Ari Ali is a Yemeni-American filmmaker and producer.
About
Ari Ali is a Yemeni-American filmmaker and producer. As a child of divergent cultures, her work seeks to elevate the stories of people, places, and historical events that have been overlooked or forgotten. Ari’s current project, Ben Between Africa, is a feature-length documentary that follows Ari’s seven-year search to track down a late uncle’s final letter. The film explores topics of family separation, the long-term effects of the mid-century evangelical movement, and the potential for intergenerational healing through the discovery of one's familial history.
Some of Ari’s producing work includes: large-scale projection mapping of endangered species on the Empire State Building for the documentary Racing Extinction; collaborating with Freedom First on their multi-city human rights campaign to draw attention to violence against journalists; working closely with the United Nations on a campaign to raise awareness around the global impacts of climate change; and (a personal favorite) Fiat Lux: Illuminating Our Common Home, came from Pope Francis’s commissioning of a public art immersive experience on Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican to inspire change around the climate crisis.
Creative work is more than artistic expression; its an opportunity to build community, foster empathy, and explore the expansive landscape of human experience. Through film and collaborative storytelling, I seek to not only understand the world more deeply but to imagine new possibilities within it.
Ari’s work sits at the intersection of art, history, technology, and activism, aiming always to inspire reflection and contribute to a more
expansive, inclusive understanding of our shared humanity.
