A Sinner In Mecca
A Sinner In Mecca
dir. Parvez Sharma
USA / India / Germany / Saudi Arabia, 2015 - 79
Parvez leaves the United States and, like every devout Muslim, sets off on a pilgrimage to Mecca. He looks no different from other pilgrims in the crowd, but that's just the first impression. He is gay and carries a phone he uses to film holy sites. Both these things are forbidden in Saudi Arabia and punishable by imprisonment, corporal punishment, fines and even death. "Is there a place in Islam for sinners like me?" - the search for an answer leads Parvez to places that no one has ever dared film before.
In this bold and unique documentary the director returns to the topic of homosexuality in Muslim countries, interlacing it with some personal themes. His previous film on the same issue, 'A Jihad for Love' from 2008, was watched by 8 million people in 51 countries.
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