Best movies like Sufi Soul: The Mystic Music of Islam

A unique, carefully handpicked, selection of the best movies like Sufi Soul: The Mystic Music of Islam Starring William Dalrymple, Abida Parveen, and more. If you liked Sufi Soul: The Mystic Music of Islam then you may also like: Wattstax, Raga, Joe & Caspar: Hit The Road USA, Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets, City of Ghosts and many more popular movies featured on this list. You can further filter the list even more or get a random selection from the list of similar movies, to make your selection even easier.

Historian William Dalrymple journeys to Morocco, Turkey, Syria and Pakistan to explore whirling dervishes, Qawwali singing and other forms of music sacred in Sufism, the branch of Islam that emphasizes music as a mystical route to the holy. Capturing performances of renowned Muslim musicians such as Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Sain Zahoor, the film reveals that at the heart of Sufism lies a dedication to tolerance and pluralism.

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Wattstax

A documentary film about the Afro-American Woodstock concert held in Los Angeles seven years after the Watts riots. Director Mel Stuart mixes footage from the concert with footage of the living conditions in the current day Watts neighborhood. The film won the Golden Globe for Best Documentary Film.

Raga

A Film Journey to the Soul of India documents the life of sitar master Ravi Shankar in the late 1960s and early 1970s, following him on his return to India to revisit his guru, Bengali multi-instrumentalist and composer, Baba Ustad Allauddin Khan. It further explores Shankar's life as a musician and teacher in the United States and Europe, initiating those in the West to the exceptional world that is Indian classical music and culture. Through rare and candid footage shot in both India and the United States, Raga sheds light on Shankar's influences and collaborations, from Allauddin Khan to his famed dancer brother Uday Shankar, to his associations with Western musicians Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison. Fully narrated by Shankar himself, the film reveals music as the soul of India and of Shankar's life.

Joe & Caspar: Hit The Road USA

Joe and Caspar are upping the ante, with a new bigger and braver road trip across the United States. This time the boys will travel 2,000 miles competing against each other on a bigger scale, but can they really earn their stars and stripes with the challenges they face along the way? From American footballers and ranch hands, to astronauts and muscle men, who will be crowned the all-American winner of Hit The Road USA?

Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets

Ali, Kwita, Omar and Boubker are street kids. The daily dose of glue sniffing represents their only escape from reality. Since they left Dib and his gang, they have been living on the portside of Casablanca. They live in constant fear of Dib's revenge. Ali wants to become a sailor - when he was living with his mother, a prostitute, he used to listen to a fairy tale about the sailor who discovered the miracle island with two suns. Instead of finding his island in the dream, Ali and his friends are confronted with Dib's gang. Matters are getting serious.

City of Ghosts

With unprecedented access, this documentary follows the extraordinary journey of “Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently”—a group of anonymous citizen journalists who banded together after their homeland was overtaken by ISIS—as they risk their lives to stand up against one of the greatest evils in the world today.

The Concert for Bangladesh

A film about the first benefit rock concert when major musicians performed to raise relief funds for the poor of Bangladesh. The Concert for Bangladesh was a pair of benefit concerts organised by former Beatles guitarist George Harrison and Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar. The shows were held at 2:30 and 8:00 pm on Sunday, 1 August 1971, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, to raise international awareness of, and fund relief for refugees from East Pakistan, following the Bangladesh Liberation War-related genocide.

Body of Lies

The CIA’s hunt is on for the mastermind of a wave of terrorist attacks. Roger Ferris is the agency’s man on the ground, moving from place to place, scrambling to stay ahead of ever-shifting events. An eye in the sky – a satellite link – watches Ferris. At the other end of that real-time link is the CIA’s Ed Hoffman, strategizing events from thousands of miles away. And as Ferris nears the target, he discovers trust can be just as dangerous as it is necessary for survival.

The Message

Handsomely-mounted historical epic concerns the birth of the Islamic faith and the story of the prophet Mohammed.

The Lady of Heaven

Two stories separated by 1400 years. After losing his mother in the midst of a war-torn country, an Iraqi child learns the importance and power of patience by discovering the historical story of Lady Fatima and her suffering.

My Name Is Khan

Rizwan Khan, a Muslim from the Borivali section of Mumbai, has Asperger's syndrome. He marries a Hindu single mother, Mandira, in San Francisco. After 9/11, Rizwan is detained by authorities at LAX who treat him as a terrorist because of his condition and his race.

