Sajid Varda has faith in the power of film to challenge Muslim stereotypes

Daniel Nelson

Challenging negative Muslim stereotypes, story-telling and faith are three key issues for Sajid Varda, the creator of the forthcoming inaugural Muslim International Film Festival in London.

Smashing stereotypes is necessary because of the persistent portrayal of Muslims and Islam in the media and on screen as terrorists, misogynists, oppressed women, and the religion as a threat to the West: “These are the four tropes. It’s frustrating for us because that’s how you feel the world sees us.” 

Spinning a strong story because that’s the mark of a good film.

Remembering God because though the award-winning actor-singer-activist has scores of popular films and TV programmes on his CV and a stash of awards to his name, he wears his religion lightly. It’s not that he wants to preach or proselytise, simply that he sees no need for gratuitous sex or violence.

“It’s not about being flowery,” he insists. “It’s about ensuring that we’re keeping with the ethos of our faith, that we tell stories without violence or sex or nudity so the audience can enjoy them.

“We don’t want to compromise creativity, but we need to keep community sense. We want to show that faith drives everything we do as people. Faith is at the core. The festival must follow the same ethos.”

He sees film and TV as “powerful platforms for change”. If done well, they can help people understand minority communities; if done badly they “perpetuate the [mis]conceptions that we carry - we have been bombarded by negative tropes, particularly as a result of the post 9/11 disconnect between the wider community and the Muslim world.” 

He hopes the festival will celebrate Muslim identity and reclaim the narrative – “These are our stories, beautiful stories, and we would love to tell them. We’re having to undo the work done by those working to demonise our own community for their own ends.”

So what are the criteria for the festival films?

“Beautiful human stories, cinematically stunning, that pack a punch and resonate deeply with audiences.

“And they are diverse,” he adds, with films from Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, Sudan and the UK.

Does he have festival favorites? “All of them are something very, very special,” he says diplomatically. 

Pressed, he says he loves the opening film, Hounds. “It’s dark, about a father and son who commit petty crimes, but the father is brought back to the faith.”

He also cites the surprising Behind The Mountain, “a brilliant story” (he’s really keen to stress the long history between Islam and story-telling) billed as a supernatural drama.

(The only festival film I’ve seen is Goodbye Julia, an absorbing, morally complex drama set  just before the secession of South Sudan, about a married former singer from the north who seeks redemption for causing the death of a southern man by hiring his oblivious wife as her maid.)

The festival is small: only eight features plus some shorts and panel discussions. In comparison, last year’s London Film Festival boasted 235 films.

But Varda hopes this is just the beginning: “We’re already planning a second edition. I’m always thinking ahead … Everything is up to God,” he adds.

+ The inaugural Muslim International Film Festival, Odeon Luxe West End, 38a Leicester Square, WC2H 7DX, 30 May – 2 June. Info:  https://www.eventslondon.org/recommended/london-hosts-gthe-first-muslim-international-film-festival