Screening Melbourne @ Parliament of the World's Religions

There were so many events going at the Parliament of the World's Religions that I wondered whether the turnout would be good...but all was fine with the room almost completely filled.

It was a mostly non-Ismaili crowd and they asked some good and insightful questions. There seemed to a large number of questions around succession. I think the questioners were concerned that this good leader the Aga Khan must be followed by an equally good or better leader to continue helping the Ismailis play a positive force in the world. I agree.

Me (in the middle) and Hussein Rashid (on my immediate left) with Ismailis from the local Melbourne community.

2-year anniversary and an Australian Premiere

I am packing to head off to Australia for a screening in Melbourne and I just realized that today is the two-year anniversary of the Aga Khan Film's launch. Time has flown by quickly and I feel a sense of gratitude that the film is still being requested to be shown. But there is also a sense of concern that Islam is increasingly being juxtaposed against peace and tolerance, such as the Swiss ban on the building of new minarets. Within the Ummah and externally, there is a lot more work to be done...

Australia Screening Details:

Parliament of the World's Religions
http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

AN ISLAMIC CONSCIENCE: the Aga Khan and the Ismailis (61 mins)

Sun 6 Dec 4:30 - 6:00pm
Room 107
Followed by a Q+A

I will also be on a panel discussion 2 days later:

Changing the Conversation about Islam and Muslims Through Film: Shia, Puerto Rican-American and Australian Voices
With: Shamir Allibhai, Dr Pamela Ryan, Macky Alston, Hussein Rashid (Chair)
Tue 8 Dec 2:30 - 4:00pm
Room 106



About the Parliament:
(from their website)
The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions was created to cultivate harmony among the world's religious and spiritual communities and foster their engagement with the world and its guiding institutions in order to achieve a just, peaceful and sustainable world.
To accomplish this, we invite individuals and communities who are equally invested in attaining this goal.

Old photo of the Aga Khan

Photo sent to me by Abdul Hamid of Lebanon:

His Highness the Aga Khan while in Syria dated 31st July 1959 wearing the Arabic "EGAL".

Thoughts from a Toronto-screening audience member

Thoughts on the Film:
When I first watched the documentary on VisionTV (Canada's multifaith TV Channel), my first reaction was alarming and thought that this would create a lot of stir among people who are against the thoughts of Ismailis. Especially since the commentator states a lot about how Ismailis pray privately and without veils and divides of men & women. The reality is that this documentary is meant to educate everyone out there about a sect of Islam that has and is a sample of true Islam.

The movie also takes away the misconceptions (if any) regarding the sect that Aga Khan leads as the spiritual leader. There is a logical-systematic flow in the movie which also opens the minds of Ismailis themselves. I have been discussing the movie (piece by piece with my family, Ismaili friends, and Muslim and non-Muslim friends) and sharing my learnings that were triggered after watching this movie.

The Journey since its first release:

I then bought the DVDs and watched it with an 'outside-the-box' mindset and taking my being as an Ismaili identity out of my thoughts. I then realized that this documentary was made with intent to create dialogue and discussions. It tries to show how one of the sects of Islam is and how it has positioned itself. The facts are shared and stated. It is up to the viewers to delve deep, engage with it, and search for more knowledge.

My Wish & Hope:
Is that we have more of such documentaries with similar format and maybe a 'series' or chapter-by-chapter take on the Ismaili history. I take this current documentary as a synopsis and it gives way to future elaborated versions (era by era) to bring a dialogue of what Islam was and is.


-Salim Nensi

FILM, MUSIC AND MEDIA: Mediums for Political Expression in the Middle East Region

For those who live in Boston:



FILM, MUSIC AND MEDIA:
Mediums for Political Expression in the Middle East Region

Thursday, May 7th
4:00 – 6:30 PM

This public event will feature two documentary film makers, Shamir Allibhai and Jackie Salloum, and a screening of SLING SHOT HIP HOP (www.slingshothiphop.com), a documentary on Palestinian Hip Hop artists in the Occupied Territories and Israel. The documentary will serve as a platform for discussion on the role of Hip Hop and film in fostering artistic and social agency, and creating a meaningful bridge between communities in different cultural and political situations. The film offers a window into the role music and media can play to create social networks, address political struggles, and harness technology in the formation of purpose driven cultures of social inquiry.