Afghan Star

This documentary on the effect the talent competition "Afghan Star" has on the incredibly diverse inhabitants of Afghanistan affords a glimpse into a country rarely seen. Contestants risk their lives to appear on the television show that is a raging success with the public and also monitored closely by the government.

He Named Me Malala

A look at the events leading up to the Taliban's attack on the young Pakistani school girl, Malala Yousafzai, for speaking out on girls' education and the aftermath, including her speech to the United Nations.

Immaculate Conception

A childless British couple visit a fertility shrine of Gulab Shah in Karachi run by eunuchs and set off a huge culture clash.

Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World

To improve its relations with Muslim countries, the United States government sends comedian Albert Brooks to south Asia to write a report on what makes followers of Islam laugh.

A Mighty Heart

Based on Mariane Pearl's account of the terrifying and unforgettable story of her husband, Wall Street Journal reporter Danny Pearl's life and death.

My Son the Fanatic

Pakistani taxi-driver Parvez and prostitute Bettina find themselves trapped in the middle when Islamic fundamentalists decide to clean up their local town.

The Swimmers

From war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics, two young sisters embark on a risky voyage, putting their hearts and their swimming skills to heroic use.

Becoming Burlesque

Fatima is a Toronto-born modern muslim girl raised in a family of mixed-cultures and mixed messages about what her role in the world is. She gets sucked into the empowering world of a sexy Burlesque cabaret, and unleashes her brave and confident Burlesque identity, “Babylon”. Then she must reconcile her old self with her new.

The End of the Road

This documentary explores the Deadhead phenomenon. For thirty years, Jerry Garcia played guitar and sang for the Grateful Dead, and by doing so, inspired a modern cultural phenomenon: the legions of nomadic fans that made a communal way of life out of following Jerry and the Dead, the Deadheads. The End of the Road began shooting three months prior to Garcia's death in 1995, on the road with the wandering family of Deadheads- on what would be the final tour with Jerry and the Grateful Dead. Featuring a soundtrack by Merl Saunders and Jerry Garcia, the film celebrates this social, political and cultural movement in its twilight.

The Infidel

Based in a London suburb Mahmud Nasir lives with his wife, Saamiya, and two children, Rashid and Nabi. His son plans to marry Uzma, the step-daughter of Egyptian-born Arshad Al-Masri, a so-called 'Hate Cleric' from Waziristan, Pakistan. Mahmud, who is not exactly a devout Muslim, he drinks alcohol, and does not pray five times, but does agree that he will appease Arshad, without whose approval the marriage cannot take place. Shortly thereafter Mahmud, while going over his recently deceased mother's documents, will find out that he was adopted, his birth parents were Jewish, and his name is actually Solly Shimshillewitz.

Abu

As a gay man, filmmaker Arshad Khan examines his troubled relationship with his devout, Muslim father Abu. Using family archives and movies, Khan explores his struggle with his identity and compares it to his parents attempts to fit into Canada.

Rumi: Turning Ecstatic

In December 1997, Tina Petrova drove off a cliff - literally and figuratively. A tragic car crash in the California desert was the beginning of a journey that would lead her to the extraordinary works of 13th century Sufi mystic Mevlana Jellaludin Rumi and to a remarkable array of people whose lives have been transformed by his poetry and philosophy. Rumi: Turning Ecstatic is her true story, a timely, powerful docudrama that take the viewer into the very heart of Sufi mysticism.

A Radical Life

An unfiltered look at the former First Lady of ISIS, Tania Joya, who for twelve years was married to John Georgelas, the highest ranking American in ISIS.

The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble

Follow several talented members of the ensemble as they gather in locations across the world, exploring the ways art can both preserve traditions and shape cultural evolution.

Bhutto

BHUTTO is the definitive documentary that chronicles the life of one of the most complex and fascinating characters of our time. Hers is an epic tale of Shakespearean dimension. It’s the story of the first woman in history to lead a Muslim nation: Pakistan. Newsweek called it the most dangerous place in the world, and the home of nuclear war heads and the Taliban.

D.O.A.

Documentary chronicaling the rise and fall of the punk movement with rare interview footage of Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen. Also concert and news footage.

