The crux of Jacob Bender’s documentary
Out of Cordoba relates to the 12th century, but its historical message is one that needs more than ever to be heard by those living in the 21st.
Friday, August 24, 2007 at 3:35 PM
By FilmStew Staff
The two protagonists in the documentary
Out of Cordoba are long gone: Muslim philosopher Ibn Rush (a.k.a. Averroes) and Jewish thinker Moses Maimonides. But the 12th century civilization they were a part of flies in the face of conventional geopolitical wisdom by virtue of the fact that it was one able to harmoniously commingle the findings of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. “People in the west talk of
the clash of civilizations,”
Out of Cordoba filmmaker Jacob Bender
tells GulfNews.com. “They argue that the
London, Madrid and New York attacks were the manifestations of a millennium-long conflict between the West and Islam. I believe there is a need for a different voice that would show that this idea has no basis in the actual history that was lived by Muslims, Christians and Jews for hundreds of years." Bender’s
film is slated for 2008 distribution, and has most recently received funding from Saudi Arabian Prince Al Walid Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud’s Kingdom Foundation. It has also gotten financing from the government of Spain, where - as per the title of the film - the two philosophers lived back in the 12th century, watching over a culture in which the three different religions shared much information. A media producer based in New York, Bender is also a Jewish interfaith activist. Hence the passion that has
driven him since 2003 to produce
Out of Cordoba. By virtue of his make-up and the nature of the information he himself is trying to share with the world post-9/11, Bender is an inspiring reflection of the ideals once coursing alongside Averroes and Maimonides. Not to mention someone who seems to have stayed true to feelings
first expressed in 2003 as to why he wanted to make
Out of Cordoba.
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