This event is sponsored by the Outreach Center, Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University & The Middle East Initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Co-sponsors: the Society for Arab Students at Harvard, the Pluralism Project, and the Harvard Islamic Society.

Location:
CGIS South Building
1730 Cambridge Street
Ground Floor, Belfer Case Study Room (Room #S020)
Cambridge, MA 02138

Schedule:

4:00 – 4:35 pm Welcome and introduction to film, music and media and forums of political expression

• Ben Williams (moderator), lecture series manager of the Islam in the West program at Harvard, MTS candidate at Harvard Divinity School.
• Shamir Allibhai, producer of An Islamic Conscience: The Aga Khan and the Ismailis, founding member and Commercial Director of the Channel 4 British Documentary Film Foundation.
• Jackie Salloum, director of Sling Shot Hip Hop, which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival-Documentary Competition.

4:35 – 6:00 pm Screening of SLING SHOT HIP HOP

6:00 – 6:30 pm Discussion of the film

*Refreshments will be served

** This event is sponsored by the Outreach Center, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, the Middle East Initiative and the Initiative on Contemporary State and Society in the Islamic World at the Harvard Kennedy School

Cosponsored by The Pluralism Project, Harvard Islamic Society and the Society for Arab Students, Harvard University.

Comments from the Toronto Screening Organizer

Posted as received from Tanya Panjwani, organizer of the Apr 30th, 2009 screening at York University, Toronto, Canada:

I still remember the day I heard about The Aga Khan Film, one of only two official documentaries made about His Highness in fifty years of his Imamat. I recall my friends excitedly ordering dvds for their families and friends, watching the film and discussing it amongst themselves, and even hearing about screenings happening all over the world, from Boston to Beirut, Atlanta to Africa. I also remember organizing a gathering of students about a year ago to watch both the 1961 and the recent film, to discuss the progress that has been made in the past fifty years, and to shed light on the Imam’s international recognition, especially in the context of the globalization phenomenon. It was incredible to see the amount of discussion and dialogue that the film sparked, because not only were we bouncing off ideas that were brought up in the film by various academics and members of the Ismaili community, but these ideas branched off into even more interesting discussions. It was then that I realized how powerful a medium film could be in creating awareness about a unique Muslim leader and his community, something that has not been tapped into until this documentary was made.

Little did I know that a year after our powerful discussion, Shamir Allibhai himself would grace us with his presence at York University. When I heard that Shamir was interested in premiering the film in Toronto at York University, I leaped at the chance to host the event. I knew that I wanted to share this film with the York community, and Toronto at large. Shamir and I kept in contact for a few weeks to prepare and organize the event, and finally the day arrived. I was surprised at what a great turnout we had, certainly a good mix of age groups, religious communities, and people of a variety of different ethnic backgrounds. Clearly news had spread amongst Ismailis too, because they occupied the majority of the audience, many commuting from all over Toronto to attend the event.

Watching the film was an exciting experience to share with such a large crowd, and brought to life many of the lived experiences of the Ismaili community and most of all, the Aga Khan. The best part of the event, though, was the Question and Answer session. I was overwhelmed with the amount of hands that went up when the session began. Professor Zulfikar Hirji, a professor of Anthropology and Islamic Studies here at York University, moderated the questions. People asked a variety of different questions, some thought-provoking and based on His Highness and the Ismaili community, and others about Shamir’s experiences and his personal journey in creating the film.

Overall, I believe the event accomplished its goal, which was not to create an all-encompassing idea of who the Aga Khan is or who the Ismailis are. Rather, it scratched the surface of the question, and posed even more questions that caused excitement, positive energy, and interest, sure to be spread even beyond the halls of York University. I remember one non-Muslim student approaching me at the end of the event, who claimed that though she had been studying Islamic studies for some time, she never knew that an Islam such as this existed. She was in awe of how little she was made aware of the Ismaili communities that exist all over the world, and while she knew about it in name, she felt that the film gave her a perspective that was beyond what she had learned in the classroom. This awareness that was being created seemed like only the beginning. While it has been over a year since the film was premiered, its impact is still echoed by countless voices, both Muslim and non-Muslim, in houses, theaters, and school halls all over the world.


