Shihabi and Naikli used an Iraqi dialect coach,
one of Nakli's friends, to refine their Arabic.
Amira Jafari(Dina Shihabi)- A Muslim woman from Iraq,
Amira is an illegal immigrant and sells unlicensed movies.
Shihabi performed in numerous school plays,
and was encouraged by her teacher, Nancy Mock, to pursue an acting career.
At age 18, with her father's permission, Shihabi moved to New York City in 2007
and began pursuing a career in acting; this became a full-time profession for her in 2010.
Shihabi immigrated to the U.S. at age 18
and began living in New York City so she could become an actress; she used her previous experiences of culture shock in her performance as Amira.
Although Shihabi did not complete a 4 year
Bachelor's degree(she attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, an Acting Conservatory from 2008 to 2010), NYU waived the requirement of a Bachelor's degree, and she graduated with her MFA in 2014.