First of all, big respect to the makers of this film for the courage of bringing up this topic and furthermore risking more than just their reputation.
When it comes to terrorism nowadays you're walking on thin ice if you as a filmmaker want to cover it. I'm not sure if the timing is right but I was eager to see this film to get a bigger picture. I was very divided at the end. Why?
The first thing I thought of was "What would/will people e.g. from the Middle East say/think if they saw this?" In my opinion they would have a right to be very upset. But if you examine this movie a little closer it gets split into a lot of different levels. In fact this film is not about terrorism itself - it's the story of four mislead friends. Omar, Faisal, Barry, & Waj are actually enjoying a good integrated life in England, yet they feel being corrupted by the Western civilization they live in. They push each other with the idea of revolution (Jihad) and go on a mission: to sacrifice themselves in a suicide bomb attack.
Furthermore it is a fact that there are many "homegrown terrorist cells" out there who like to associate themselves with strong words like "Jihad", "Al-Qaeda" or something related. Most of them look and act a lot like the ones portrayed in this film. I'm thankful for this unmasking of current global politics that has been going on since 2001. We are getting pumped up with fear every day - the media, politicians, councils, experts, even advertisements warn us about the constant danger of international terrorism. And here comes a movie that takes a lot of hot air out of this issue.
Terrorists are human(s) too. Have these two words ever been used in one sentence before (except in the ones of human rights groups)? This film follows a group of young radical Islamists that seeks out to destroy something for the wrong reasons. But just by being mislead you don't automatically loose your heart and soul. I think the makers underline this in a very romantic but still effective and honest way. If you go further you also start wondering about the full legitimacy of the treatment of (supposed) terrorists nowadays. This film breaks into a new realm because our news suggest a very different picture of radical fundamentalists which has been burnt into our mind.
In conclusion: It is very brave to deal with this topic. It is even braver to portray a terror cell as a bunch of fanatic idiots. But then again it draws a clear line between Islam and Islamism. I was confused first - but the more I think of it, the more I agree with the idea of raising this topic. I hope that the Muslim culture can differentiate between the protagonists of this film and themselves. Or maybe we will get a satirical Muslim film about stupid Westerners soon - and what an eye opening delight that could be!!!!
When it comes to terrorism nowadays you're walking on thin ice if you as a filmmaker want to cover it. I'm not sure if the timing is right but I was eager to see this film to get a bigger picture. I was very divided at the end. Why?
The first thing I thought of was "What would/will people e.g. from the Middle East say/think if they saw this?" In my opinion they would have a right to be very upset. But if you examine this movie a little closer it gets split into a lot of different levels. In fact this film is not about terrorism itself - it's the story of four mislead friends. Omar, Faisal, Barry, & Waj are actually enjoying a good integrated life in England, yet they feel being corrupted by the Western civilization they live in. They push each other with the idea of revolution (Jihad) and go on a mission: to sacrifice themselves in a suicide bomb attack.
Furthermore it is a fact that there are many "homegrown terrorist cells" out there who like to associate themselves with strong words like "Jihad", "Al-Qaeda" or something related. Most of them look and act a lot like the ones portrayed in this film. I'm thankful for this unmasking of current global politics that has been going on since 2001. We are getting pumped up with fear every day - the media, politicians, councils, experts, even advertisements warn us about the constant danger of international terrorism. And here comes a movie that takes a lot of hot air out of this issue.
Terrorists are human(s) too. Have these two words ever been used in one sentence before (except in the ones of human rights groups)? This film follows a group of young radical Islamists that seeks out to destroy something for the wrong reasons. But just by being mislead you don't automatically loose your heart and soul. I think the makers underline this in a very romantic but still effective and honest way. If you go further you also start wondering about the full legitimacy of the treatment of (supposed) terrorists nowadays. This film breaks into a new realm because our news suggest a very different picture of radical fundamentalists which has been burnt into our mind.
In conclusion: It is very brave to deal with this topic. It is even braver to portray a terror cell as a bunch of fanatic idiots. But then again it draws a clear line between Islam and Islamism. I was confused first - but the more I think of it, the more I agree with the idea of raising this topic. I hope that the Muslim culture can differentiate between the protagonists of this film and themselves. Or maybe we will get a satirical Muslim film about stupid Westerners soon - and what an eye opening delight that could be!!!!