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The documentary “Jihad Rehab” was controversial when it was screened at the famous Sundance Film Festival. American Muslim filmmakers named the film “Aggressive” and the film “Islamophobia.” Sundance apologized for showing it later. The same movie will be shown at Auckland’s DocEdge Festival, but with a different name, “The UnRedacted.” Mark Jennings reports.
It’s the first time American documentary maker Megs Maker has seen her movie in front of a live audience when the lights dimmed at the Civic Theater in Auckland on Saturday night.
The documentary has been shunned by world-leading festivals, rather than being “bullied, attacked and harassed” by the organizers, according to Smaker.
Her study of four Yemeni people, who were held in Guantanamo Bay for 15 years and then moved to a rehabilitation center in Saudi Arabia, has been one of the Muslim communities in the United States since it was premiered online at Sundance in January 2022. Caused anger in the club.
“The unfortunate title of this movie is inaccurate and unpleasant.” Rehab “refers to a prison facility in Saudi Arabia, and the casual equation of the word” jihad “with terrorism is unpleasant for Muslims.” Written by Algerian-American Asia Boundawi. Filmmaker and investigative journalist.
A group of Islamic filmmakers attacked the films and media that reviewed it in a letter to Sundance.
“Since its world premiere at the Film Festival in January 2022, film critics have published the following prominent publications: variety, Hollywood ReporterWhen IndieWire, Writing a review of “Jihad Rehab,” which describes men in the movie as “terrorists” and “jihadis,” or states that men are otherwise guilty of terrorist acts. The truth is that the US government has illegally detained and tortured men for more than a decade without charge or trial. It is well established that the majority of Guantanamo inmates were detained illegally and without prosecution. “
Two Sundance staff resigned following the onslaught of Twitter, and the festival’s CEO apologized. “In this case, the screening of this film is a member of our community, especially the Muslim and MENASA (Middle East, North Africa, South Asia) communities — and we are deeply sorry for that.”
However, the film and Smaker have supporters, including respected journalist and television critic Lorraine Ali.
Ants to write for, Los Angeles Times He is also a Muslim.
“The film appears as a moving portrait of a soul damaged and destroyed by the war. An almost anonymous person was involved in decades of conflict entanglement. And before the controversy broke out. , Many critics agreed.
“But the core problem of the’Jihad Rehabilitation’swirl is the fact that it was made by a white non-Islamic filmmaker and arrived the moment there was a debate about who was who. , Not the text of the movie I was able to tell who the story was already boiling. “
Smaker says she made a movie for an American audience. Americans think, “You’re a bad bomb maker, I’m good.” I wanted to rehabilitate the audience with these people. “
Smaker’s own story-her route to documentary production-is unusual. In her late teens, she worked as a firefighter in California.
“After that, the 9.11 incident happened and I felt I needed to understand what happened, so I started reading a book about the Middle East. About half a year later, I went to Afghanistan, but soon the world. I was ignorant and humbled against. I was about 20 years old. “
Smaker says she went to Yemen to train firefighters and learn a language.
Eventually she found a way to Saudi Arabia, where the Mohammed Binknife Rehabilitation Center caught her attention.
The center, which resembles a luxury resort with chalets and pools, is intentionally designed in contrast to the harsh conditions of Guantanamo Bay. Since 2005, 3,000 men named terrorists have graduated from the center.
Smaker spent five years making this film and interviewed the man again while they were in the center and after the release.
Of the four Yemeni people she focuses on, only one seems to be working on the “cause.” Others say they were fighting for al-Qaeda in Afghanistan through financial needs or in search of adventure.
Smaker’s interaction with Mohammed (now 35), who has reached the forefront of Afghanistan fighting the Allies at the age of 19, has been revealed.
Question: Do you think you are a terrorist?
Answer: No, someone will fight me, I will fight him.
Question: People Killed by RPG (Rocket Propulsion Grenade Launcher)-How do you define these people?
Answer: He also has an RPG because these people want to kill me.
Question: Would you like to return to Jihad?
Answer: Jihad is for teens, not for us.
Smaker has been criticized for portraying a Muslim man as misogyny. This is because the movie contains in the center a Saudi instructor giving men advice on marriage.
“Don’t choose a wife who is close to your age. Women age faster than men – she gets older.”
And later in the movie, when Mohammed was dissatisfied with Smaker’s question, he told her: You need to find a husband-a woman like you needs a child. “
The scene received a strong response from reviewer Eric Korn. IndieWire Who wrote:
“This film supports the assumptions about Islamic misogyny and the urges of radicals … Jihad rehab maintains an air of Western dominance.”
Smaker says her criticisms of the film are shaped by “confirmation bias” and what has happened in the United States since 9/11.
“Guantanamo was one of the stupidest things America has ever done. It has detained and tortured people for decades. There are still 39 detained. 13 of them are Yemen.
“Esthe [negative reaction] It’s been about 20 years since the Islamic community was scared in the United States. “
Decided to change the name of Smaker and her team from “Jihad Rehabilitation” To unedited It looks like most filmmakers are driven by the fears they have. If people haven’t seen it, what was the point of making it?
“The goal is to get as many people as possible to watch the movie. If the title is trying to separate people, I don’t want it. If people are really angry with the title, then They aren’t. ” “I saw the movie … Well, here’s the new title.”
Dan Shanan, co-director of DocEdge, expects New Zealand audiences to see the film from a different perspective than Americans.
“Meg Smaker is noteworthy. I don’t think there’s any better to talk about it. My intuitive reaction is that the United States has a different climate and New Zealand faces the same situation. That’s not the case. So far, that’s the case.
“We consulted with two respected journalists in New Zealand, one is Muslim and the other is familiar with the Middle East and its customs. Both seem to have problems with the film. I didn’t, so I was confident that I could move on. “
Shannan says Sundance didn’t handle the smaker well.
“They chose the movie because it’s a great movie, and they didn’t back her up when it became controversial. How she was targeted and mistreated When we asked if we were, we wanted the movie and her to have the right premiere. “
And what is Smaker’s view of Sundance?
“Sundance wants diversity, but not thinking.”
unedited
Auckland | Civic Saturday June 25, 8:15 pm
Wellington | Embassy Saturday, July 2nd, 8:15 pm
Online | June 25th-July 10th