Between money and belief

Between money and belief: "Takva – Gottesfurcht" is a film for the secular- and the religious-minded alike

"Takva", which achieved the rare feat for an art house film in Turkey of drawing in audiences in droves, takes place in the milieu of the Dergahs: the houses of orders, thousands of which exist parallel to modern city life in Istanbul. The Sheik of the Order unexpectedly makes Muherrem, a simple brother-in-faith, a money canvasser, who now finds himself torn between moral imperatives and worldly pragmatism. He gets a new suit, a mobile phone, a luxury car and the required respect. And although all these things only serve external appearances, they nevertheless gradually leave their profane mark on this man of the faith as he accepts a ‘favour’ here and another there. This story of ideals and reality can be interpreted in many different ways: for example, as an allusion to the AKP, the Justice and Development Party, which – as the governing party – is having its Islamic ideals put to the test.

7 p.m.

Talk: Amin Farzanefar, scholar of Islam, author and journalist, Cologne

Film

Takva – Gottesfurcht

D: Özer Kiziltan, Germany/Turkey 2006, 96 min., German subtitles