Received death threats for 'Among The Believers': Director

Hemal Trivedi, whose documentary feature "Among the Believers" is about Maulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi and his activities at the Red Mosque in Pakistan, says she and other makers received death threats post the release of the movie.

The documentary, co-directed by Pakistani filmmaker Mohammed Naqvi, has been shot in Pakistan and profiles the hardline activities of Aziz who operated the Red Mosque and the adjacent Jamia Hafsa madrasa.

He and brother Abdul Rashid were in constant conflict with authorities in Islamabad. The government finally responded with a military operation in 2007 which resulted in many deaths.

"Among the Believers" premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and has also been screened at Vancouver International Film Festival, Tallgrass Film Fest, Festival De Rio and Heartland Film Festival.

"After premiering the movie at festivals, there was a lot of attention for the film because of its subject. Then we began receiving death threats, so we had to go on a hiatus and stop the distribution for almost four to five months.

"We had to think about possible ways to deal with the situation. Ultimately, we have showed the film at nine festivals around the world," Trivedi told PTI on the sidelines of IFFI, where "Among The Believers" was screened.

Trivedi's documentary is about a 12-year-old girl who escapes the madrasa and joins a regular school with the dream to become a doctor. It also encapsulates the experience of a 12-year-old boy who stays at the madrasa. The film traces three years of their lives and is about how their education changed the way they look at the world.

Trivedi agrees that her film has a controversial theme but hopes that it does not get perceived as a comment on Islam.

"I hope people don't see this film as a comment on Islam. It kind of has a tendency of getting caught up in the rhetoric. It is a very controversial film, there is no doubt about it. But we have tried our best to keep the story as balanced as we could, we have presented it fairly."

The former marketing professional says she conceived the idea of the film after she lost a very close friend during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. She was so angry after the incident that she began a quest to find out what could be the cause of such a massacre.

"After careful study, I realized that ordinary Pakistanis are themselves victims rather than perpetrators. The same extremist elements who carried out the attacks in Mumbai are actually terrorising their own people on a daily basis, and the country's very survival is at stake. I started filming in Pakistan in 2009."