The Films of Hajj
The Global Muslim Film Festival Monthly Film Series
Think about the hardest film shoots in the history of the world, then think about doing it 13 times
For the filmmaker Ovidio Salazar, he was able to experience this great blessing and great difficulty of shooting the Hajj pilgrimage 13 times in his life, for the BBC, on IMAX, and even the film “Circling the House of God,” where Martin Lings narrates his Hajj from 1948 with historical footage. Imagine being in a space with millions of people, most people can’t even imagine that, now imagine trying to figure out how to make a film in the midst of that. As part of our monthly “Global Muslim Film Festival” series, this month as Hajj is closed to most of the world, we will look at a diverse set of films about Hajj and Umrah from throughout the world.
One of the most beautiful shots from Mecca of all time - Samsara (2011 - Mecca Scene) - Directed by Ron Fricke
Le Grand Voyage (2004) - Directed by Ismaël Ferroukhi
Streaming for free on Tubi TV. One of our all time favorite examples of global Muslim cinema, and recently remastered in 2019, Le Grand Voyage, is a story of, “A Moroccan immigrant in France asks his adolescent son to drive him across seven countries as he undertakes the journey from Hajj to Mecca. The father's peaceful, solemn pilgrimage is an incomprehensible waste of time for his son. Along the way, the pair's stark differences and attitudes towards life become apparent, and what they come to understand about one another has implications far greater than the journey itself.” Winner of Best first film at the 2004 Venice Film Festival. Directed by Ismaël Ferroukhi Starring Nicolas Cazalé, Mohamed Majd, Jacky Nercessian
Hajj - The Journey of a Lifetime (BBC - 2001) - Ovidio Salazar
Ovidio Salazar’s classic 2001 BBC documentary, Hajj the Journey of a Lifetime. Documentary following several British pilgrims astheyjoin three million Muslims from around the world to perform the Hajj -the annual pilgrimage to the sacred shrine at Mecca. The Islamic faith decrees that every Muslim who has the means should make this epic journey at least once in their lifetime and, this year, more than 20,000 travelled from various parts of Britain to Saudi Arabia for the event. Director Ovidio Salazar ; Executive producer Ruth Pitt
One Day in the Haram (2018) - Directed by Abrar Hussain
Streaming on Amazon Prime, “One Day in the Haram is the extraordinary story of the Haram in Makkah, a place so revered that non-Muslims are forbidden from even setting foot in it. For the 1st time in history, witness the inner workings of the Haram, as seen through the eyes of the workers, over a one day period. Packed with knowledge and never before seen footage, this is a film that anyone with even a passing interest in Islam must see.”
Circling the House of God (2010) - Directed by Ovidio Salazar
“Born in 1909, Dr Martin Lings, also known as Shaykh Abu Bakr Siraj ad-Din, was revered by people all over the world as ‘a Friend of God’: a man whose saintly radiance touched the lives of all those who looked to him for guidance. In 1938, as a young man in his late 20s, he embraced Islam, entering deeply into its spirit; and the books he went on to write bear witness to the profundity and subtlety of that spirit which he came to embody and exemplify.
In 1948 he performed the Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah. Using unique archive material, this documentary film recollects his experience along with his insight into its historical background. An indefatigable traveller to the very end, he made the last of his annual journeys to the East in January 2005, a few months before peacefully passing away in his home at the age of 96.”
معاني من مكة - Directed by Mehdi Bennaceri (2018)
One of our favorite short films from Mecca, with interviews with pilgrims inside Mecca, directed by Mehdi Bennaceri.
Belief (Series - 2015) - The Hajj - Life's Love Story Narrated by Oprah Winfrey
One of the most beautiful pieces ever directed about the Hajj, really showing the micro level of personal transformation at the center of Hajj, rather than the macro level that is harder to show on film. Follow Jordan Richter on his journey to Mecca, with cinematography by Omar Mullick, in this short 15 minute piece that makes up one part of the 8 hour long film, Belief.
PANGGILAN MU | Caravan of Praise (2016) - Directed by Rizal Omar
A beautiful short film from our Malaysian friends, Caravan of Praise.
Journey to Mecca - In the Footsteps of Ibn Battuta (2012) - Director Bruce Neibaur - Mecca Location Director - Ovidio Salazar
Journey to Mecca is an IMAX® dramatic and documentary feature that tells the amazing story of Ibn Battuta, the greatest explorer of the Old World, following his first pilgrimage between 1325 and 1326 from Tangier to Mecca. His perilous journey resonates with adventure while presenting an unforgettable picture of Islamic civilization during the 14th century, culminating with Ibn Battuta's first Hajj. The story is book-ended by a close-up look at the contemporary Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca that draws three million Muslims from around the world.
I Got Into Mecca!!! (2019) - Directed by Obayd Fox
A unique perspective from a child’s perspective, with the Saudi / London based YouTuber Obayd Fox
The Siege of Mecca (2018) - Directed by V.D. Berg
“A political thriller documentary that sheds light on an event that since 1979 continues to send its ripples through history, THE SIEGE OF MECCA for the first time uncovers the most sinister events of recent history that marks the birth of militant Islamist terrorism.
On November 20th 1979, at 05:30 in the morning, hundreds of heavily armed men take over the Grand Mosque of Mecca and transform the holiest shrine of Islam into a fortress. The next 15 days of occupation, siege and battle would cost hundreds if not thousands of lives, shake Saudi Arabia to its foundations, push the global balance of power to the brink of collapse, and lay the ground for religiously motivated terrorism. For 40 years, the battle for the Grand Mosque of Mecca has been kept under a veil of almost complete secrecy until today.
Director Dirk van den Berg and his international team obtained exclusive access to first hand accounts and never-before-seen private archives from Arab, French and American military, intelligence and civilian sources. Narrating the harrowing days of November 1979 and its profound consequences for the world, THE SIEGE OF MECCA breaks the silence about Islam's greatest taboo.”