Netflix Acquires Documentaries on White Supremacy and Radical Islam for U.S., U.K. (EXCLUSIVE)

By Stewart Clarke

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Netflix has picked up a pair of documentaries from Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Deeyah Khan that look at the world of the far-right in the U.S. and, separately, Islamic extremism in the U.K. and Europe. “White Right: Meeting the Enemy” and “Jihad: A Story of the Others” launched Monday on the streaming service in the U.K. and the U.S.

In “White Right: Meeting the Enemy,” filmmaker Khan, who is a Norwegian-British Muslim of Punjabi and Pashtun descent, sits face to face with U.S. far-right and alt-right activists and personalities, including U.S. neo-Nazi leader Jeff Schoep. Khan and her crew found themselves in the midst of the Charlottesville riots while making the documentary, which was first shown on ITV in the U.K. last December.

BAFTA-nominated “Jihad: A Story of the Others” also bowed on ITV in 2017 (with the title “Jihad: A British Story”). In the film, Khan examines the history of young people in Europe joining extremist Islamic groups. She spent two years with leading figures in the British jihadi movement from previous generations and also talks to young British Muslims battling feelings of alienation and dealing with discrimination.

“I am so glad…our films will be able to be seen in the U.S.,” Khan told Variety. “‘White Right’ has an important message about far-right radicalization which cuts through a lot of stereotypes on both sides. It couldn’t be more important in the current political climate, with identity-led politics on the rise across America and Europe.”

Khan added that there is a through-line connecting both documentaries. “I’m also glad that ‘Jihad’ will also be available, too, since there’s a fascinating similarity between the backgrounds, experiences and beliefs of extremists on both sides.”

Khan won an Emmy and a Peabody Award for her 2012 film “Banaz: A Love Story,” telling the story of Banaz Mahmood, a young British Kurdish woman who was the victim of an honor-killing.

Khan’s Fuuse Films produced and distributes “White Right: Meeting the Enemy” and “Jihad: A Story of the Others.” The company specializes in projects with women, minorities, and kids raised in cultures different from those of their parents.