\u201cGardner\u2019s work\u00a0celebrates the great variety now available in documentary storytelling – in science, history, adventure and human issues.\u00a0 He is never limited by form, but continues to experiment as the documentary evolves.\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cA stunning achievement in documentary film making. It opens a window onto a sight of Islam so often neglected in the west. The aesthetic, beauty, and culture offer an opening for us all to start a dialogue on the values that we share and hold in common.\u201d=
\n<\/i>– Karen Armstrong, Award-Winning Author of Religion<\/p>\n
Matters of faith continue to divide people in dreadful ways, but there has always been at least one thing that religions have in common the urge to express belief through art. That’s a point driven home in a sumptuous 90 minute documentary by filmmaker Robert Gardner\u2026 The beauty is stunning, whether in the eloquent calligraphy of a sacred manuscript or the colors and designs in a carpet.\u00a0<\/i>The “forest of columns” inside the Great Mosque of Damascus reveals layers of architectural brilliance, all in the service of providing the faithful with an environment conducive to prayer. There are exquisite shots, too, of the Alhambra, with its deceptively plain fortress walls concealing a marvel of elegant ornamentation, where decorated stucco surfaces suggest intricate cloth. <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAt its best, the history of Islamic Spain is a model for interfaith cooperation that inspires those who seek an easier relationship among the three Abrahamic faiths. At its worst, it\u2019s a warning of what can occur when political and religious leaders divide the world. It reminds us what really happens when civilizations clash.\u201d<\/i> \u201cAward-winning director Rob Gardner (Islam: Empire of Faith) has crafted a superb, compelling true tale about another world \u2014 one so long ago\u2026but one that provides some warnings to the present world\u2026 The two hour-documentary blends expert \u201ctalking heads,\u201d with masterful recreations, film footage of breathtaking Islamic architecture and scenes of Spain itself for a highly accessible and supremely satisfying mix.\u201d<\/i> <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDelivers a one-two punch\u2026complete with grisly re-enactments.\u201d<\/i> \u201cThis fascinating two-hour documentary looks at the disease, how it spread, <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe conceit remains fittingly clever\u2026The film takes us through his youth as an apprentice in Verrocchio\u2019s studio, his disillusionment with his status as a court painter, his moves to Milan and Venice, and his strange affiliation with the malevolent Caesar Borgia\u2026The commentators are a lively and articulate bunch.\u201d<\/i> \u201cPick of the weekend\u2026da Vinci gets a solid going over here.\u201d<\/i> <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA lavishly photographed series of re-creations, this four-hour documentary chronicles the ill-bred behavior of barbarian nations, taking an epic scrutiny of about 1,000 years of mayhem, theft and empire building.<\/i><\/p>\n Barbarians\u201d turns out to be a truly ambitious spectacle, with 400 costumes created for the docu and re-enactments created on a grand scale \u2014 vivid cavalry battles, Viking ships under sail, fleeing refugees and castle sieges. (Stunt people did the tough work \u2014 no actual barbarians were killed in the making of this epic.)<\/i><\/p>\n Three-time Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Robert Gardner produced and directed the documentary for the History Channel, and he does a bang-up job.<\/i> \u201cFor viewers weary of your standard historical documentary consisting of slow camera pans over engravings and maps, Barbarians is an exciting departure. A full stunt crew makes the battle scenes\u2013including Goth king Alaric sacking Rome, Tamerlane capturing the Ottoman sultan Beyazit amid smoking piles of severed heads, and Viking Harald Hardrada at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066\u2013impressive and believable.