Muezzin

Asia Pacific Premiere

Although his reputation will suffer if he performs badly, Halit Aslan of Istanbul’s historic Faith Mosque decides to measure up against his colleagues in Turkey’s national Call to Prayer Competition. But can he perform outside of a religious setting? “It is impossible,” says Aslan, “to reach the same emotionality at the competition as in the minaret”.

Since the days of Prophet Mohammed, Muslim faithful around the world have heeded the muezzin’s call to prayer five times a day. Today, with “Idol” type shows topping world charts, Turkey’s mosques have joined the trend. Muezzins across the country compete to become the country’s best-known.

Isa Aydin is one of Aslan’s competitors. A devout imam from a small suburban mosque, Aydin’s artistic ability takes a back seat to his pragmatism. “The more people I can attract to the mosque with my voice,” he says, “the more successful I am.”

Brameshuber’s film presents a lighter side of one of the world’s great faiths, and the mosque as a warm home for believers and nonbelievers alike. On a deeper level, the film investigates
the phenomenon of individuality within Islamic culture. Can a muezzin be considered as a kind of artist or merely as an instrument of God?