"This film biography of the beloved 13th century saint, Mevlâna JalâluddinRumi, is a passionate rendering of his life and the spiritual intoxication thatled him to the arms of the Beloved. Each year on December 17th, what Rumi called his “Wedding Day” is celebrated in Konya, Turkey, honoring his passage from this world and theconsummation of his divine love. Rumi Returning traces his life from both a historical and theological perspective through dramatization, art and current day footage. Interviews with Akbar Ahmed, Chair of Islamic Studies at American University, Üzeyir Özyurt, a Sufi dervish born and living in Konya, Coleman Barks and Andrew Harvey help us understand Rumi’s complex life and times.
Coleman Barks, the person most responsible for bringing Rumi’s poetry to the west, reads his renderings of Rumi’s quatrains. Andrew Harvey describes Rumi’s spiritual journey and awakening as aSufi, showing how Rumi’s compassion and love for all beings is divinelyrelevant to our modern world. Rumi, whose path to God is divine love, is unquestionable Islam’s greatest ambassadorof peace today.
The remarkable aspect of this film is the heart and soul that went into itscreation. The filmmakers gainedpermission from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism to capture localesand landmarks that were familiar to Rumi in his daily life, as well asantiquities, artwork and footage from Afghanistan where Rumi was born. The scenes of the Sema Dance (WhirlingDervishes) performed in Konya are particularly exquisite. The music thoughout captures the spirit andjoy of Mevlâna, as he is affectionately called in the Middle East, among theworld’s most beloved poets." --------------------------------------------------------------------------
