There are no whirling dervishes in flying white skirts in Christian Suhr’s intenselyly observational exploration of contemporary Sufism in Egypt, Light Upon Light. (The well-known dervishes are a familiar symbol of the Sufi tradition in Turkey.) Instead, the Danish anthropologist helps viewers understand what a wide world it is inside Islam and how many different kinds of people, old and young, men (especially) but also women, have chosen to follow the mystical path in their religious practice. Its bow at CPH:DOX and international premiere at Cairo should attract the attention of broadcasters and streamers on the lookout for offbeat docs with well-defined niche interest.
The film’s title comes from the Verse of Light in the Quran, and the metaphor of spiritual light as the illumination of the divine presence is examined from every angle and in many voices. But is the light of the Sufis the same light that is seen in other forms of Muslim worship? Suhr treads cautiously and respectfully over what could be perceived as controversial territory for other Islamic believers, never explicitly embracing one viewpoint; even so, it will be interesting to see what Arab countries will buy this well-made film from Egyptian sales company MAD Solutions.
“Allah, fill me with light” is a prayer that captures the connection between the often-heard word nur (light) and a spiritual dimension in human life. Depicting pure light on the screen proves a difficult quest, however, and cinematographers Suhr, Muhammad Mustapha and Amira Mortada find a variety of solutions, from the moon gently glowing over a city to over-exposed photography and whited-out images that convey a more subjective experience. But ultimately the film turns away from poetic, contemplative shots to privilege human activity and behavior.
And so we see groups of the faithful who meet in brightly lit prayer rooms where toddlers play with cell phones while their mothers sing and chant, and new members are hugged and lovingly accepted into the fold. Their aim is to renounce the material world and purify the soul through group chanting, meditation and worship. There is a noisy, happy feeling to the evening, almost a sense of New Age hippiedom that has spilled over into a post-revolutionary Islamic spirituality. Where these people are coming from is one of the unanswered questions the film leaves open.
The editing is deliberately loose and some of the scenes feel a bit unmoored, connected solely by the thread of a geographical and philosophical journey up the Nile to visit various communities. Several locations are identified as the shrines of Sufi masters, where their followers gather. In a powerful personal testimonial, a well-spoken middle-aged man recounts how he was full of religious doubts and prayed to his deceased master, who appeared to him in a burst of light and embraced him. It is one of the film’s most moving moments.
In another key moment, Suhr himself is shown on camera becoming deeply emotional as he awakens in the desert and remembers the terrible time when his prematurely born son hovered on the brink of life and death. And he prayed. It is a takeaway moment, not only because it breaks the rule that a documentarian should remain a pillar of objectivity and remain off camera (actually, a rule ever more frequently ignored in docs), but also very significant in connecting Western attitudes towards religious faith with the film’s main subject.
Adding a modern touch of reflexive filmmaking is the occasional on screen presence of Suhr, his producer Hala Lotfy and cinematographers Muhammad Mustapha and Amira Mortada, who are interviewed about the project in front of the camera; there are also glimpses of the director’s family in Denmark and an eclectic selection of mostly Arabic music that finds room for a Danish hymn.
Director: Christian Suhr
Screenplay, editing: Muhammad Mustapha, Christian Suhr
Producer: Hala Lotfy
Cinematography: Christian Suhr, Muhammad Mustapha, Amira Mortada:
Sound design: Mohammad Salah, Black Door Studios
Production companies: Hassala Films (Egypt), Persona Film (Denmark)
World Sales: MAD Solutions (for the Arab countries)
Venue: Cairo Film Festival (International Critics’ Week competition)
In Arabic, English
78 minutes
