Teaser – Kuwait Teaser 01 – 2014-04-10-

Manislam- Islam and masculinity
Genre: Documentary
Synopsis: English
This film examines the burdens of manhood within Islamic cultures. It brings us a new interpretation of David vs. Goliath. The main characters, bravely and frankly, share deeply personal memories and experiences in their effort to highlight and question the role of men in contemporary Islam.
Why does a man in Kuwait, inspired by the 99 names of Allah and the Quranic stories, create a comic and cartoon series about super heroes called The 99? Why does a man in Bangladesh travel from one village to another, educating a community by teaching them to play a board game? Why does a man in Indonesia encourage other men to wear mini-skirts in a demonstration? Why does a man in Turkey belong to a group called Anti-Capitalist Muslims? They all have the same goal – they want to change the dark side of Muslim masculinities in their different cultures. They all want to reform Islam. They are four Muslim Davids opposing cultural Goliaths.
Director’s intension
After 9/11, Nefise Özkal Lorentzen decided to make a trilogy about progressive Islam. Her intention was not to defend or explain Islam, but rather to show the different sub-cultures within various interpretations of Islam.
“Gender” was the key concept in her quest into the mystery of Islam. The first documentary, Gender Me, about Islam and homosexuality, was released in 2008. The sequel, A Balloon for Allah, about women and Islam, followed in 2011. Now Integral Film presents her third installment, Manislam, about the power, privileges and burdens of masculinity in Islam.
Manislam is possibly the most important of all three films, but was also the most difficult to make. It is always easier to portray the opposition to power than power itself, and masculinity is inextricably bound to the patriarchal tradition and power within Islam.
We follow Nefise’s journey as she explores Muslim masculinities and reveals how these Muslim men strip themselves from their patriarchal heritage, examining the burdens of manhood within their individual Islamic cultures. She delves into the freedom of men, democracy and equality, violence and oppression, emotionality and male sexuality, often touchy subjects for most men.
Ever since Nefise was a little girl she has been aware of the fact that boys had more privileges than girls. However, these privileges keep the wheels of patriarchy churning, and have not made men, or women, happy. Even though the power of patriarchy can turn pristine oceans into gigantic cesspools by dehumanizing and militarizing masses of men, patriarchy could not stop her quest to find men willing to tell their stories, helping purify and dilute Islam, reclaiming it from current ideals of patriarchy. Through this venture, she learned how to re-build those bridges formally destroyed by gender segregation.
Nefise is an enthusiastic fan of the hero comic and animated cartoon series from the Arab world, called The 99. This comic book based series, an answer to western-styled comic books like The Phantom, Superman, and Batman, was created and designed by psychologist and entrepreneur, Naif Al-Mutawa. Each character in his comics have different super powers, representing the ninety-nine attributes of Allah, as described in the Holy Koran. The characters are also alternative superheroes, being both male, and female, battle injustices around the globe. Nefise sought out Naif Al-Mutawa to discovery whether there exists such a character that fights against patriarchy to liberate men? She asks him, is it possible to find such freedom for men within Islam?
The film, being internationally unique, as this is the first documentary that explicitly and critically examines masculinity within Islam. The film has no intention to be hateful and antagonistic towards Islam, or men as such. With the same warmth and humor that defines Nefise’s other two films in the trilogy, Nefise shows that men, just like women and sexual minorities, need to be liberated from patriarchal values. Nevertheless, it is expected that this film will be controversial, yet sensational enough to inspire a debate, both nationally and internationally. This is a film that, hopefully, both provokes and provides hope for a better world!

Production Company Integral Film AS Producer Jørgen Lorentzen Director Nefise Özkal Lorentzen Manuscript Nefise Özkal Lorentzen Jørgen Lorentzen Cinematography Asif Abedin (Bangladesh) Nils Petter Lotherington (Kuwait) Amink Irmawan (Indonesia) Özlem Günhan (Turkey) Audun S. Bratlie Nefise Ö. Lorentzen Editor Inge-Lise Langfeldt Assistant Director & Assistant Editor Audun S. Bratlie Music by Mercan Dede Animation & Storyboard Simon M. Valentine Sound Designer Håkon Lammetun Lydhodene AS Post Production Sound Anders MørkFrode Løes HvatumOnline & Color Correction Gudmundur Gunnarsson Bonanza Film Production AS Norwegian/English Voiceover Coach Liv Hege Skagestad, Indigo Trigg-Hauger