====

Shamir's comments: Thank you very much, humbling and with gratitude. A lovely write-up.

Aga Khan Film on TV in British Columbia, Canada

The Aga Khan Film, under the title "The Aga Khan: A Voice of Reason" will be airing on the Knowledge Network in British Columbia, Canada in May:

May 12	8:00 PM	The Aga Khan: A Voice of Reason Reveals how this shy and studious young man became one of the world’s most respected spiritual leaders.
May 13	12:00 AM	The Aga Khan: A Voice of Reason Reveals how this shy and studious young man became one of the world’s most respected spiritual leaders.

http://tvschedule.knowledgenetwork.ca/knsch/KNSeriesPage.jsp?seriesID=14743003&seriesTitle=theagakhan:avoiceofreason

Trailer: http://tvschedule.knowledgenetwork.ca/knsch/KNSeriesPage.jsp?seriesID=14743003&seriesTitle=theagakhan:avoiceofreason


Spread the word please.

Toronto Screening

I landed to a cloudy and rainy Toronto on Thursday, the day of the screening. My ride navigated the MapQuest printout in the midst of the chaos of traffic. We arrived 20 minutes late to the screening at York University but once the event got started, all went really well. The film is one hour long and I spent the four hours following answering questions. Yes, FOUR hours. And I write "four" in caps not because it was too much or too long but because it was a pleasant and unexpected surprise of how much enthusiasm, I interpreted, there still is for the film/my journey.

It was nice to see quite a few Torontonians who have been key supporters of the film from the outset. Akber Kassim-Lakha came to see the film (he featured in the film as the boy who was being advised by the Aga Khan in 1961). Akber was trying to make it to the world premiere at Harvard in Dec 2007 but an ice storm in Montreal prevented a timely arrival and thus he missed the first screening. This time, he weathered the weather to make it.

Some friends from college were also in the audience. It is always nice to have friends from a previous period in your life still standing by you. Distance and age can diminsh a friendship but hopefully not with your closest of closest friends.

The crowd was mainly Ismaili students from York but there was still a sizeable number of adults who must have commuted to see the film/Q+A. Dr Zukfikar Hirji, author of the Institute of Ismaili Studies' book the Illustrated History of the Ismailis moderated the Q+A and he fielded many questions such as 'what was the toughest part of my journey', 'how was it to interview the Aga Khan' and 'when is part 2 and part 3 coming out?!' A novel question I got was 'why did we have a Western voice narrate the film?' The answer I gave was because VisionTV, a funding broadcaster and the first channel to play the film on its networks, asked us to but also because the citizens of Western countries were my primary target audience with my premise try to to offer a counterbalance when so many documentaries are coming out in the West showing only violent elements in the Muslim World. This film is also for many other peoples, I said, and that is why we translated the film into 10 languages: so we could reach the widest audience possible.

After that moderated Q+A, many people came up to me afterwards to ask new questions or to follow-up on previous ones.

I hope the audience enjoyed the event as much as I did!

Reminder: Aga Khan Film - Toronto Screening - Apr 30th

Dear All

At a time when Islam is seen by many as a monolith and often associated with extremism, this is the film that offers a counterbalance showing a pluralistic and tolerant side of the Muslim World through the story and life journey of His Highness the Aga Khan, a descendant of Prophet Muhammad.

AN ISLAMIC CONSCIENCE is the first documentary to look at answering who are the Ismailis Muslims? Who is their Imam Aga Khan IV? And how can we bridge the Muslim World - non-Muslim World divide? Are we facing a Clash of Civilizations or are we facing a Clash of Ignorance?

With exclusive access to the Aga Khan and a rare interview with him, AN ISLAMIC CONSCIENCE: the Aga Khan and the Ismailis is the film that needed to be made.

