The Ecstatic

Colour, 35 mm
Germany, Pakistan, 2005, 30 min
Section: Documentary Films in Competition

Synopsis

Mast Qalandar was a saint from the beginning of the 13th century who practised Sufism, the system of a mystical branch of Islam. Mast is the name for someone who is brought into an ecstatic state, engulfed by the rhythm of meditation. Passow’s film captures the gathering of approximately one million believers which occurs every year to honour the saint’s encounter with Allah in Sehwan Sharif in Pakistan. The film brings stunning images of the essence of the lifestyle chosen by these advocates of mystical Islam, so far removed from any form of fundamentalism.

About the director

Till Passow (b. 1969, Munich) studied at the Rudolf Steiner school in Munich and the Konrad Wolf Film and Television School in Potsdam. To date, his most successful film was his third, Howrah Howrah (2001), which was also awarded a Special Mention by the FIPRESCI jury at the IDFA documentary FF in Amsterdam. Filmography: My Father Mrs. Hiller (1998), Boy Racer (1999), Adi and the Rest (1999), Larry Wild Man Fischer (2002).