Shalom Allah
David Vogel | Switzerland, 2019 | French/Swiss German (English subtitles) | IMDB | Documentary | 99m | Distributor/Sales: Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion | Festival marketing sample: Locarno Film Festival 2019 | Trailer
Description: David Vogel is a Swiss radio journalist. In this film he profiles four compatriots who have chosen to convert to Islam and explores their motivations and experiences. At the same time he reflects on his own journey from being an observant Jew to an atheist.
Merits: Vogel’s bewilderment at and suspicion of his subjects are gradually transformed into something much more nuanced, even empathetic. Not that he gives everyone and everything a free pass. For example, he acknowledges that he remains uneasy about some things he witnessed with Johan, one of his subjects. In discussing his own changing attitude to Judaism and Swiss antisemitism, Vogel invites us to see parallels with his subjects’ struggles with their own faith and islamophobia. Ultimately he reminds us that we should not regard these issues as binary: ‘black or white, right or wrong’, but recognise the shades of grey. It was not an easy film to watch but rewarding nonetheless.
Rating: Suitable for all audiences.