Join us at 7PM, Apr 30th at York University (Location: Vari Hall A, York University, Toronto - See Map Here.) There will also be a post-screening discussion with Producer/Co-Director Shamir Allibhai.

Best wishes

Aga Khan Film team

Watch the trailer: http://www.agakhanfilm.org

Join us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/theShamir
Follow the blog: http://agakhanfilm.blogspot.com

AN ISLAMIC CONSCIENCE: the Aga Khan and the Ismailis

Directors: Jane Chablani & Bill Cran

Producer/Co-Director: Shamir Allibhai

Born into a world of wealth and privilege, the Aga Khan devotes his life to eliminating poverty and inequality. A religious leader who traces his ancestry back to the Prophet Muhammad, he struggles to balance the traditional with the modern.

For the past five decades, the Aga Khan has been the spiritual leader and Imam of the 15 million Ismaili Muslims in a world that has changed dramatically. From the end of colonialism and the expulsion of the Asians in Uganda to the fall of the Iron Curtain and 9/11, the Aga Khan has struggled for a common humanity in a divided world.

At a time when Islam is at odds with itself and with the West, the Aga Khan represents a voice of moderation, speaking out for pluralism and diversity, and promoting dialogue between civilizations.

But will he be heard?

Constantine's Sword: a focus on Christian Antisemitism

I was presenting at a Harvard board meeting a few weeks ago and found out about this film, Constantine's Sword, a story on James Carroll, a former Catholic priest on a journey to confront his past and uncover the roots of religiously-inspired violence and war. His search also reveals a growing scandal involving religious infiltration of the U.S. military and the terrible consequences of religion’s influence on America’s foreign policy. http://constantinessword.com

I watched it last night and thought it was great. The film looks at antisemitism in Carroll's own tradition, Christianity. A thoughtful, balanced piece that does not shy away from the tragic past and asking the tough questions of the day on this issue.

Some memorable quotes:

"What planet are you on? If you want to make religion a constructive force in society, religions must begin with a honest admission of those moments when they haven't been a constructive force; when they have been a deconstructive force."
Priest John Pawlikowski, President of the International Council of Christians & Jews

"What frustrates me to no end is when religious leaders get up and give the impression that religion has always been on the side of good and virtue. It hasn't. Let's be honest."
Priest John Pawlikowski, President of the International Council of Christians & Jews

"Every religious person has to take responsibility for the way in which their tradition encourages intolerance, suspicion, hatred of the other..."
James Carroll, Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at Suffolk University. Carroll’s new book, Practicing Catholic, will be published in the Spring of 2009.

These quotes really hit home for me as I thought about my own religion and my own tradition. Not just the past but what is going on today, right now. I also thought how the "other", as Carroll refers to above, is not just people of other religions but often times those within the same religious community but who have "other" views or "other" ways of seeing the same scenario.

Toronto Screening - Apr 30, 2009!

Dear All

We are excited to announce that the acclaimed documentary AN ISLAMIC CONSCIENCE will be screening in Toronto on April 30, 2009. Please see the details below:

Screening: AN ISLAMIC CONSCIENCE: the Aga Khan and the Ismailis

Date: Thursday, April 30, 2009 - 7PM - 10PM

Location: Vari Hall, York University, Toronto - See Map Here.

Host: York University Ismaili Students Association

The film is 1 hour long and there will a post-screening discussion with Filmmaker/Producer Shamir Allibhai.

We hope to see you there!

Aga Khan Film team

Buy the DVD

Follow the Blog

AN ISLAMIC CONSCIENCE

Born into a world of wealth and privilege, the Aga Khan devotes his life to eliminating poverty and inequality. A religious leader who traces his ancestry back to the Prophet Muhammad, he struggles to balance the traditional with the modern.

For the past five decades, the Aga Khan has been the spiritual leader and Imam of the 15 million Ismaili Muslims in a world that has changed dramatically. From the end of colonialism and the expulsion of the Asians in Uganda to the fall of the Iron Curtain and 9/11, the Aga Khan has struggled for a common humanity in a divided world.

