Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam is a 2009 documentary film, directed by Omar Majeed and produced by EyeSteelFilm, about various Taqwacore bands and performers touring the United States and Pakistan. The documentary was filmed between 2007 and 2009. It was pitched at the 2007 Sheffield Doc/Fest MeetMarket prior to completion.

Taqwacore
Theatrical release poster
Directed byOmar Majeed
Written byDavid Oliveras
Produced byEyeSteelFilm
Mila Aung-Thwin
Daniel Cross
StarringMichael Muhammad Knight
The Kominas
Al Thawra
Vote Hezbollah
Secret Trial Five
CinematographyMark Ellam
Zachary Dylan Fay
Edited byMaxime Chalifoux
Omar Majeed
Music byOmar Waqar
Distributed byEyeSteelFilm
Release date
  • 19 October 2009 (2009-10-19)
Running time
80 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Appearances

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Many individuals are featured in the documentary, including:

Synopsis

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The Pakistani punks The Kominas have arrived at the last stop of their first American tour and are celebrating with tourmates. Also appearing are the author Michael Muhammad Knight (The Taqwacores), Koroush (Vote Hezbollah), Sena (Secret Trial Five) and Marwan (Al-Thawra). They incite a riot of young hijabi girls at ISNA, the largest Muslim gathering in North America, after Sena takes the stage.

The film then travels with Knight to Pakistan, where his friends (in a new band named after Noble Drew Ali) bring punk to the streets of Lahore and elsewhere in the region. Michael also begins to reconcile his fundamentalist past with the rebel he has now become.

Festivals

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References

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