The Message

The rise of a new faith in seventh century Mecca, the pressure on the first believers and the migration to Medina. The narrative follows the founding of a community. The film never shows the Prophet; the camera takes his point of view without him entering the frame and his lines are not heard. That decision is the production's central formal choice and shapes every scene. Moustapha Akkad directed. It was shot simultaneously in English and Arabic with two entirely separate casts. It drew protests before release, from people who had not seen it. Before watching: two versions circulate with completely different casts. It runs close to three hours.