Review of Nameera Ahmed's film Askini ver Bana

Askini ver Bana (Give me your love) by Nameera Ahmed

"'askini ver bana', or 'give me your love', is a short documentary that explores the role of music in the lives of the Mevlevi Sufis (Whirling Dervishes), followers of the 13th-century Persian poet-mystic Mevlana Rumi, who talked of the making and playing of the reed-flute, the ney, as a metaphor for the training and subsequent transformation of the human spirit. The metaphor still holds power for the Sufis, whose seemingly timeless world within a contemporary context is captured by the film. "

http://www.reelgrok.com/work.cfm?aid=A6D259BFBFA2062843EF543E21D7EC8E&type=&m=1


This film really moved me. It was a glimpse into the struggle of the individual for spiritual connection with God through music. But it was not something that only the extremely blessed could strive for. The film showed how enlightment can be reached for through the mundane, that of making the reed flute, or learning how to play it or dancing to its music. it showed how music was so intimately connected with God, the angels, humans and our connection with God. A very timely film in Pakistan when music is being challenged by some groups as having no connection with religion.