Word: journeys
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...West can understand the subtlety and beauty of the Islamic culture comes in the form of a docu-drama made up to look like an historical epic—one whose patronizing tone is only outpaced by its incompetent execution. Bruce Neibaur, director of “Journey to Mecca” (though only one of its culprits), seems to advocate this theory. This is the only reasonable explanation...
...Contrary to what many may believe, “Journey to Mecca” is not a documentary. Despite the note that much of its publicity has taken—emphasizing the inclusion of unprecedented footage of the modern Hajj, and invoking National Geographic as its chief patron—there is little about the film that aspires to an insightful portrayal of actual events. Instead, viewers are subjected to skeletal dramatic summary of the first voyage of Ibn Battuta, a Berber from 12th-century Tangiers, whose journal chronicles a lifetime of travel the scale of which outstrips the expeditions...
...Neibaur and the others were aware of any of these potentially rewarding questions, “Journey to Mecca” does its best to say otherwise. Ibn’s story is recalled with a flaccidity which could be called reductive if it seemed to serve any purpose to begin with—the young traveler is subjected to the expected travails of any desert-sojourn: sand storms, bandits and the search for water. With the help of his trusty, rough-around-the-edges Bedouin sidekick, however, he braves the obstacles and reaches Mecca, much to the expectation...
...Watching “Journey to Mecca,” however, one question does present itself, to which the film never provides an answer: what is this film doing on an IMAX screen? Executive producer Taran Davies ’93, promoting the film, claimed that the camel caravan used to transport crew and equipment through the desert was the largest to pass through that region. [SEE CORRECTIONS BELOW] But you’d never know it. Most of the shots in “Journey to Mecca” are dialogue shots—closed...
...arts review "Journey to Mecca" incorrectly identified Taran Davies '93 as the executive producer of the film reviewed. In fact, Davies was one of the film's producers...