Watch a heart-warming celebration of Muslim motherhood
Shorties are back! And this month's story is a soft exploration of familial love.
Suyin Haynes
24 Mar 2022
A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: “O Messenger of Allah, I want to fight and I want your advice.” He asked him, “Have you a mother?” The man said: “Yes.” He said, “Do not leave her because Paradise is under her feet.”
It’s these Islamic teachings around honoring mothers and matriarchal bonds that At the Feet of Our Mothers, a new short film presented by creative studio Play Nice and led by Muslim Sisterhood’s Lamisa Khan, presents in a soft-focus vision, inviting us into a dreamlike world.
“Our lives as young women in the west have undeniably been shaped by the sacrifices and journeys of our mothers,” say the film’s creators. “This project is a celebration of the women who have made us the women we are today. Most importantly it is a film made by Muslim women for Muslim women – to incite them to claim space, to celebrate our strengths and marvel at the compassion of Muslim matriarchs.”
Born out of ideas and collaboration between Lamisa and five young Londoners working across the creative industries as part of Play Nice’s incubator project, the short film explores the many joys, challenges and sacrifices made across generations of motherhood. Whether it’s sharing advice on giving and receiving love, holding Allah’s guidance close, or reflecting on journeys across borders, the film’s subjects share their sentiments touching on themes of matriarchy, nostalgia and migration.
The invitation to claim space that lies at the heart of Muslim Sisterhood, who recently premiered the film at its first public screening at a takeover event at the Whitechapel Gallery, alongside a selection of other short films made by Muslim women.
“This film sits at the feet of our mothers,” a rep from Play Nice adds, “and we want to invite others to share our appreciation for them.”
See the magic of motherhood above and find more short stories here.
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