\u201d<\/i> <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \u201c\u2026needed\u2026we see, and we weep\u2026\u201d<\/i> \u201c\u2026profound\u2026the most important television journalism on the mideast since ABC\u2019s \u2018Nightline\u2019\u2026in a moving & challenging way, it clears away the smoke & looks deeply into the flame\u2026\u201d<\/i> \u201c\u2026chilling\u2026a hauntingly beautiful film about ugliness\u2026producer\/director Robert Gardner has translated the book to film with sensitivity, insight and meticulous balance\u2026<\/i> \u201c\u2026reasonant\u2026thoughtful\u2026the faces and words in \u2018Arab and Jew\u2019 express love and hope, fear and threat, love of land and hatred of neighbor\u2026\u201d<\/i> \u201c\u2026admireable\u2026conveys powerful empathy for all the people involved in the problem\u2026\u201d<\/i> \u201c\u2026telling\u2026a report on the Arab-Israeli conflict as seen through the eyes of ordinary citizens on both sides\u2026\u201d<\/i> \u201c..involving\u2026the film holds together with a \u2018Rashomon\u2019-like irony, where both sides are talking about the same thing – land, peace, freedom – even though they\u2019re bitterly at odds\u2026\u201d<\/i> \u201c\u2026gripping\u2026chilling, frustrating, enlightening\u2026goes behind the headlines to explore in human terms the conflicts\u00a0between two cultures fighting for the same territory\u2026Grade: A\u201d<\/i> <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA rollicking good time\u2026\u201d<\/i> <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA visually rich primer of the first 1,000 years of Islam.\u201d<\/i> \u201c\u2026graceful\u2026bold and colorful\u2026brings history to life.\u201d<\/i> \u201cA cascade of lyrical cinematography\u2026dazzles the eye with spectacular imagery.\u201d<\/i> \u201c\u2026gorgeous\u2026breathtaking\u2026exquisite\u2026\u201d<\/i> \u201cA deft and compelling historic panorama\u2026\u201d<\/i> \u201c\u2026graceful\u2026bold and colorful\u2026brings history to life.\u201d<\/i> \u201cA cascade of lyrical cinematography\u2026dazzles the eye with spectacular imagery.\u201d<\/i> \u201c\u2026gorgeous\u2026breathtaking\u2026exquisite\u2026\u201d<\/i> \u201cA deft and compelling historic panorama\u2026\u201d<\/i> \u201cLavish recreations [which are] so detailed, beautiful and expressive they occasionally lift the project\u2026 into the realm of poetry.\u201d<\/i> <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAn exceptional and hauntingly direct documentary\u2026an intimate study of decency and hope. Gardner\u2019s film is inspiring and important.\u201d<\/i> \u201cDeeply moving\u2026\u201d<\/i> \u201cThe best made\u2026 a gem of decency.\u201d<\/i> <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cVery moving\u2026very powerful\u201d<\/i> \u201cGardner\u2019s work\u00a0celebrates the great variety now available in documentary storytelling – in science, history, adventure and human issues.\u00a0 He is never limited by form, but continues to experiment as the documentary evolves.\u201d Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World \u201cA stunning achievement in documentary film making. It opens a window onto a sight of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-no-sidebar.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-9","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardnerfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardnerfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardnerfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardnerfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardnerfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/gardnerfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":251,"href":"https:\/\/gardnerfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9\/revisions\/251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardnerfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n– The Baltimore Sun<\/em><\/p>\nCities of Light; The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain<\/h3>\n
\n– Christian Science Monitor<\/p>\n
\n– Themoderatevoice.com<\/p>\nThe Plague<\/h3>\n
\n– The Wall Street Journal<\/p>\n
\nreactions that rage from heroic to vengeful and how society was challenged
\nand changed.\u201d<\/i>
\n– The Washington Post, TV Week<\/p>\nDa Vinci and the Code He Lived By<\/h3>\n
\n– The New York Times<\/p>\n
\n– Chicago Tribune<\/p>\nBarbarians I<\/h3>\n
\n– The Hollywood Reporter<\/p>\n
\n– Archaeology Magazine<\/p>\nArab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised Land<\/h3>\n
\n– Anthony Lewis, Syndicated Columnist<\/p>\n
\n– Tom Shales, The Washington Post<\/p>\n
\n– Howard Rosenberg, Los Angeles Times<\/p>\n
\n– Walter Goodman, The New York Times<\/p>\n
\n– \u00a0The Wall Street Journal<\/p>\n
\n– TV Guide<\/p>\n
\n– The Boston Globe<\/p>\n
\n– People Magazine<\/p>\nEgypt: Quest for Immortality<\/h3>\n
\n– Tom Shales, The Washington Post<\/p>\nIslam: Empire of Faith<\/h3>\n
\n– The New York Times<\/p>\n
\n– The Hollywood Reporter<\/p>\n
\n– The New York Daily News<\/p>\n
\n– The Wall Street Journal<\/p>\n
\n– Christian Science Monitor<\/p>\n
\n– The Hollywood Reporter<\/p>\n
\n– The New York Daily News<\/p>\n
\n– The Wall Street Journal<\/p>\n
\n– Christian Science Monitor<\/p>\n
\n– Newark Star-Ledger<\/p>\nCourage to Care<\/h3>\n
\n– Tom Shales, The Washington Post<\/p>\n
\n– Bill Moyers<\/p>\n
\n– The Wall Street Journal<\/p>\nA Fighting Chance<\/h3>\n
\n– The Washington Post<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"