Denis Cuspert, aka Deso Dogg, became notorious for joining the Islamic State, but this film turns the lens elsewhere: to German and international civilians fighting terror militias in northern Syria. As Germany deploys Tornado jets and supplies weapons abroad, volunteers on the ground take up arms alongside Kurdish commandos to stop IS and build an alternative society based on gender equality, religious freedom, and the rejection of the death penalty. Journalist Sebastian Weiss embeds near the front line, meeting ex-soldiers, social workers, and unlikely fighters—from a teenage Canadian to a Polish mother—battling just kilometers from Raqqah.
Tag Archives: Islam
Inside Saudi Arabia (series)
Saudi Arabia is well known across the world for its wealth, strict faith and oppression, but while Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has decreed that it wants to reform, the world is startled by the murder of journalist Khashoggi and other human rights violations.
We follow the developments from the inside, through the eyes of the inhabitants themselves. Are they just empty promises or is Saudi Arabia actually able to change?
Episode 1: In Search for Freedom
We travel across Saudi Arabia and follow the reforms from within for a year. The country wants to diversify its economy by opening its borders to tourism.
In Jeddah, many young people hope for change, demanding greater equality between men and women, but the conservative opposition is enormous. One wrong word and they can be arrested. How far do they go in the fight for freedom?
Episode 2: Under the Control of the Royal Family
In the second episode, we enter the Saudi Arabian elite, where it becomes clear that the killing of Khashoggi does not impact their loyalty towards the royal family.
We are invited to Diriyah where religion and the House of Saud coincide, leading us to the mosque of Wahab, which is said to be a birthplace of extremist ideas.
Episode 3: The Power of the Holy Cities
The two holy cities of Mecca and Medina give Saudi Arabia enormous religious power.
We follow the trail of the pilgrims, from the port of Jeddah to the Holy Kaäba. There is a call for a more moderate Islam, but do religious leaders really support this?
Episode 4: Travelling to Reality
After the murder of Khashoggi, the question is what will happen with the reforms. Is the support for Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman crumbling?
We travel to the rarely covered conservative South, on the border with Yemen, where the population’s resistance to change is the fiercest.
A Revolution in Four Seasons
This seminal film tells the story of two women with opposing political views fighting for their different versions of a democratic future for Tunisia, the country that sparked the Arab Spring.
Over the course of Tunisia’s critical post-revolution years, we follow journalist Emna Ben Jemaa, who envisions a country governed by free speech and without the corruption of the former regime. In contrast, Jawhara Ettis of the Islamist party Ennahda works towards a Tunisia guided by Islamic principles.
On a public level, both women must navigate how females are treated in their society, while in their own homes they must make difficult choices to balance their public political roles with marriage and motherhood.
Both know the stakes are high and the ever-present threat of Islamic extremists means their fragile political process could break down at any moment and all they’ve worked for could be lost.
Through the intertwined stories of Emna and Jawhara, the unresolved tensions of the Arab spring are laid bare. A Revolution in Four Seasons gives both a comprehensive review of this crucial period as well as an intimate look at what these sometimes painful compromises mean for those living in a country struggling to define itself.
The Sacred City
The Sacred City presents compelling evidence that suggests the holy city of Mecca is in the wrong location and that the worlds 1.6 billion Muslims are praying in the direction of the wrong city. Compiling evidence from both historic sources and new technologies point to the correct location in this seismic, revelatory new film.
In this startling and original documentary, writer and historian, Dan Gibson, shows that descriptions of Mohamed’s original holy city – as detailed in the Qur’an and Islamic histories, do not match that of the Mecca we know today. If true this could shake Islam to it’s roots, because every Muslim is required to pray towards the ‘forbidden gathering place’. If Dan Gibson is right, Muslims are praying in the wrong direction.
In the film ‘The Sacred City’ we set out his evidence from within Islamic and ancient histories – while also using modern technologies – to track down the biggest secret of the last fifteen hundred years. Gibson not only finds the location of the original Mecca but also provides a convincing argument as to how such a great misunderstanding in Islamic history came about.
