Ojalá Supieras (I Wish You Knew)

The UCLA Library presents a screening of Ojalá Supieras (I Wish You Knew, United States, 2025), a documentary that excavates the long-suppressed history of Islam in colonial Mexico. Drawing on unpublished manuscripts and inquisitorial records, director Dr. Mariam Saada reconstructs the lives of those persecuted for crypto-Islamic practice under colonial rule—restoring to view communities whose stories were deliberately buried.

The film reframes the cultural origins of Viceregal Mexico, revealing the intertwined presence of Muslim, Jewish, Christian and Indigenous peoples at the heart of colonial society.

Dr. Saada and executive producer Mohannad Malaswill will introduce the film. Director Q&A to follow.

English. 70 minutes.

RSVP is required and will open in mid-April.