Electric Apricot

Electric Apricot is a spoof of jam bands centered around the band, Electric Apricot, in the style of "This Is Spinal Tap"

I Am The Revolution

The inspiring story of three women risking their lives to incite political, activist, and armed uprisings in Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq.

What's Love Got to Do with It?

Two childhood friends now in their thirties must decide whether to follow their heads or their hearts once the man decides to follow his parents' advice and enter into an arranged marriage in Pakistan.

Brave New Girl

Holly has everything it takes to be a star; the voice, the dream and the dedication, but she lacks the means to break away from her humble Texas upbringing. Then she gets the chance to attend an art and music school on the East coast and her future suddenly looks bright. But the road to stardom is a bumpy one.

Snow in Paradise

Hard-hitting character study that's based on the real story of one man's journey to control his violence through religion. It takes us from the blood soaked East End of London to the world of the Islamic whirling dervishes.

Five Minarets in New York

Two Turkish anti-terrorist agents are sent to New York City on a mission to find and bring back the dangerous Islamic leader codenamed "Dajjal", believed to be hiding in there. Working with the FBI and NYPD, the agents orchestrate the arrest of Hadji Gumus, a well-respected Muslim scholar and family man who years before fled to the United States after being released from a Turkish prison, where he served time for murder. This tale love, friendship, peace and prejudices, takes us on a journey seeking to answer the question of whether innocence or guilt even matters to one who lusts for vengeance.

The Queen of My Dreams

Azra is worlds apart from her conservative Muslim mother. When her father suddenly dies on a trip home to Pakistan, Azra finds herself on a Bollywood-inspired journey through memories, both real and imagined; from her mother’s youth in Karachi to her own coming- of-age in rural Canada.

Chris Fleming: Hell

Chris Fleming lights up Dynasty Typewriter as he explores the unique hell of performance anxiety through musical comedy, anecdotes about Phil Collins, and everything in between. His surreal take on the plight of being a live performer is accompanied by absurdist sketches depicting the artist's journey through Hollywood and the mystical nature of live theater.

How Gay Is Pakistan?

A documentary which explores the lives of gay people and the challenges they face in Pakistan, a country whose laws explicitly outlaw homosexuality.

In Search of the Holy Grail

For centuries, we've grappled with the mystery of The Holy Grail. Was it really the cup used at the Last Supper by Christ and the Disciples? And where is it today? It's the ultimate adventure, one of history's great detective stories. At the heart of the best-selling novel of all time, The Da Vinci Code, lies the mystery of this most sought-after, yet most illusive, sacred relic. Over the centuries, historians, archaeologists, adventurers, and rulers alike have sought to piece together the ancient puzzle and find the one true Holy Grail. Now, follow award-winning investigative documentarian Bruce Burgess as he follows the clues and goes In Search of the Holy Grail.

Decoding the Past: Secrets of the Koran

The Koran is one of the most important works ever written. For almost one billion people worldwide, it is the Holy Scripture, the word of God and his prophet. For others, it is a historical artifact that has left an indelible imprint on the world. DECODING THE PAST: SECRETS OF THE KORAN probes the heart of the work that many outside Islam find mysterious. This feature-length program examines the history of the verses and their implications for modern times, as well as the striking similarities and differences between the Koran and the Bible. Trace the influence of the Koran from the Golden Age of Islam to the modern rise of jihadism, and hear from top Islamic scholars and holy men as they share their insights into the work that lies at the foundation of one of the world's great religions. THE HISTORY CHANNEL provides the perfect guide to understanding the fundamental work that has shaped the Muslim faith for over 1,400 years, and will long continue to influence modern history.

The Story of the Swastika

In the week when Hindus celebrate the holy festival of Diwali, this documentary tells the story of one of their faith's most sacred symbols - the swastika. For many, the swastika has become a symbol synonymous with the Nazis and fascism. But this film reveals the fascinating and complex history of an emblem that is, in fact, a religious symbol, with a sacred past. For the almost one billion Hindus around the world, the swastika lies at the heart of religious practices and beliefs, as an emblem of benevolence, luck and good fortune.