While clearly controversial, The Sacred City is respectful of Islam’s prophet, and does not dispute the events of the Qur’an; but shows how a deliberate attempt was made to hide from Islam, secrets that impact every Muslim today. The evidence is compelling and fascinating.
In a time when the world agenda is being set by Islam, it is more important than ever for the origins and history of this world religion to be examined afresh. This is an important documentary with world-wide appeal for both religious and secular audiences.
Beautifully filmed in the ruins and deserts of the middle east, the film is a detective story that investigates the dawn of Islam and will become the most talked about film for years to come.
The Sacred City from Sideways Film on Vimeo.
In the Name of Honour
In the Name of Honour exposes frightening cases of ‘honour’ killings – the killing of a relative, especially a girl or woman, who is perceived to have brought dishonour on the family – from India, Jordan and Palestinian Territories. Hindu, Muslim and Christian families all share the tragic experiences that wrecked their lives.
In this part verité / part investigative documentary, director Pawel Gula proves there is no honour in killing. The film juxtaposes horrific news footage with insights from the families of victims whose lives have been irreparably damaged and the killers who are still debating the consequences of their actions. Broader commentary from officials and activists fighting this horrific tradition combine to create a comprehensive picture of this brutal, hidden practice.
In the Name of Honour from Sideways Film on Vimeo.
Muslims: Victims of Espionage
After the events of 9/11, propaganda and espionage created by the U.S. Government has provoked a hostile environment towards Muslims or towards any person believed professes the faith of Islam in that country.
Thousands of people each day are dominated by a twisted and manipulative message, which is getting its purpose: hatred and racial segregation.
Espionage, false evidence, fictitious testimonies, innocent victims and rigged trials have caused hundreds of Muslims to be in prison in the United States for crimes they did not commit.
This documentary is the story of innocent Muslims victims of espionage and Islamophobia in the New York City.
Meeting ISIL
Anyone who is not with us is the enemy and should be branded an infidel.
This seems to be the prevailing ideology of the extreme Takfiri terrorists known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Their aim is said to be the establishment of an Islamic Caliphate. Shias, Christians, Sunnis, Yazidies, and whoever dares to question them or raise the voice of dissent is persecuted under their distorted version of Islamic Sharia.
Gruesome beheadings, crucifixions and mass executions are openly carried out under their iconic black flag. At times, it seems like their victims are whoever is unlucky enough to be in their path during their killing sprees. And yet they know how to manipulate social media and have succeeded in brainwashing some to join them in their ‘fight for justice’.
To learn who these people are, what they are fighting for, and who funds them, we go deep into their camps and bring you face to face interviews and exclusive footage. Many of those who were initially infatuated by the group’s promise of justice seem to be horrified and utterly disillusioned today.
ISIL: Rebranding An Old Story
ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and Levant) has undoubtedly become a real, illusive threat to the whole of the Middle East. In spite of what we see on the surface, so many questions have arisen that give pause for reflection about the many factors involved in sustaining this terror group. Who are funding them? Who benefits most from the disorder and chaos across the region? Who are the major players behind the scenes?
This comprehensive documentary answers all of these questions. It takes us to the formation of ISIL explaining the process through which they have been funded, armed, and equipped by countries including the US, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and more, and explores how western interference in the region has led to the chaos in which ISIL are able to thrive.
Ghosts
Three Canadian men of Muslim faith were detained and tortured during a three-year period in Syria and Egypt. Upon their release, they return to Canada struggling to find answers to why this happened to them.
An internal inquiry was struck into their cases in order to determine the role of Canadian agencies and officials in their detention and torture. The inquiry was conducted almost exclusively behind closed doorsand the findings of this inquiry were made public in late 2008, revealing that the Canadian government was complicit in their detention and torture.
Ghosts follows the lives and cases of these men for a year and a half as they – with the help of lawyers, organisations and regular Canadians – fight to leave the horrors behind them, to receive an apology and compensation, and to see accountability as they attempt to rebuild their lives.
A portrait of life after experiences of torture, this is a powerful and intimate documentary about the fragile balance between democracy, human rights and national security fears in the post 9/11 era.