Securing a rare and exclusive interview with the Aga Khan in the year of his Golden Jubilee, Bill Cran (multiple Emmy-award winning Director) and Shamir Allibhai have completed a two-year passion project to make the first documentary on the Aga Khan in over forty-five years.

At a time when Islam is at odds with itself and with the West, the Aga Khan represents a voice of moderation, speaking out for pluralism and diversity, and promoting dialogue between civilizations.

But will he be heard?

Atlanta Screening

Yesterdays screening, hosted by the Muslim Students Association at Emory University, was very touching. The audience expressed wonderful words of appreciation and I found their questions thought-provoking and intellectually-curious.

I spent two hours after the film screening answering questions during the Q+A and chatting to the audience members plus signing DVDs. Then many of us went for dinner and continued the discuss there.

I think what I most felt touched by and grateful for is that this film is still traveling around. Its been well over a year since its release. When I was making the film, I never would have imagined the film to still be screening this long since its original premiere. I am always pleasantly surprised when I get another request for a screening and though the DVD has been circulating widely, especially within the Ismaili community, they still come in full force to support the endeavour.

It has been such a privilege to meet so many people and hear if and how the film has touched them, or provided them new insights. When I was in the DR Congo last fall for a premiere, one Ismaili said to me, "You have given me an identity (with the film), thank you." I corrected him saying he always had an identity but maybe, the film helped him articulate it further. His point and where he was coming from was not lost besides the emotions and feelings he was trying to convey to me through his powerful words.

Yesterday, undergrads told me how when they first got the DVD they analyzed each aspect of the documentary, discussing and debating it for hours into the early morning (as Heena mentions in the previous post). What a compliment.

It has been a privilege to make the film, absolutely. And when I was making the film I would watch and observe, for example, the Sunni cameramen/sound men or the Christian local producer or even the Muslim driver, who never had a chance to go to school, and how they would be so engrossed in the interviews I was conducting. They were being exposed to a community, the Ismailis, which they never had heard about or knew very little about. In the locations I was taking them to to disect a story they would take great interest in what was going on. Why would the driver be right there at all the interviews and then ask me followup questions once we stopped filming?

Who is the Aga Khan? What is the Shia theology? What is the AKDN? Why are they building a multi-million dollar park in Cairo if there are no Ismailis there? And the questions would just keep coming. A dialogue on a very small scale had begun. My objective was clearly only about pursuing the making of this film at that time. The positive exposure the local team were getting was unexpected and I took comfort in these inadvertent side benefits that even if this film doesn't ever get broad exposure, the process has been positive to those around me (I hoped). Change had been created, albeit, very small. Is this something you tell yourself to keep up motivation and enthusiasm when documentary making gets tough? Maybe. But I solidified my thinking on the belief that it wasn't just about "B": it was about getting from "A" to "B".

If "B" is making the film and screening it a number of times, then we have come close to achieving this but it has been everything to try and get to "B", and the participation of so many to help get to "B", which I feel most moved by. This journey includes the thousands of people I have met and the conversations I have had with them - Muslims and non-Muslims alike. To hear their questions about the film, their concerns on the divides, their hopes for peace - and all through their specific lens tinted by culture, religion, geography.

A real pleasure and privilege this journey has been for me and for all the gratitude I have been shown by audiences, it is I who, too, am grateful to you and them.

Yesterday someone commented, "You must have seen this film hundreds of times by now." Yes, its kind of like a high-class problem. That is, if it is a problem for one, it is a good problem to have! (I personally dont have issue with watching the film - biased / obsessed I clearly am!)

And time and time again, story after story, response after response, I can't help but reflect on what Prophet Isa / Jesus said: From everyone who has been given much, much will be required. (Luke 12:48).

