From Baghdad to America

I was born in Baghdad, Iraq, to a family of twelve children. My people, the Chaldeans, are descendants of the ancient Neo-Babylonians who still speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus. At the age of ten, my family left Iraq and made the journey to the United States, where we settled in the Detroit area, home to the largest Chaldean community in the world. That journey, from a concrete house in 1970s Baghdad to a new life in America, shaped everything I would become. After receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Wayne State University, I traveled the world studying fiction and memoir through correspondence courses, poetry in Prague through the University of New Orleans, and screenwriting at the Motion Picture Institute of Michigan. I studied ancient philosophies from Indian and Native American teachers, and most deeply from internationally bestselling author and mystic Lynn V. Andrews, completing her four-year course of study in the sacred healing arts. I am an ordained minister.

My Writing Journey

My Writing Journey spans over two decades. I have published 26 books across genres: novels (The Feminine Art, The Mismatched Braid, Pomegranate), a poetry collection (I Am a Mute Iraqi with a Voice), the Iraqi Americans book series documenting three generations of Iraqi-American experience, the four-part Healing Wisdom for a Wounded World memoir series about my shamanic training, cultural histories (Mesopotamian Goddesses, Chaldean Chronicles, Joseph Naayem, Maria Theresa Asmar, Elias Al-Musili), a children’s series (The Magical Museum), and The Path of Consciousness: Ancient Wisdom for a Modern World. My book The Great American Family won an Eric Hoffer Book Award.

My Filmmaking Journey

My Filmmaking Journey: I wrote, produced, and directed two feature films. The Great American Family, the first Chaldean documentary, is about political disenchantment in the Iraqi-American community, and it earned a dozen international film awards. Pomegranate, the first Iraqi American feature narrative, is about identity, family, and belonging, is streaming in 25 countries and has won over 50 awards from festivals around the world including New York, France, Sweden, Italy, and India. In 2024, I received a Kresge Fellowship for directing. I am currently creating my third feature, A Chaldean American Storyteller, which blends AI technology with archival footage to tell the story of my journey from Baghdad to America.

Learn more: thegreatamericanfamilydocumentary.com | pomegranatemovie.com

My Community Work

For over five years, I served as executive director of the Chaldean Cultural Center, which houses the world’s first and only Chaldean Museum. This role deepened my commitment to cultural preservation and led to the creation of The Magical Museum children’s book series, bringing Mesopotamian history to life for young readers. I am an Ambassador for the Authors Guild of America and the founder of The Path of Consciousness, a spiritual and writing community, and Unique Voices in Films, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

I host a half-hour weekly TV show and have given keynote speeches, readings, lectures, and workshops at numerous cultural and educational institutions. Media and Press. I have been featured in the Detroit Free Press, Detroit Metro Times, Hour Detroit Magazine, Film Daily, World Literature Today, Bold Journey Magazine, Voyage Michigan, Fox 2 Detroit, WDIV Local 4, In-Sight Publishing, and many other outlets.

Contact: weamnamou@gmail.com | (586) 231-6175