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Sara Elghobashy
January 28, 2010
The Sundance Film Festival is currently underway, and this year Muslims are making a huge impact. From the much-anticipated debut of The Taqwacores to stories of foolish terrorists (Four Lions), movies about Muslims, by Muslims and featuring Muslims are all over the place. And while we all yearn to be among the crowds screening the films this week, I guess we’ll just have to wait until they come to a theater near us. In the meantime, take a look at the selections to see which movies you should be watching out for.
COMPETITION FILMS
Bhutto - Directors Jessica Hernandez and Johnny O’Hara use exclusive interviews with the Bhutto family and never-before-seen footage to illustrate the story of a woman who, after being exiled, was seen by some as Pakistan’s only hope for democracy. Following her death in 2007, Benazir Bhutto transformed into a martyr that won’t be forgotten by those who believed in her.
The Oath - The Oath follows the story of Abu Jandal and Salim Hamdam, two brothers-in-law who served as Osama Bin Laden’s bodyguard and driver in the 1990s. The film captures the complexity of their personal life, specifically throughout Hamdam’s imprisonment in Guantanamo and his subsequent trial.
The Imperialists Are Still Alive! - Asya lives a glamorous life in Manhattan as a visual artist until she discovers that a childhood friend was reportedly abducted by the CIA. Paranoia kicks in and her conspiracies theories become too much to bear. But are they just conspiracy theories or is there some truth to them? Director Zeina Durra makes her debut with a film that explores how terror has seeped into our minds in a post-9/11 world.
Fix ME - Director Raed Andoni has a tension headache that won’t go away. His stressful life as a Palestinian living in Ramallah is captured in a new documentary that follows him on 20 therapy sessions attended in the hopes of curing his ailment. The film reveals emotions experienced by thousands of Palestinians who have been displaced from their homeland.
Kick in Iran - Kick in Iran follows 19-year-old Taekwondo competitor Sarah Khoshjamal, the first female professional athlete from Iran, as she prepares for the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing. The film explores her dynamic relationship with her “feisty and much-admired” coach as it tells the story of a woman that breaks stereotypes and serves as an inspirations for hundreds of young Iranian girls.
Space Tourists - Anousheh Ansari went from being a young girl in Iran dreaming about space travel to the first female space tourist of the Russian Space Program. In 2006, after raising $20 million and enduring rigorous training, she embarked on a trip to the International Space Station as the 4th privately funded citizen to ever visit space. Director Christian Frei captures her journey and the training of the next space tourist in line to illustrate just what it takes to make it in space.
Four Lions - We’re all used to the serious dramas and suspenseful films portraying terrorism, but British Comedian Chris Morris has decided to take a different route. Instead he brings a hilarious take on the world of terrorism in the story of four jihadists, who are attempting to pull off an attack, but let their differing ideologies get in the way. The film attempts to humanize terrorists and serves as a demonstration of just how stupid and ridiculous they are.
Son of Babylon - Twelve-year-old Ahmed and his Kurdish grandmother navigate the dangerous terrain of Northern Iraq in search of Ahmed’s father, who had been missing since the Gulf War. Along the way, they meet interesting people that will change their lives forever.
NON-COMPETITION FILMS
Un Prophete (A Prophet) - Jacques Audiard’s crime drama was a huge hit at Cannes, winning the Grand Prix award. Now it will make its debut at Sundance where an audience will experience a film said to “[transcend] genre through its character complexity, thematic depth, and sheer cinematic intensity.” The story follows 19-year-old Malik El Dejbena as he transforms from a minor criminal to masterful murderer under the hands of a Corsican gangster.
To Catch a Dollar: Muhammad Yunus Banks of America - Gayle Ferraro follows Muhammad Yunus as he brings the idea of microloans to the States with the opening of the first branch of his famous Grameen Bank in Queens, New York.
Women Without Men - Visual artist Shirin Neshat’s first feature-film is an adaptation of a novel by Shahrnush Parsipur, which tells the story of the 1953 American and British-backed coup that overthrew the democratically elected government of Iran. The film weaves together the lives of five women as they navigate the political environment.
Bilal’s Stand - Based on a true story, Bilal’s Stand follows the life of a Muslim high school senior who must choose between taking over the family business, a taxi stand they call “The Stand,” or attending a top university.
The Taqwacores - The Taqwacores is the story of Yusuf, a straight-laced Pakistani-American college student, who moves into a house with Muslim punk rockers and skaters. The more time Yusuf spends in the apartment, the more he finds his faith and ideology challenged by his new friends, who represent a subculture of young people with different ideas about Islam. The film is the much-anticipated adaptation of Muhammad Knight’s novel and the directorial debut of Eyad Zahra.
Sources: Sundance Website
IMDB
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