Comments From Atlanta Screening Host

I encountered this movie last year around the Golden Jubilee darbar time in America. A few friends (Ismaili and nonIsmaili both) and I had gotten together to watch the documentary as we had seen some things about it on Facebook. We of course have now watched this film a multiple times, but that first time we sat down to see it, we paused about 5 minutes into the movie and basically just tried to take in the captivating scene of the Tajik mountain scenes: it was truly breathtaking. We continued to watch but paused every 15-20 minutes to - believe it or not - analyze the movie scenes and discuss it in depth. Imagine, a group of college students who could be doing anything else in the world were sitting in our free time not only watching this movie but discussing our views and religious opinions. That first sitting lasted 6 hours!!! It is a great film and we watched it many times after (of course not always discussing it for that long!!)

A few months later when my arabic professor sent a message to us about the Aga Khan and the Ismailis being screened in Lebanon, I got really excited! I asked her where she had heard about this and she said Shamir was a student of hers in Lebanon. I got his contact information from her and ever since had been trying to get a film screening here at Emory University. When the MSA was planning Islam Awareness Month, I found my medium to bring Shamir and his film here!

With many events during the month of February, this film screening and Q&A was one of the most successful event and with one of the greatest turnouts. We had about 80 people come out to the event and actively participate in the Q&A. Students, Faculty, members of the Atlanta community and fellow Ismailis came out to view this film and afterwards were very impressed with the event as a whole. Students who had never seen the film or knew much about Ismailis, were in awe of the community and were very grateful that Shamir had come out to answer questions because it provided them with a first hand response from the producer who was present in the making. The founder of our Emory MSA, Isam Vaid, also had a few thoughts about the event: he was excited to finally see the plurality of our Muslim population and see the different faces of Islam present. Overall, this screening was a positive initiative for Emory's campus and I hope to have Shamir do other screenings (perhaps in Dallas my hometown!!!)


Heena Jiwani
Emory University
Goizueta Business School
BBA
Religious Studies

Aga Khan Film continues in theatres in Geneva!

Daily at 16.30 at Cinema Bio Geneve Carouge - film will also go on next week so already week 5!

Cinema Bio Genève Carouge, Rue St-Joseph 47 1227 Carouge 022.301.54.43

The Aga Khan

and the Ismailis

Un film documentaire de William Cran

(VO sous-titrée en français. Age légal/suggéré : 16/16)



Descendant direct du prophète Mahomet, le prince Karim Aga Khan IV est le 49e Imam, chef spirituel des 15 à 30 millions d'Ismaélites dans le monde.

En tant que membre de conseils d'administration d'établissements financiers, de sociétés de médias, de mines de pierres précieuses, de lignes aériennes ou encore d'hôtels, il a fondé le Réseau de Développement Aga Khan, la plus grande oeuvre de bienfaisance privée qui, entre autres, a versé plus de 80 millions de dollars pour aider à reconstruire l'Afghanistan après la guerre.

Ce documentaire constitué de d'images inédites dresse le portrait d'un homme respecté par la communauté internationale, prêchant tolérance et pacifisme, en contraste avec les interprétations autrement plus extrémistes du Coran que prônent d'autres courants islamiques.

Aga Khan Film Screening - Atlanta - Feb 23

Dear all

Our film, AN ISLAMIC CONSCIENCE: the Aga Khan and the Ismailis, will be screening in Atlanta at 6PM on Monday, Feb 23rd at Emory University (White Hall 207) as part of Islam Awareness Month. Please join us for the free screening and Q+A.

Best wishes

Shamir & the Aga Khan Film team

Trailer: http://www.agakhanfilm.org

Buy the DVD: http://www.agakhanfilm.org/buy_now.asp

Blog: http://agakhanfilm.blogspot.com

Born into a world of wealth and privilege, he devotes his life to eliminating poverty and inequality. A religious leader who traces his ancestry back to the Prophet Muhammad, he struggles to balance the traditional with the modern.

For the past five decades, the Aga Khan has been the spiritual leader and Imam of the 15 million Ismaili Muslims in a world that has changed dramatically. From the end of colonialism and the expulsion of the Asians in Uganda to the fall of the Iron Curtain and 9/11, the Aga Khan has struggled for a common humanity in a divided world.

At a time when Islam is at odds with itself and with the West, the Aga Khan represents a voice of moderation, speaking out for pluralism and diversity, and promoting dialogue between civilizations. But will he be heard?

