Facing Mecca (2017)

Pensioner Roli comes to Fareed's assistance when the Syrian refugee is faced with the burial of his Muslim wife. Together they stumble into a bewildering forest of Swiss bureaucracy to which Roli finds beautifully simple answer.

Director:

Jan-Eric Mack

Writers:

Jan-Eric Mack, Anna Schinz

Stars:

Peter Freiburghaus, Jay Abdo, Ruth Schwegler

6 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Freiburghaus	...	Roli
Jay Abdo	...	Fareed
Ruth Schwegler	...	Doris
Thomas Künzli	...	Nicolas Rosat
Saya Ibrahim	...	Israa
Merav Ibrahim	...	Yara
Enver Fazliji	...	Islamic mortician
Rahel Hubacher	...	Cashier
Christoph Lanz	...	Geomatician
Ali Al-Fatlawi	...	Translator
Maria Sigrist	...	Lady at the counter
Nina Iseli	...	Municipal Council
Erich Zbinden	...	Municipal Council
Rolf Brügger	...	Municipal Council
Sarah Bürge	...	Municipal Council

Storyline

The hospital calls Fareed; his wife's situation is critical; the cancer has reached its terminal stage. Pensioner Roli comes to his help and takes him to see his wife who passes away shortly after. Her funeral falls under the jurisdiction of Amrikon council. Fareed wants to see his wife buried in accordance with Muslim rites. Roli is keen to help Fareed and his daughters but problems quickly arise: the graves in the local cemetery have not been aligned to face Mecca; the council is unable to carry out the burial within 24 hours after death. Councillor Thomas Künzli assures everyone that they'll organise things for the following week. Unimpressed by the council's tactical heal-dragging, Roli offers a more creative idea: a family plot would allow for the body to be buried diagonally - facing Mecca. But even family graves are exhumed after 25 years and allocated anew. For Muslims this disturbance of peace is an absolute taboo.

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Plot Keywords:

death | refugees | 

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Genres:

Short | Drama

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User Reviews

Mind Your Own Business

Yes, helping others when they needed is a good deed, but overlooking your own family, such as your wife, is another story.

This is a very good film, but overstepping your obligations and overlooking your immediate family is nothing but a self-centered mindless goodwill without merit. Wasting your own dwindled life and spending it together with your wife should be the most important thing when you are already so old. Taking care of immigrants' stupid religious belief and tried so hard to fulfill it by disregarding you and your wife's rare opportunity together is nothing but a stupid and unforgivable mistake. Leaving your own country and became an immigrant in some strange country, adapting to that country's lifestyle should be his first learning lesson.

I don't see anything in this short film that won our applauses, it's nothing but a pretentious humanity crap, as long as you don't have to pay for other peoples' religion belief out of your own pocket, forcing all tax payers to share with your own selfishness.

Let's put the good old Scandinavian Samaritan in Syria as an immigrant; let's suppose it was his wife who died in this Muslim country, you think the Syrian people would give a damn to what your religion wish? Of course not, they'd think you are crazy.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

Switzerland

Language:

Swiss German English Arabic

Release Date:

21 June 2017 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion AG, SRF Swiss Radio and Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

25 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo D-Cinema 48kHz 5.1

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1