1001 Inventions and the Library of Secrets (2010)

Three teenagers are researching how the modern world has been impacted by the Dark Ages. They meet the Librarian who guides them through a journey of discovery about the ancient Golden Age.

Director:

Alan Deakins

Writer:

Tom Fickling

Stars:

Ben Kingsley, James Holly, Courtney George

Cast

Cast overview:
Ben Kingsley	...	Al-Jazari / Librarian
James Holly	...	Danny
Courtney George	...	Isabella
Rhiann Connor	...	Luke
Stewart Scudamore	...	Ibn Al-Haytham
Andrew Bridgmont	...	Abbas Ibn Firnas
Nicholas Khan	...	Al-Zahrawi
Tara Jafar	...	Merriam Al-Astrulabi (as Tara Jaffar)
Samantha Edmonds	...	Teacher

Storyline

Sir Ben takes on the role of a mysterious and cantankerous librarian who takes a group of school children on an enlightening journey to meet pioneering scientists and engineers from the history of Muslim civilization. The librarian is then revealed to be 12th century engineering genius Al-Jazari.

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Plot Keywords:

friendship

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Genres:

Short | Family

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Details

Official Sites:

Facebook Official site

Country:

UK

Release Date:

21 January 2010 (UK)

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Edge Picture Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

13 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shot on the RED over three days in Central London.

User Reviews

Honest Western production relating to the Islamic civilization...at last

Although the movie is short, 13 minutes, it is still a remarkable production - more of a documentary - that talks about the Golden Ages of the Muslims as opposed to the Dark Ages the West lived in during that Islamic Era.

In its brief duration, a librarian (Ben Kingsley) helps a Middle School group of three students in fixing their preconceived notions about what's called the Dark Ages in the West. It is actually the Golden Ages as far as the Muslims are concerned, since their civilization at that time had been filled with discoveries, inventions, developments, prosperity and other innovative accomplishments in many fields. A number of Muslim inventors, scholars and scientists such as Ibn Al-Haitham, Abbas Ibn Firnas, Abu Al-Qassim Al-Zahrawi, and others, are personified and enacted. Each presents their achievement and thus contribution to the modern world in a very interesting manner.

You finish watching this with a feel of enlightenment, appreciation and justice towards a people and a religion that have been gravely mistreated and misrepresented.

Kudos to Alan Deankins, Ben Kingsley, and whoever took part in making this.

*Highly Recommended*.