"Rumi, the Dance of Love" in Theaters on Dec. 21

By Ali Pektas - Today's Zaman - Istanbul, Turkey
Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Every event imaginable, from Sufi whirling shows and international symposia to celebration ceremonies and "Mesnevi" readings regarding 13th century Sufi saint Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi has been held since UNESCO pronounced 2007 the Year of Mevlana.

Yet the lack of a successful movie depicting the life and teachings of the saint has been a real disappointment for most of his followers, however soon audiences will be able to watch a comprehensive documentary about Mevlana.

The new documentary, titled "Rumi, the Dance of Love," directed by young filmmaker Kürşat Kızbaz, will hit movie theaters on Dec. 21.

International audiences will hear world stars lending their voices to the English and French-language dubbing of the documentary. The film's English version will feature the voice of famous Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman, whereas revered French actor Gérard Depardieu will do the voice-overs for the French version.

As for the Turkish version, stars of stage and screen Müşfik and Yıldız Kenter, Cüneyt Türel, Meltem Cumbul and Özcan Deniz are in the voice cast.

Having been filmed in six different countries, the movie features interviews with around 40 experts on Mevlana and Sufism.

The documentary got under way in 2005, although its roots date back to 2002 -- the year director Kızbaz recorded a 30-minute documentary titled "Rumi Ahlaf," screened at over 200 international festivals along with international channels like Discovery and the recipient of six awards.

Another documentary he shot in 2005, the "Çanakkale Epic," was screened in more than 60 countries, bringing experience and courage to the director. Kızbaz then set out to produce a comprehensive documentary on Mevlana.

The film, which is currently undergoing editing, was shot in six different countries, making it the first documentary of its kind that has been produced in such a vast area. The most prominent Sufism experts in the world were interviewed for "Rumi, the Dance of Love."

The film also features footage depicting sema (whirling dervishes) shows organized outside of Turkey by the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

The documentary's producers have chosen Freeman and Depardieu in a bid to attract more interest from the international audience. Spanish dubbing is also being considered although the question of who would narrate the documentary is yet to be decided.

Director Kızbaz says the film has already received invitations from international film festivals during its production period, adding that it might also be aired on international channels like the Discovery Channel.

The 54-minute documentary consists of three episodes, with the first focusing on Mevlana's life, recounting his move from Balkh (in present-day Afghanistan) to Konya in Turkey with his family and the hardships of the 13th century, through animation. Also touching on the birth of the Mevlevi order, the film links Mevlana's time to the current day.

The second episode focuses on how Mevlana influenced distinctive geographies, featuring the views of about 40 scholars and experts specializing in the teachings of Mevlana. Also in this section we learn how prominent people such as Goethe, Rembrandt, Spinoza and Hegel were influenced by Mevlana through samples from their masterpieces.

"You can learn about the life of a person by reading books about him. However in this film we will endeavor to tell how this great person's ideas influenced millions," said the director.

Kızbaz, who made significant observations while filming the documentary, says he found out that Mevlana is largely known as a poet in the US, just like Shakespeare, while in the East he is revered for his mystical side.

"…Europe knows him for his philosophical side. People perceive Mevlana from their own perspectives. When you pass beyond the Kapıkule border gate [the frontier between Bulgaria and Turkey] you see that people recognize you for a few aspects; one and the most widely known among them is Mevlana," said Kızbaz.

[Photo: Kürşat Kızbaz (top), Morgan Freeman (center), Gérard Depardieu (bottom)].