The producer of the scandalous film “The Lady from Heaven” says the protest was followed by “great publicity”, referring to the screen portraits of the Prophet Muhammad.

The under-the-radar landmark feature became big news in the UK this week after it was pulled from the network by two major cinemas. Cineworld, after Showcase, canceled all film screenings lady in the sky Since then, protests by Muslim groups have erupted in cinemas in several British cities. A statement from Cineworld said the decision was made “to ensure the safety of our team and customers”.

Written by Sheikh al-Habib, an Islamic scholar and cleric, and first directed by Eli King. lady of paradise – which has already had a scandal-free five-week theatrical performance in the United States – appears to tell the story of the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter, Lady Fatima, bringing the drama of today’s war-torn Iraq into the 7th century.

Protesters accused the film of “blasphemy” and said it incorrectly and negatively portrayed some of Islam’s most prominent figures, while an online petition signed by more than 120,000 people called it “purely immoral sectarian rubbish”.

According to lady in the skyIts executive producer, Malik Shlibak, who also directs the non-profit Islamic educational foundation Rafida Foundation and is director of film production company Enlightened Kingdom, — the titles have sparked interest in the film, which he says is made up of a team of Sunni Muslims. .

However, he says there is a very negative side to the protest and what it means for freedom of expression in the UK, arguing that he and the film’s author have been receiving death threats for years for their work. While Schliback points out that much of the anger is caused by on-screen images of holy figures, he also says that movies like lady in the sky Gradually go beyond the limits of acceptance.

in conversation THRHe also discusses the possibility that the actor will one day actually play the role of Muhammad: “Part of the future is stepping into the unknown.”

What do you think of the ongoing protests? lady in the sky?

In terms of production, we are very happy with it. The protesters have given us a lot of publicity, so thank you very much. As you can see, the movie is making its way through the news networks and it wouldn’t have happened without your help. This is basically a dream come true for any movie. That’s a positive, but obviously there’s a very scary downside to what it means to be British and to the issue of free speech. This is negative from what we’ve seen, but it’s also generated a lot of conversation on this topic, which is quite helpful and helpful. But it’s heartbreaking to see people claiming to be British trying to censor other people’s free speech. And the good reason for doing so is because they feel insulted when it comes to the case. My question to you is, if I am offended by your many beliefs and many things you say, does that mean we can blame you? This is an absurd way to solve any problem.

In terms of advertising, have you seen an increase in public interest?

Oh yeah. I’ve heard of people not getting a ticket for three days because it’s sold out. They really sold out theaters for us. If you go online and browse Twitter and YouTube, there are comments from people who have never heard of the film before, or people who say they want to see it as a protest.

I understand that along with the protests, you also received death threats?

Yes, this is nothing new. We have had this for the past five years, both against staff members and against Sheikh Yasser al-Habib (Islamic scholar and historian who wrote lady in the sky). They sang of Sheikh al-Habib’s death during the protests.

Is it just for the movie?

Კ Yes and no. Partly that and partly because I’m usually involved in work related to this story and Lady Fatima. So these are the same issues that a group of protesters decided they had the right to tell everyone that these issues could not be discussed. These protesters are public supporters of the Taliban and ISIS, there are posters of ISIS members at the protests. So it’s strange that your main statement is that if you talk about these issues, it will lead to sectarian tensions, so you shouldn’t talk about it. Ironically, this sectarian tension comes from there. So the real way to overcome sectarian tensions is to be mature and say that we are tolerant and accept different points of view, and that we have the right to peacefully consider and discuss them, even if we strongly and passionately disagree with each other.

So would you say this sets a dangerous precedent for theaters to succumb to this pressure and cancel a movie?

Yes, exactly. That’s one of the points we’ve seen manifest across the internet, which is, if they feel like they now have that power in their hands, what happens next? If today she is a lady in heaven, tomorrow she may be more precious to you. We cannot give them that authority to any degree.

what wallpaper do you have lady in the sky?

Sheikh Al-Habib has been working in this field for decades. He is an academic, historian and clergyman. His life’s work studies these types of topics, including the story of Lady Fatima. Likewise, other staff members, like myself, as president of the Rafida Foundation (Islamic Educational Organization), are doing this kind of educational work. So this is just a natural progression of our efforts as it is part of the film to deliver this story about Lady Fatima to the world. We believe he is the number one example of how to deal with fanaticism, oppression and corruption, and with his position he made history.

Any film or television project that portrays the Prophet Muhammad or his followers provokes some kind of outrage. It makes sense that this movie would always have an extreme response, so isn’t that shocking?

Any film dealing with religion will have a similar reaction. The passion of christ s Შnotification There are two that I remember. s brian’s life. This is really to be expected, although I don’t think it should stop anyone from making these movies as it’s part of the package. Also, the more this happens, the more that anger will disappear. It’s falling apart and maybe this is the last effort. And I think we’re taking this step to create more space for people to express themselves creatively without fear. The message did not reflect the prophet or his voice, but it caused great outrage and was considered blasphemous at the time. But then it got more normal and since then we’ve seen a lot of different projects. So we’re really expanding that scope.

I understand that you went to great lengths to avoid portraying Muhammad or Fatima in the film, rather than using visual effects.

We did, but in the opinion of these protesters, even their testimony by CGI or by any means is blasphemous. These radical groups have actually intimidated the Western world into believing that there is a hidden fatwa in Islam that says you cannot portray a prophet. But this is a big lie because the Muslim world is very diverse, there are different points of view and there are many groups that allow the image of a prophet if it is done in a certain way. Specifically from our side, this is wonderful. And the world’s greatest Shia cleric allows that to happen if he maintains his dignity and dignity. And let’s go ahead with it. We are very aware of these groups that are categorically opposed and perceive this as blasphemy, but what can we do? Those who believe in it must not reflect this in their projects and those who believe in it, and we must continue to do so.

Do you think we’ll get to a point where we see an actor playing the role of Muhammad and we can see his face and hear his voice?

I think that pushes him. At the moment, there are theatrical performances in the Middle East with holy figures, but the person who is going to play this role must be a person who considers himself to be very pious, someone who can convince the audience that he is the one with a certain level of religiosity and dignity. As there would be fear if they publicly did things considered obscene after a theatrical performance, this would be considered an insult. Also, these stage actors still wear face coverings, even now. But if that happens, who knows. The future is the future, and part of the future goes into the unknown. On our side there is a place to express the prophet, you just need to address any scientist you support.

The next lady in the sky?

Other regions are also coming. We strive for VOD. And I can confidently say after this publicity stunt by the radical protesters that the biggest VOD is knocking on our door. We want to achieve this in all parts of the world, even if there are curves without great commercial returns.

Have you released it in theaters in the United States, was there any protest?

Do not fall!

Do you think there is any chance of its release in the Middle East?

Not in places closed to different points of view like Pakistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia. But in other places I see the possibility of passing. Maybe not right away, maybe give it time. But we do our best, as it definitely should be in this region.