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About UPF  Announcements
April
Spain Film Airdate set for August 22nd
To kickoff the new fall season, PBS has announced that UPFs film, Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain, will air on Wednesday, August 22nd 2007 (check local listings, date and time may vary). UPF has contracted a major Public Relations firm with a strong media background to head the promotional campaign, which aims to get newspaper and radio coverage of the film.
Beyond the broadcast, the film will be used to promote dialogue in the classroom and through interfaith gatherings. UPF's '20,000 Dialogues' community screenings campaign will be launched soon. UPF has already
developed classroom lesson plans to accompany the film on issues including:
♦ The Abrahamic Faiths - Similarities and Differences
♦ Islamic Spain's contribution to material culture(medicine, textiles, zoology, etc)
♦ The Poetry of Al-Andalus
The film tells the full history of Muslim rule in Spain, and is aimed at an audience that knows little about the great civilization that once flourished there. Focusing on the fate of Muslims, Christians, and Jews over this roughly seven hundred year period, the film shows how good government and the spirit of pluralism led Islamic Spain to many of its greatest achievements, while warfare and violence among the three religions and within the Muslim community in Spain eventually led to its downfall. In this latter respect, the film serves as a cautionary tale, showing that extremism and warfare can destroy a society from within. Speaking about the film, Executive Producer Alex Kronemer recently said, "We are at a crossroads moment in the future of the world. As filmmakers, part of our job in sharing stories about Islamic history is to promote peace and understanding in these very challenging times. Sometimes that is achieved by letting that history ask the hard questions." Continuing he said, "The story of Islamic Spain is ultimately a tragedy. The question it asks us is whether we will embrace a spirit that joins us, like those Medieval Spaniards of Islamic Spain did at the zenith of their civilization, or will our world, like theirs, descend into mutual hatred, suspicion, and unbridgeable division?" Filled with both great beauty but not shying away from the violence of the Middle Ages, the film hopes for a significant impact in America and around the world.
International broadcasts of the film are already scheduled in the Middle East, Europe, East Asia, and Australia. PBS has selected the film to include in their Showcase at the annual PBS convention, to be held this month, in Dallas, TX.
February
Motion Picture Association Screens Legacy, Conducts Dialogue
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), better known as the organization that gives films their ratings such as G, PG-13, etc. recently conducted a unique screening of Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet. After Alex Kronemer's introduction, a group of 25 Muslims, 25 Christians and 25 Jews watched the film, and then divided into groups to discuss what they had learned. Talk ranged from the life of Prophet Muhammad to
comparing American values with Islamic values. This screening is part of the Beta phase of UPF's 20,000 Dialogues, a film-centered dialogue project that brings together Muslims and non-Muslims to watch a UPF film and then discuss it together, with a goal of new friendships and mutual understanding. “Interfaith dialogue conjures up images of religious scholars debating theology,” said Jawaad Abdul Rahman, UPF's Director of Development. “The idea here is get average people of different faiths talking. A good film has a unique way of doing that.” In the evaluation forms, participants were asked a series of questions such as
Do you see obstacles to a practicing Muslim being an integrated and committed American? What does it mean to be “American” and what does it mean to be “Muslim”?
The last question provided some interesting answers:
After watching Muhammad Legacy of a Prophet and participating in this dialogue, what is the one thing
you would tell a friend about Islam?
“Muhammed is a good role model for anyone, and Islam
is very similar to other faiths in terms of values.” - Atheist
“It is a religion much like other religions and should
not be discriminated against.” - Jewish
“Similarity between Islam and other religions. That
culture, not Islam, influences Arab society and
some values come from each source.” - Unitarian
“That it is a religion of piety and charity that has a
lot in common with Christianity.” - Protestant
UPF is wrapping up the Beta phase and seeks funds to expand this project to 20,000 Dialogues, using a variety of UPF films.
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