40 Days and 1001 Nights, Book, Film and Music Project
Through Tamalyn's book "40 Days and 1001 Nights" and her film by the same name, Ms. Dallal takes us on a journey through five predominately Muslim countries. She lived among the people for 40 days in each of the following countries: Indonesia, Egypt's Siwa Oasis, Zanzibar, Jordan, an China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region.
In the book, she recounts the lives of people she meets: How they live, eat, dance... And much more. She shares her personal experiences, interviews with Imams, musicians, housewives, etc.
Basing this project on and old Arabic proverb "It takes 40 days to understand a culture," Ms. Dallal finds herself in the tsunami ravaged area of Ache in Indonesia, three weeks after a 30 year civil war ended. She embedded herself deep in the Sahara desert, living among the Amazigh (Berbers) of Egypt's Siwa Oasis, then befriended a heroin addict and a band of elderly musicians in Zanzibar. She sought out culture and celebrations in Jordan, but it was surrounded by war torn countries with refugees flooding in. Finally, the remote desert region of Xinjiang, China's largest, mostly Muslim, Turkic speaking region was calling to her. The music, dance, grape trellises, and layers of culture finalize this fascinating read.
The film has no words. Only music and moving images that surprise and delight, offering a colorful and lively vision of the Muslim world that defies what we see in mainstream media.
