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Revision as of 15:47, 5 September 2007 by 207.45.240.31 (talk) (→External links)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) 2007 film| A Jihad for Love | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Parvez Sharma |
| Produced by | Sandi Simcha DuBowski Ioannis Mookas, assistant |
| Cinematography | Parvez Sharma |
| Release date | 2007 |
| Running time | 70 min |
| Languages | English, Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Hindi, etc. |
A Jihad for Love, a documentary still in progress, is the world's first documentary film on the coexistence of Islam and homosexuality. The film is directed by Parvez Sharma, and produced by Trembling Before G-d director Sandi DuBowski.
The film has also been known under the working title In the Name of Allah. The website Internet Movie Database lists it as Islam, My Love, although this title has not been used elsewhere.
Production
Jihad for Love is produced by Halal Films, in association with Channel 4 Television (UK), ZDF (Germany), Arte (France), MTV-Logo (US) and SBS (Australia).
The documentary was filmed in 12 different countries and in nine languages. Sharma conducted interviews throughout North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Countries included Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Egypt, Bangladesh, Turkey, France, India, South Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom. He found many of his interviewees online, and received thousands of emails.
It is projected to premiere in early 2007.
Significance of the title
The film has gone by several titles, beginning with the official working title, In the Name of Allah.
Among Muslims, the phrase (bismillah in Arabic) may be used before beginning actions, speech, or writing. Its most notable use in Al-Fatiha, the opening passage of the Qur'an, which begins "Bismillah ar-Rahman, ar-Rahim." All following surat of the Qur'an, with the exception of the ninth, begin with these words.
Producer DuBowski's previous film, Trembling Before G-d, on Orthodox and Hasidic Jews, also included the name of God, written with a hyphen as in Jewish tradition. Allah is Arabic for God, and the Arabic word is often used among English-speaking Muslims.
The name A Jihad for Love refers to the Islamic concept of jihad, as a religious struggle.
Controversy and problems
Sharma's making of the film has not been without criticism.
About every two weeks I get an e-mail that berates me, condemns me to hell and, if they are nice, asks me to still seek forgiveness while there is still time.
Another issue Sharma has been balancing Sharma's objective to portray homosexuality without shame, and the need to protect the safety of his sources, by filming them as silhouettes or with their faces covered. In one case, the family of an Afghan woman he interviewed "would undoubtedly kill her" if they found out she was lesbian. In another example, one of the associate producers, an Egyptian gay man, chose not to be listed in the credits for fear of possible consequences.
See also
External links
- , film website
- Director of Film on Muslim Homosexuals Frets over His Subjects' Safety
- In the Name of Allah, producer's website
- Film of Muslim gays stirs up sentiments
- In the Name of Allah, Hartley Film Foundation
References
- ^ "A Jihad for Love: Excerpts From A Work-In-Progress". Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - "In the Name of Allah". tremblingbeforeg-d.com. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - Islam, My Love at IMDb
- ^ "Islam, My Love". Hartley Film Foundation. 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Hays, Matthew (2 November, 2004). "Act of Faith: A Film on Gays and Islam". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - "In the Name of Allah". tremblingbeforeg-d.com. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
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