Audi German Film Festival: Faith

May 03, 2010 13:08 | by Ernesto Zelaya Miñano

With the German Film Festival wrapping up in Melbourne over the weekend, our Festival blogger reveals one of the closing highlights

Shahada is Afghan-German filmmaker Burhan Qurbani's full-length debut, and turned out to be one of the must-see films of the Audi Festival. It's a serious, sombre drama centered on religion which is sure to divide audiences.

The film tells the interconnected story of three Muslims in Berlin: Maryam is a young girl who is dealing with the consequences of an abortion following an unwanted pregnancy; Sammi is a devout Muslim who begins to question his sexuality and his faith; and Ismail is an adult trying to come to terms with the woman he hurt years ago and who suddenly re-enters his life.

All three protagonists are dealing with a crisis of faith: Sammi denies his newfound feelings in fear of going against what his religion dictates; Ismail is in search of atonement for past sins, unable to find it in regular religious practices; and Maryam, who believes she has committed an unforgivable sin, awaits punishment and edges ever closer to becoming an extremist fanatic, in the process alienating everyone around her.

Religion can become a way of life for people; basing every decision on faith, it can also lead down a dangerous path, one of fanaticism and where people are stripped of choices. It's striking to watch in the case of Maryam and Sammi, two young people with their whole lives ahead of them, but whose narrow-minded religious views have already made the decision for them, in effect keeping them from what they really want. The link between these three characters is the Imam of the local mosque, the only one who understands that adopting a religious creed is no reason to deprive a life of anything.

Qurbani shows the assured, firm hand of an experienced filmmaker. It's an unsentimental portrayal of religion, grim, gritty, and dark. Despite treading on controversial subject matter - homosexuality, extremism, abortion - the director keeps things low key and never cheapens the story. It's as realistic as it can be, and just like in real life, the movie offers no easy answers and no quick closure; once these three people start seeing past their established views on faith, they discover an entirely new world, but who knows where it will take them.

If you're going to see one film at the Festival, make it this one: it's a serious, well-told story, with good acting and offers plenty of post-film discussion.

The Audi Festival of German Films can still be caught in Adelaide (07-09 May) and Brisbane (28 April - 04 May).