About the Artists

Megan Shutzer is a graduate student at Stanford University, studying International Policy. When prior work brought her to Zanzibar in early 2012, she immediately sought out a women's soccer team and she has been playing with the New Generation Queens and plotting to make this documentary ever since. Not only were the players on the team immediately compelling, and their stories even more so, but Megan quickly discovered that her new footballeuse friends were eager to join her in making a documentary so that they could show other young women in Zanzibar that there is an opportunity for them to play soccer, be active, and experience the empowerment that sports can bring to one's life.

Katie Tygielski is a documentary filmmaker and graduate of Harvard University, specializing in visual ethnography and childhood film. Her previous works have been shown in film festivals across the globe, including winning “Best Undergraduate Film” at the Society for Visual Anthropology Film Festival, 2012. As one of three women to be the first to play on her high school's American football team in rural North Carolina, she strongly values sports being accessible to everyone, regardless of gender. She is continuously in awe of and inspired by the women of the New Generation Queens.

The New Generation Queens are a team of Muslimah footballers on the island of Zanzibar. The documentary “Veils and Cleats,” currently in production, has been a collaborative effort between the filmmakers and the New Generation Queens. The players have served as co-directors on the project, instigating the documentary and guiding the filmmakers to the ideas and issues most dear to them. Though these images were captured by the filmmakers, the players have been every bit as integral to their creation. Without their inspiring work, there would be no story to share.