Footage of the Kaaba from the 1960s
The Great Religions: Islam.
19 minutes film on their original reel; 16 mm, sound, black and white. Housed in 255 x 260 mm box, with handwritten label.
€ 3.500,00
Nineteen minutes of original black and white film on the story of Islam, featuring footage of Mecca and in particular of the Kaaba, which Western non-Muslims could not see in person, also including views of mosques from Cairo to Pakistan. Interestingly, this film was narrated by Douglas Rain (1928-2018), who six years later shot to fame as the voice of the computer HAL 9000 in Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968).
The work was part of a trilogy titled "The Great Religions", focusing on Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam, produced by the National Film Board of Canada and directed by David Millar. In its brief runtime, it traces the history of Islam from the Prophet to the mid-20th century, describing the laws of Islam and how they are applied in daily life, and the effect of modern Western influence. Meant to educate an English-speaking audience, the film is sympathetic to Muslim culture, and stresses the open-mindedness of Islam. The most notable segments of footage are certainly those filmed in Saudi Arabia, at the Kaaba in particular, and around Mecca in general.
Uncommon, with fewer than ten reels listed in institutions on OCLC, and only one outside the United States (at the State Library of New South Wales, Australia).
Film in very good condition, odorless and clean, presented in its original (lightly worn) box.
Cf. OCLC 6071504, 220279731, 317036358.
