Making Movies into Movements: Trembling Before G-d and In the Name of Allah

At this OSI-hosted event, Sandi DuBowski and Parvez Sharma discussed their movies, which grapple with sexuality, faith and religious fundamentalism, and explored how film can help create social change. The event included excerpts from Trembling on the Road and a 12-minute trailer from In the Name of Allah.

The documentary, Trembling Before G-d, is about the lives of gay and lesbian Hasidic and Orthodox Jews and how they reconcile their religion with Biblical prohibition of homosexuality. From hosting the first Shabbat at Sundance to turning cinemas into town halls across the world to convening the first-ever Orthodox Mental Health Conference on Homosexuality, director Sandi DuBowski has created with this film a model of how to creatively and strategically connect film with community organizing and human rights advocacy. Trembling on the Road documents the story of taking Trembling Before G-d around the globe and the reactions that follow.

In the Name of Allah is due to premier in 2007. It is the first-ever feature-length documentary to explore the global intersections of Islam and homosexuality. With unprecedented access, the film brings to light the hidden lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Muslims and tracks the lives of people in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Egypt and Bangladesh.