Ali Alamedy was born in Karbala, Iraq, in the midst of the Iran-Iraq War. His father was a political prisoner, and as a young boy, he took refuge in books, fantasizing about faraway lands. As an adult, he began crafting detailed miniature dioramas of places he longed to visit. Using tweezers, razor knives, a miniature lathe, paint, glue, and an incredible eye for detail, he summons amazingly lifelike tiny scenes from places like Paris, London, New York, and Havana. The threat of ISIS spurred Alamedy to flee with his family to Turkey, where he continues his painstaking hobby, a refugee now in body as well as in mind. Director Veena Rao squeezes a world of detail and texture into eight minutes, and Alamedy’s handiwork is a visual feast.  MM

Q&A following screening