for stand-up comedy in a modern generation coming of age.
Cast
*
Ahmed Ahmed
Ahmed Ahmed ( ar, أحمد أحمد), (; born June 27, 1970) is an Egyptian-American actor and comedian.
Early life
Ahmed Ahmed was born in Helwan, Egypt. His family moved to the United States when he was one month old and he grew up in Riversi ...
*
Whitney Cummings
Whitney Cummings (born September 4, 1982) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, writer, director, producer, investor and podcaster.
A native of Washington, DC, Cummings pursued a comedy career in Los Angeles after graduating from the Univer ...
*
Omid Djalili
Omid Djalili ( fa, امید جلیلی; born 30 September 1965) is a British actor, comedian and writer.
Early life and education
Djalili was born on 30 September 1965 in Chelsea, London, to Iranian Baháʼí parents. He attended Holland Park ...
*
Erik Griffin
Erik Griffin is an American stand-up comedian, writer, and actor. He played Montez Walker on Comedy Central's ''Workaholics''.
He has had acting roles in ''Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates'', ''I'm Dying Up Here'', and ''Blunt Talk.''
Early l ...
*
Maz Jobrani
Maziyar Jobrani ( fa, مازیار جبرانی; born February 26, 1972) is an American comedian and actor who was part of the "Axis of Evil" comedy group. The group appeared on a comedy special on Comedy Central. Jobrani has also appeared in n ...
*
Tom Papa
Thomas Papa Jr. (born November 10, 1968) is an American comedian, actor, and radio host. He hosts the Sirius XM Satellite Radio show ''Come to Papa'' and, in July 2019, he and Fortune Feimster started hosting the Sirius XM show ''What a Joke wit ...
*
Ted Alexandro
Ted Alexandro (born January 26, 1969) is a stand-up comedian from New York City. He has appeared on most late night talk shows and has had his own half-hour specials on Comedy Central.
Biography
Alexandro is a native of Bellerose, Queens, ...
*
Sebastian Maniscalco
Sebastian Maniscalco (; ; born July 8, 1973) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He has released five comedy specials. Maniscalco has also had supporting acting roles in the films '' Green Book'' (2018) and ''The Irishman'' (2019), playi ...
*
Angelo Tsarouchas
Angelo Tsarouchas () is a Canadian comedian, actor, and writer living in Los Angeles. He is known for incorporating Greek culture into his stand-up comedy routines, and has been called the "King of Greek Ethnic Comedy." He organized World Dafni D ...
*
Tommy Davidson
Thomas Davidson (born November 10, 1963) is an American comedian and actor. He was an original cast member on the sketch comedy TV show ''In Living Color'', Mitchell on ''Between Brothers'' (1997-1999), Dexter on ''Malcolm & Eddie'' (1999-2000) ...
Production
''Just Like Us'' was filmed in Los Angeles, New York, Arkansas, Cairo, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Beirut.
Release
''Just Like Us'' premiered at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. Its theatrical premiere was on June 6, 2011 in Los Angeles.
Music
''Just Like Us'' features an original score by
Omar Fadel
Omar Fadel is an American composer for film, television, and video games. He is also a multi-instrumentalist, whose scores frequently feature him on a wide array of instruments, including guitar, piano, cello, drums and percussion. Omar's work ca ...
, as well as licensed tracks from Fredwreck, MC Rai, and Tom Morello's Street Sweeper Social Club.
References
{{reflist
* http://justlikeusthemovie.com
* http://ahmed-ahmed.com
* http://crossculturalproductions.com
American documentary films