Congratulations to Ali Selim and his film Sweet Land. On Saturday, Ali received a Film Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature, and if you have not yet seen the film, I would highly, highly recommend it. The film tells the story of a German mail-order bride’s arrival in a small farming community in rural Minnesota in the twenties. A terrific love story with beautiful cinematography, phenomenal acting, and fabulous characters, the film stands as a perfect example of why movies can be such a spectacular medium for depicting the human experience. Go see it.