Burhan Qurbani/Germany 2010/88 min/15
Showing @ Filmhouse Sun 20 Feb 18:00
Shahada follows three Muslims as they struggle to balance their Islamic beliefs with life in present-day Europe; one is coming to terms with being gay whilst another is having an affair with the woman whose unborn child he accidentally killed. The third and most interesting is Maryam (Maryam Zaree) who, having been allowed to party as hard as she wants by her open-minded father, chooses to have an illegal abortion. When she continues to bleed and suffer agonising cramps she believes that God is punishing her, and sets out to challenge the liberal beliefs of her Muslim community as her views become more extreme and less tolerant.
Unfortunately, Maryam’s is the only plotline that demonstrates a notable character progression and feels the least contrived, being allowed to develop enough to encourage the audience to feel some empathy towards her. The three characters are so loosely intertwined that the minute connections they have with one another are so brief and unexplained as to make them confusing and unnecessary.
The film’s relevance to Muslims as opposed to any other religious group – or even non religious – isn’t as poignant as it could be; affairs, sexuality and abortions are things that individuals and communities of all backgrounds struggle with, and as all three characters are surrounded by very forward-thinking Muslims, it’s difficult to gauge what pressures writer/director Burhan Qurbani intended to explore beyond the usual fears and problems most people face.
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