When Tariq Ali Met Malcolm X

One was a Black human rights leader who had achieved global notoriety. The other was a young Marxist Oxford student from Pakistan looking to bring radical change to the British establishment. When they met in December 1964, Malcolm X's life of activism was about to come to a tragic end, but Tariq Ali's journey was just beginning. This is the story of a brief but impactful friendship that, 50 years later, still ripples through England today, told by Ali, civil rights historians, and rarely seen footage of Malcolm X's overseas visit.

The Road to Palmyra

Historian Dan Cruickshank and photographer Don McCullin venture into the heart of war-torn Syria on a dangerous mission to document the cultural destruction wrought by ISIS.

Treasures of Heaven

Andrew Graham-Dixon explores the ancient Christian practice of preserving holy relics and the largely forgotten art form that went with it, the reliquary. Fragments of bone or fabric placed inside a bejewelled shrine, a sculpted golden head or even a life-sized silver hand were, and still are, objects of religious devotion believed to have the power to work miracles. The documentary features interviews with art historian Sister Wendy Beckett and Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum.

Melody Gardot: The Accidental Musician

Jazz sensation Melody Gardot's grief-stricken, yet inspirational, journey to stardom is captured in this inspiring documentary. After being struck by a car in 2003, an accident that left her with life-altering injuries, Gardot began the emotional expedition towards healing. This special follows her path to recovery, intimately revealing how she used music as therapy to heal her spirit and ultimately impress the world. Featuring candid interviews and performances of her most famous songs from albums "Worrisome Heart" and "My One And Only Thrill".

Kumbh Mela - The Greatest Show On Earth

February 2013, Allahabad, India. Over the next 55 days, nearly a hundred million people will come here, to the Great Kumbh Mela. This incredible and awe-inspiring celebration of the world's oldest religion happens every 12 years at the place where Hindus believe two sacred rivers meet. For many Hindus this is their most important pilgrimage, and it happens at one of the most holy sites in India. Hindus come to cleanse themselves in the sacred waters of the river Ganges, to pray and emerge purified and renewed. This follows British pilgrims as they embark on a once-in-a-lifetime spiritual journey. A journey that will take them into the heart of Hinduism - its philosophy, its beliefs and its traditions. A journey that will culminate in the largest ever gathering of humans in one place.

Mogul Mowgli

Zed, a young British rapper, is about to start his first world tour, when a crippling illness strikes him down, and he is forced to move back in with his family. He tries to find himself between an international music career and Pakistani family traditions.

Journey to Mecca

The 20 year old Muslim religious law student Ibn Battuta (1304–1368), whose full name was Abu Abdullah Muhammed Ibn Abdullah Al Lawati Al Tanji Ibn Battuta, set out from Tangier, a city in northern Morocco, in 1325, on a pilgrimage to Mecca, some 3,000 miles (over 4,800 km) to the East. The journey took him 18 months to complete and along the way he met with misfortune and adversity, including attack by bandits, rescue by Bedouins, fierce sand storms and dehydration.

Broken Keys

In a war-torn Middle Eastern city where music has been banned by Islamic extremists, Karim, a brilliant musician, struggles to rebuild his destroyed piano while trying to escape to Europe.

The Visitors

A celebration of creativity, community, and friendship, The Visitors (2012) documents a 64-minute durational performance Kjartansson staged with some of his closest friends at the romantically dilapidated Rokeby Farm in upstate New York. Each of the nine channels shows a musician or group of musicians, including some of Iceland’s most renowned as well as members of the family that owns Rokeby Farm, performing in a separate space in the storied house and grounds; each wears headphones to hear the others. As the music begins and repeats, individual players stop, start, and move between rooms. Viewed together, the individual videos present an ensemble performance Kjartansson calls a “feminine nihilistic gospel song.” The piece itself sets lyrics from a poem by artist Ásdís Sif Gunnarsdóttir, Ragnar´s ex-wife, to a musical arrangement by the artist and Icelandic musician Davíð Þór Jónsson; the title comes from a 1981 album from Swedish pop band ABBA, meant to be its last.

Mosul

An Iraqi journalist joins an army of uneasy allies and unforgettable characters in the epic battle to liberate the city of Mosul from the Islamic State.

Love + Hate

This movie is a contemporary UK vision of an age old story as epitomised by Shakespeare, but with two at odds relationships adding a layer of complication. The situation, a volatile northern English town, typically Bradford, and characters, one Islamic Pakistani family and two prejudiced English families loosely representing the Capulets and the Montagues.

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