Movies, Music, and the Muslim Film maker:Part two: An Interview with Imam Zaid Shakir

This is the second part of the interview with Imam Zaid Shakir with a focus on film making.

Imam Zaid Shakir

Although Cinema has been around for the last century, the presence of Muslim filmmakers in the US and the west is relatively new. We are slowly shifting from being doctors, and engineers into unchartered waters, that of media and specifically film. The following are the insights and guidelines Imam Zaid shared.

JM Now to get into the filmmaking part. We as a community have come a long way in terms of what appears to be acceptable in terms of media. At one extreme some scholars questioned the validity of having pictures taken, and now it is interesting when you go eg to UK and watch satellite TV, there are so many Islamic or Muslim channels that have moving pictures of various scholars, giving their sermons. Can you give some parameters of what is or not acceptable to young film makers as they make films for the theater, DVD/video, internet, and mobile applications media is pervasive.

ZS You should not show pornographic images. There are many successful films that do not show pornography.  Don’t promote racism. You can show examples of racism to show how bad it is, or dangerous it is, but not to promote it. Similarly don’t promote misogyny, the hatred and denigration of girls and women, like some rappers do. Don’t show or promote denigration of other religions. Again if you are making a film on the partition of India and the violence that took place, it is OK to show what the non-Muslims did with Muslims, but you don’t want to promote hatred of Hindus. You have to be balanced and also show the wrongs that Muslims did too. Again the purpose is not to promote this just like you don’t want to promote racism or misogyny. Pornography just to repeat is something you don’t want to show period. There are many films that are successful that avoid using profane language and swearing etc.

JM If you look at the major milestones in “Muslim  Cinema” and again this is a 50,000 foot view, we have The Message by Mustaf Akad

The Message

which was made in the mid seventies to the documentaries made by Michael Wolfe. Of course there are the films that are made in major film-making countries like Egypt, Iran, and Turkey, but leaving those aside for now, what kind of films would you like to see Muslims making. Do they always need to have a Muslim theme?

ZS They don’t need to have a Muslim theme. It is greater dawah when Muslims don’t have a particular Muslim theme. But in the sense that there is a dearth of good Muslim films that Muslims are making quality Muslim films there is nothing wrong with that as it is filling a void. But every film from a Muslim film maker doesn’t have to be a Salahudin or the story of Bilal the caller. Muslims should be making films about hardship that people are going through. Many of the Iranian films are good at this, eg the Persian film Children of Heaven, shows the hardship a brother and sister go through when they only have one pair of shoes to share.  It doesn’t have to be about the revolution around the corner or a figure from history. It can be just about humanizing Muslims. By the way did you see the New Muslim Cool?

New Muslim Cool

JM No, but I have interviewed the director.

ZS Well you have to see that. That film on PBS did more to humanize Muslims than any other film or documentary made about Muslims. It is a film about a Puerto Rican convert that smashes stereotypes where people think all Muslims are Arabs or blacks. It shows how his mother is happy that he is a Muslim. He was a drug dealer and gangster in the making. Now he is a nice guy sitting at home rubbing his mothers feet. People are watching that and seeing how he evolved from a fire bred radical and see the intricacies and connections that join us to other people. It is a powerful narrative.

JM In Hollywood, Muslims and Arabs since the early days have been the other, or the outsiders usually portrayed as the villain. In the nineties we had all the Muslims equals terrorists films like True Lies and a host of other films. With the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there seems to be a more positive portrayal of the Muslim in films like Rendition, Syriana,  and others which give another point of view. Do you see this trend continuing or is this an aberration based on what is going on in the bigger scenario?

ZS That will continue. As people realize they are being schooled by the same forces there will be more of a tendency for people to see that Muslims are getting a bad rap. On KPFA radio they interviewed Jeremy Scahill who did a documentary on a nine year old kid who was shot amongst 17 civilians by Blackwater guards. A massacre by any standards and it follows the fathers quest to get justice.  You will see more of this.

JM Movies by their nature usually have a music component from the score to some theme songs etc. I have asked the question to some of our well known brothers who write and sing  Nasheeds about what is acceptable in terms of music (assuming there is), but never got a clear answer. Can you give any guidelines to our future film makers as music is an integral part of making film?

ZS If you are trying to use to use this medium effectively to portray a message, music is a part of that. While I personally may not listen to music at home, when I go to the movies I don’t wear earplugs and just watch the images. If you are going to engage in this genre effectively it will need a musical score so you have a competitive product. But you don’t want to force Muslims who are averse to music, to say that you have to go and see my movie or that you’re old fashioned or whatever. You always want a healthy tension in the community around issues like music, films, and pictures because this is how we will grow. Everyone will reassess their position. Once you lose that tension and it’s all one way or another the growth stops.

JM What are your thoughts on the logistics of how mixed gender scenes should be shot. Do you think it’s okay for non-Muslim actors touching other non-Muslim opposite gender actors, in a scene let’s say between two adult siblings?

ZS Whatever is considered normal and natural is allowed. Of course there should not be anything lewd.