Aga Khan Film - PARIS PREMIERE - JAN 29th

Dear Supporter

We will be premiering the Aga Khan Film in Paris at the famous Institut du monde arabe!

The Institute is a cultural endeavour as a partnership between France and twenty-two Arab countries including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan.

Details:

Tickets: FREE

Jan 29th - 6:30PM

Auditorium (niveau -2)

Institut du monde arabe

1, rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard – Place Mohammed V

Paris Cedex 05

75236

The film will play in English with French subtitles. See the trailer.

After the screening, there will be a discussion with Co-Director Jane Chablani and myself.

We hope to see you there and please forward this e-mail to your friends and family in Paris.

Best wishes

Shamir

Les Jeudis de l’IMA

Un espace de réflexion et de débat
Autour des cultures et des savoirs du monde arabe

JEUDI 29 JANVIER 2009 – 18 h 30
Auditorium (niveau -2)

DOCUMENTAIRE DU JEUDI

Une conscience islamique :
L’Aga Khan et les Ismaéliens

Réalisé par Jane Chablani, Bill Cran et Shamir Allibhai
Canada – 2008 – 62 mn – Couleur

L’islam pluriel
Le film est née du désir de donner à voir un Islam fait de « mosaïques de voix et de perspectives » à travers le destin d’une communauté singulière et de son chef spirituel. Depuis cinquante ans, l’Aga Khan est à la tête des Ismaéliens. Cette communauté, branche du chiisme fondée à la mort du 7ième Imam en 765, a connu son apogée dans le passé avec les Fatimides, une brillante dynastie qui a régné sur l’Égypte et une partie de l’Afrique du Nord du Xe au XIIe siècle. Aujourd’hui, les Ismaéliens témoignent à leur manière du pluralisme de l’islam. Un pluralisme qui est aux antipodes de l’image que veulent en donner des mouvements radicaux, un pluralisme qui suppose un dialogue ouvert entre les civilisations.

La projection sera suivie d’un échange entre les cinéastes :

Jane CHABLANI a travaillé notamment pour National Geographic et Discovery Channel. En 2007, elle a réalisé un documentaire sur Klimt,

Shamir ALLIBHAI poursuit en dehors de ses activités de producteur un master en études théologiques dans les domaines des études islamiques à Harvard.


Entrée libre dans la limite des places disponibles

Institut du monde arabe, 1, rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard – Place Mohammed V -75236 Paris Cedex 05

Geneva, Switzerland Screening - Jan 27, 2009

The Aga Khan Film will makes its Geneva, Switzerland debut on Jan 27, 2009 at 7pm. Will you join us? Reserve your tickets here (CHF 15.00) and please forward this e-mail to your friends, family and colleagues.

The documentary will play in English with French subtitles and there will be a post-film discussion with the filmmakers.

See the trailer.

Best wishes,

Shamir

Producer


Bonjour

Nous aimerions vous inviter pour la première du documentaire "THE AGA KHAN & THE ISMAILIS" (GB 2008, 61 min.) de Bill Cran, Jane Chablani & Shamir Allibhai.


LE FILM

Le premier documentaire sur l'Aga Khan depuis 45 ans... et le premier documentaire sur la communauté des Ismailis et le Aga Khan Development Network Genève (la plus grande NGO privé du monde).

Ce documentaire constitué de d'images inédites dresse le portrait d'un homme respecté par la communauté internationale, prêchant tolérance et pacifisme, en contraste avec les interprétations autrement plus extrémistes du Coran que prônent d'autres courants islamiques.

DATE

27 Jan, 19.00, Cinema Bio (www.cinema-bio.ch)
En présence du producteur Shamir Allibhai et la mettrice en scène Jane Chablani ("Stealing Klimt")

R.S.V.P.

Jusq'au Jan 17, merci

RESERVATION

Vous pouvez réserver des billets (CHF 15.00) sur www.docufactory.ch (AgaKhanFilm) ou avec un email sur agakhanfilm [ at ] docufactory.ch