Ithra Center premieres new documentary
Launched at Jeddah’s Islamic Art Biennale earlier this month, Hijrah: In the Footsteps of the Prophet is a new documentary directed by the award-winning film-maker Ovidio Salazar. The film is the first-ever cinematic account of the Hijrah, Prophet Muhammad’s eight-day journey from Makkah to Medina in 622 A.D and the moment that marked the emergence of Islam.
Salazar’s film takes audiences on a journey that follows the physical route of the Hijrah with Dr Abdullah Alkadi, a leading authority on The Prophet, as he uncovers groundbreaking topographic findings that provided the evidence-based foundations of the accompanying exhibition.
“We intended to visualise details of a cultural memory essential to understanding Islam’s foundation story. In this sense we made it as a “deep map” of the route – not just a two-dimensional view of what is there but rather the why and how of it. In this way, it attempts to ‘map the unmappable’. I hope that In the Footsteps of the Prophet will help form a deeper understanding and start a conversation inviting everyone to reflect on the meaning of migration itself”, Ovidio Salazar, director of In the Footsteps of the Prophet.
The documentary is part of a major cross-disciplinary project, Hijrah: In the Footsteps of the Prophet, created by Ithra and launched in July 2022, comprising: a major travelling exhibition, a scholarly publication and a virtual reality immersive experience. This extensive project is emblematic of Ithra’s commitment to sharing knowledge of Islamic cultural heritage through multiple channels, from classic scholarship to interactive cutting-edge technologies, as a means of making cultural and historical discovery accessible to all audiences.
For further information, please visit Hijrah: In the Footsteps on the Prophet
