‘Why can’t I be a sushi’ is a documentary revealing the journey of an 8 & 10 year old who are curious about ISIS & the ongoing sectarian conflicts amongst Muslims! The documentary maker is currently crowdfunding in order to complete and publish the documentary, read more below.
So what is the story really about?
This documentary follows the journey of 2 extremely articulate young sisters – Niamh (age10) and Sofia (age 8) who are curious about the on going sectarian conflicts amongst muslims – It reveals their journey as they seek answers to why historical decisions of the past have created a growing number of extreme muslims with a killing mentality! Isis being one of course!
By addressing the issue through the eyes of a child this will clarify the subject and bring back historical routes in a positive light where violence and aggression has no place in a difference of opinion.
In the aim of uniting muslims through love, compassion & understanding, especially after the recent events In Iraq and Syria this documentary aims to set awareness, promote peace, break down barriers, challenges stereotypes and encourages unity.
Why this project?
When I started this project over 8 months ago I was driven by a strong will for love and unity. It saddens me that Muslims can’t get over their differences when they have so much similarities in common. “Why can’t they just leave the judging for God” I questioned over and over, especially with all the bloodshed that we are witnessing today, so i decided to produce a documentary that would break down barriers and misconceptions that are passed on through generations with the hope of uniting muslims! [pullquote]By unity of course I mean the ability to accept our differences and treat each other kindly and with compassion!![/pullquote] Wasn’t that the teaching of our beloved Prophet? Isn’t he (PBUH) supposed to be our role model? So where did it all go wrong?! — I was looking for a creative, light hearted, indirect and contemporary way of sending this message without it being a repeat of past documentaries, and before i knew it my pen started its way through brainstorming the “Why Can’t I Be A Sushi” Documentary :)
Where it all started
It was a struggle at first, as such a project can either be successful or just marginalised and cheesy! I also didn’t want it to be a cliche of other projects. I wanted it to be unique in its ways, genuine and sends out all the peaceful messages loud and clear! – I knew i made the right decisions when I first auditioned Niamh and Sofia. It was at their house that I discovered I have two diamonds ready to be the stars of this major project. No doubt they made this documentary what it is!
Sushi?
The word combination of Sunni and Shia put together creatively leads to the word Sushi, which is meant to be a playful word created to show the innocence of the girls as their aim is to try and unite Muslims.. So what they are truly trying to say is “why can’t we be just a MUSLIM” to eliminate the existing conflicts by focusing on the similarities. This is later shown throughout the documentary.
Where does the money go?
With the kick-starter funding we’ll hire an experienced post production team like colourists (to grade the film), sound editors (to fix allot of major sound hiccups that we encountered throughout) get track licences and equipment to make the production of this movie as best as possible. Costs will also go to the rewards, such as printing costs for posters, T-shirts etc. Currently we have a 25 mins rough cut of the documentary. Our aim is to make this film a 1 hour feature length documentary. If we exceed our target we we will interview selected international personalities that will play a key role in making this documentary as influential as possible.
How are we currently supported?
This documentary is completely independent and has been limited due to a very tight budget. For those of you that know about filmmaking – would know how expensive it is to make professional films. Luckily we have managed to pull it off due to the kind help of selected volunteers who have invested their time and skills towards this project. However their time and skills are limited and the vision to complete this documentary goes way beyond to achieve our target. “
Why cant i be a sushi” documentary is a very ambitious project to say the least! The good news is that we’ve already shot half of the film, so that eliminates a degree of worry right away. Blood sweat and tears went into this project so it is just not an option to give up at this point. It is currently the funding that is holding us back and finding money for a movie is hard. We can only hope that you feel as excited about this project as we do and support us all the way!
If you Feel that you can support us in anyway by offering particular skills you have or you just want to be involved in this project or future projects please don’t hesitate to get in touch by emailing Hoda@wildirisfilms.com
