Dakwah at the Cinema: Identifying the Generic Parameters of Islamic Films

Abstract

To fulfil Islamic cinema’s function as a medium for dakwah, films may begin with excerpts from sacred texts, a sermon, or a statement to suggest that a lesson may be learnt from watching the film. These devices have been criticised by prominent Indonesian filmmakers for being too formalistic and superficial in their evocation of Islamic principles. Despite the criticisms, the didactic devices are routinely incorporated into the Islamic film genre along with a standard narrative formula, aesthetic cues, ethics of film production, and extra-textual modes of publicity, such as poster art and theme songs. The purpose of films as a medium for dakwah throughout the history of Indonesian film indicate the perceived role of cinema as a powerful source of moral good. But even then, the making of Islamic films is fraught with political, commercial, and ideological obstacles. Although the relaxation of strict media regulations after the fall of the New Order was welcomed by some, new media freedoms were greeted with a censorious backlash that was seen as ‘Islamic’ in its manifestation.