Layan Damanhouri

Saudi Gazette

Movie fans and curious learners are invited to visit a golden period of Islamic history in Matmedia’s latest film production, The Genius of Baghdad, a drama documentary narrating the story of what is considered to be the most influential city of the Islamic Golden Age.



“We came up with this idea about a film of the golden age of Islamic science,” says Abdullatif Salazar, a Muslim American film director living in London. He describes it to be the “Silicon Valley of the day, where there was an amazing explosion of knowledge and learning”.



Founder of Matmedia Productions since 2001, Salazar works both director and producer along with his son Yasin, who are both dedicated to documentary filmmaking in various subjects dealing with culture, arts and civilization in the Muslim world.



Abdullatif says: “We founded Matmedia Productions to produce high quality films that bridge understanding between the Muslim world and western audiences and to show Islamic culture and civilization in a positive light”.



The Genius of Baghdad is currently in production and explores the foundations that gave rise to the Abbasid caliphate, lasting between 750 AD and 1258 AD, during which Europe was languishing in the dark ages and superstitions.



“Baghdad today is in such a deplorable state and the Muslim world is in such an upheaval as opposed to the Muslim world leading the way to advancements and science, knowledge, wisdom and creativity”, Abdullatif says mournfully.



Yasin, a film producer with a degree in Islamic history, says: “This project has been particularly rich and interesting to investigate given the depth of the subject matter, the large time period of history, the caliphs and scientists involved as well as the advancements in science across so many fields”.



He further explains that the research on the film has been based on material written by Western and Arab scholars. Their major source is Kitab Al Fihrist by Ibn Al-Nadim, a compendium of all the important facts about tribes, nations, people, and historic individuals.  



By visiting the period of 250 years in the historic city of Baghdad, the film offers the reason behind the tremendous rise of Muslim civilization in the past.



Yasin says the film presents the culmination of five years of hard work by “a huge team of talented and creative individuals and hopefully a genuinely visual spectacle that will bring to life this golden epoch of Islamic tradition that give rise to modern scientific understanding as we know it”.



After conducting research with historians and scientists as well as consulting with scriptwriters, the story unfolds about a young man who goes to work for Ibn Al–Nadim, a bibliographer who compiled Kitab Al Fihrist.



“That would lead us into the story and unlock the secret of what it was that made that the center so incredible”, Abdullatif adds.



The film presents a rich chronicle during which Muslim scholars and inventors enter a translation movement that led to flourishing of scientific discovery and advancement in maths, medicine, astrology, and many of the foundations of modern-day science.



Some of the scientists and inventors during that time were Jabir ibn Hayyan, the father of modern chemistry, Al-Kindi, Hunayn ibn Ishaq, the Banu Musa brothers, among others.



Another was Al-Khorizmi, who reinterpreting ancient Hindu text and invented the zero. Abdullatif says, “As a result, we’ve got the binary system now which gave rise to the computers!”



Contemplating the coexistence that governed during that period, Salazar says: “The Muslims were only a part of the civilization at that time but they ruled over Christians, Jews and Hindus. They weren’t afraid to engage with other cultures and traditions. That is where the genius lies, the willingness to be open-minded enough to engage.”



The Islamic empire was expanding and Baghdad was at the crossroads of all these civilizations. The explosion of knowledge was when scholars translated volumes of ancient Hindu and Greek text into Arabic and further developed the gleaned information.



“This era of incredible scientific and intellectual discovery is inspirational…The very fact that it happened under a Muslim caliphate provides an example Muslim states across the globe should be looking to emulate, especially in a world that is facing so many immediate challenges such as climate change, financial inequality and food shortages,” says Yasin.



Co-produced by Institut National de l’audiovisuel and commissioned by ARTE as well as Middle Eastern patrons, Abdullatif says this is a great opportunity to work with renowned broadcasters that will guarantee a large audience around the world to learn more about this historical period in an entertaining yet educating approach.



Yasin says, “Our sincere hope is that we can create a film that will do justice to the telling of this important chapter of history and will provide a cornerstone in the study of this subject for many future generations”.



“We need to show the young people in the Muslim world and elsewhere who were the heroes and why they should emulate these sort of people, Abdullatif adds.  



“As Muslims we’re not producing the kind of films, highlighting the tremendous creativity and the people that had nobility of character,” he said adding that the message behind the film is telling the youth: “You can aspire and become scientists like the Muslims from the past”.



The Genius of Baghdad is scheduled to be completed next year.