Islamic History Meets Hollywood

Eye on Arabia

The saga of Islamic civilization is in many ways a universal story of good versus evil, the cycle of life, and the foibles of human nature. It isn’t too big a stretch to connect that saga to some of the great stories and classic movies Americans know and love. That’s the premise of this two-episode documentary, co-produced with Public Radio International’s Afropop Worldwide. With the help of Don Vito Corleone, R2D2, and Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, it tells the story of two slave rebellions that transformed the history of the Middle East and North Africa and crystallized the Sunni-Shi’ite divide in Islam. Along the way, there's a soundtrack of enchanting medieval Arabic music. Co-narrating the documentary with Joseph Braude is Georges Collinet, the legendary broadcaster from Cameroon whose voice is ubiquitous on the airwaves of Africa. Enjoy!