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The Taqwacores

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Synopsis

Yusef is a first-generation Pakistani-American engineering student who moves off-campus with a group of Muslim punks in Buffalo, New York. His new "un-orthodox" housemates soon introduce him to Taqwacore – a hardcore, Muslim punk rock scene. As the seasons change, Taqwacore influences the house more and more. The living room becomes a mosque during the day, while it continues to host punk shows at night. Ultimately, Yusef begins to challenge his own faith and ideologies. A powerful and original story of punk Islam in the USA and the discovery of oneself within the confines of religion.

3 Reasons To buy this film

This is the long-anticipated adaptation of Michael Muhammad Knight's controversial 2003 novel - which has garnered a large cult following.
Cutie-pie Volkan Eryaman pretty much refuses to wear a shirt throughout the majority of the movie.
Has there ever been another movie to take you deep inside the world of queer, punk Pakistani-Americans?

Review

Culminating in an extraordinary punk concert, this richly rewarding film tells the story of a suburban Pakistani-American engineering student in Buffalo, NY who becomes exposed to the burgeoning punk Muslim scene when he moves into a home of bohemians and befriends a dyke in a birqa and a queer punk.

Introducing us to the world of punk Muslims, debut filmmaker Eyad Zahra’s The Taqwacores is a radical queer film that tells an entertaining story while making a political statement. Yusef (Bobby Naderi) has been brought up in a suburban Buffalo Pakistani-American Muslim family. He moves off-campus into a home that’s way out of his comfort zone. There’s graffiti everywhere, and in the kitchen he meets Rabeya (Noureen DeWulf), a woman in a denim burqa with only a slit for her eyes – and she’s got a "dyke" button on. He asks Rabeya what’s Hamas (clean food) in the kitchen? And Rabeya turns on the faucet. In walks Umar (Nav Mann) and it gets ugly real fast; he’s a straight-edge Sunni, and Rabeya is a lesbian feminist. Yusef meets queer punks, blonde-haired Muslim girls, skate-boarding punks, stoner Muslims—you name it. Yusef’s mind is opened to a whole new concept of what his religion means. That first morning, at dawn, Yusef’s woken by a stunning electric guitar solo that’s calling the punk Muslims to prayer. They all stumble out onto the rooftop or spread their carpet and pray to God, just as Muslims do around world – these folks just happen to be queer-friendly Muslims. (Note to the politically correct: please stay away – you will be offended by this astonishing film.)

-- Scott Cranin

Product Format Information

DVD : $22.49

Availability: Usually ships in
5-10 days
Close Caption: Yes
Region Code: 1
UPC: 712267300327

Studio : Strand Releasing

Languages: English (Primary)
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen

Keywords

Coming of Age, Drama, Family Life, Friendship, Gay Male, Gay/Lesbian, Homosexuality, Music/Musician, Religion/Spirituality, Urban Lifestyle

Genres

Drama, Late Night/Cult

Customer Reviews

Challenging Faith--Muslims and Punk

Amos Lassen wrote on 01/27/2011:

“The Taqwacores”

Challenging Faith—Muslims and Punk

Amos Lassen

Most of us do not think of Muslims as punk rockers. Eyad Zahra, director of “The Taqwacores”, shows us that we are wrong in this very interesting film. It is about a Muslim punk (fictitious) named Yusef (Bobby Naderi), an engineering student in Buffalo, New York and he is totally naïve son of Pakistani parents. Yusef decides to move off campus and into a house that is full of other Muslims who do not necessarily agree with the tenets of their religion. They say their prayers during the day but party when the sun goes down. Yusef’s housemates introduce him to Taqwacore, a hardcore Muslim punk band on the West Coast and it begins to exert influence on the house and this causes Yusef to doubt his faith like the others. The band challenges the Muslim religion in the United States of today.
The movie follows Yusef over a year of his life and while this is a comedy, it is somewhat dark as it looks at faith and life. Jehangir (Dominic Rains) is one of Yusef’s housemate’s advocates a different kind of religion which is esoteric, inclusive and party friendly while another housemate Umar (Nav Mann) is a fundamentalist Muslim who is at odds with this approach. Having taught several Muslims here, I know what an important part religion plays in their lives and this kind of argument is all too common. All of the characters in the film have a strange idea of what punk music is and they only thing that they seem to have in common is their definition of what punk music is and their behavior is crude. They fall right into the mold of the American punks and this is a bit unnerving.
Director Eyad Zahra gives us a film that just looks dirty and that questions basic Muslim ideas about faith and sex, parents and family. When the movie ends, it just ends and nothing has been resolved. I had a very hard time relating to the characters in the film on issues aside from their anger about the constraints of their religion. Even so, the movie makes us want to watch and this something like watching MTV’s “The Real World”. The actors all do their jobs well but to me it was a bit upsetting to dislike the characters. I am used to rooting for the hero and here I just keep thinking that these guys need to get a grip on their lives. The movie moves along well and holds the interest of the viewer and we see that what these young Muslims experience is much the same that all youngsters experience as they become aware of the world. There is something very amateurish about the movie but I think that is one of the things that makes it so interesting. I kind of felt that the film was shooting its middle finger at me and saying that if I did not enjoy the experience, it was just too damned bad. Like that finger, the movie is very much in your face.