Marimba Essay

In the short film Marimba, director Amer Halasa beautifully depicts the call to give. This is a film that while directed toward Muslim audiences, is not one that only applies in this situation; rather the film conveys a message of an urge to care for humanity applicable to all. However, this film particularly calls to the Islamic viewer through the implication of the idea of zakat, or alms giving. In further study of the characters interactions and story, it becomes apparent the different film techniques used to convey a deep message. The film follows Sanad through a few hours of his life which include seemingly unimportant events that lead to his eyes being opened to the realities of the call to the practice of zakat in the Islamic faith. Zakat is a subsection of the fourth pillar of Islam, which specifically refers to charitable giving in order to “purify or make sacred their wealth” by giving to the poor in the name of God (Turner 154). The opening of the film shows Sanad in fairly nice clothing, with a nice home, and an iPhone—subtly showing his wealth. The film is set in Jordan, a primarily Muslim country which allows the viewer to believe that Sanad is a Muslim, and should be practicing zakat. According to the Qur’an, one who is able should give what they have to the poor, and do so because of what has been provided to them from
At this point, Sanad’s phone begins ringing, however he does not answer, alluding to the idea of missing the sign—how often something is noticeably signaling our attention and we miss it. Here Halasa uses sound in order to almost haunt the audience, leaving the sound of the marimba ringtone repeating over and over while the film plays out, letting it remind the viewer what signs were missed, the actions that should have been taken, and to self reflect as well