The Ornament of the World

Nov 19, 2019

1h 56m

★ 7.8

Overview

Filmed in Cordoba, Granada, Seville, and Toledo, this documentary retraces the 800-year period in medieval Spain when Muslims, Christians, and Jews forged a common cultural identity that frequently transcended their religious differences, revealing what made this rare and fruitful collaboration possible, and what ultimately tore it apart.

Genres

Documentary

History

Production Companies

Kikim Media

The Ornament of the World Trailers

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Cast

Himself (Hebrew Union College)

Reuven Firestone

Himself (New York University)

David Levering Lewis

Herself (Sarah Lawrence College)

Jerrilynn D. Dodds

Himself (New York University)

Frank Peters

Herself (Author, The Ornament of the World)

María Rosa Menocal

Herself (Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

D. Fairchild Ruggles

Herself (New York University)

Abigail Balbale

Himself (Queen's University)

Adnan Husain

Himself (Univ. of California, Los Angeles)

Teofilo Ruiz

Himself (Univ. of California, Santa Barbara)

Dwight Reynolds

Himself (Cornell University)

Ross Brann

Himself (Columbia University)

Richard Bulliet

Alone in a small white house on the edge of national road 1, the Trans-Saharan road, which connects Algiers to Tamanrasset crossing the immensity of the desert, Malika, 74, one day opened her door to the director Hassen Ferhani, who came there to scout with his friend Chawki Amari, journalist at El Watan and author of the story Nationale 1 which relates his journey on this north-south axis of more than 2000 km. The Malika of Amari's novel, which Ferhani admits to having first perceived as a "literary fantasy", suddenly takes on an unsuspected human depth in this environment naturally hostile to man. She lends herself to the film project as she welcomes her clients, with an economy of gestures and words, an impression reinforced by the mystery that surrounds her and the rare elements of her biography which suggest that she is not from the region, that she left the fertile north of Algeria to settle in the desert where she lives with a dog and a cat.

7.9

Andrei Rublev

Dec 16, 1966

An expansive Russian drama, this film focuses on the life of revered religious icon painter Andrei Rublev. Drifting from place to place in a tumultuous era, the peace-seeking monk eventually gains a reputation for his art. But after Rublev witnesses a brutal battle and unintentionally becomes involved, he takes a vow of silence and spends time away from his work. As he begins to ease his troubled soul, he takes steps towards becoming a painter once again.

7.0

Brother Sun, Sister Moon

Mar 3, 1972

In his delirium from his return from war, Francesco Bernardone goes back in his memories to the days when he lived for parties and carnal pleasures. He slowly recovers, but after the illness he is no longer the Francesco that everybody knew. Instead of spending hours in taverns, he meditates on the beauty of God's creatures, soon renouncing his riches and his family with plans to rebuild an abandoned church and his life.

5.6

Whom God Forgives

May 5, 1957

Set in rural South of Spain in the 19th century, tells the story of group of outlaws, from very different origins, trying to survive, hiding from the law enforcement officers in caves in a hilly area, and their struggle against the evil mining company that exploits the poor people of their home village.

8.2

Sieben Mulden und eine Leiche

Apr 5, 2007

Thomas Haemmerli is about to celebrate his fortieth birthday when he learns of his mother's death. A further shock follows when he and his brother Erik discover her apartment, which is filthy and full to bursting with junk. It takes the brothers an entire month to clean out the place. Among the chaos, they find films going back to the 1930s, photos and other memorabilia.

7.7

Waltz with Bashir

Jun 12, 2008

An Israeli film director interviews fellow veterans of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to reconstruct his own memories of his term of service in that conflict.

0.0

Aroma of Heaven

Jun 5, 2014

How well we know our cup of coffee?

6.0

Bones of Contention

Mar 2, 2018

A history of the political and social repression carried out by the ruthless regime of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco between 1936 and 1975 that focuses on the lives of gays and lesbians during those dark years and the death of the Spanish gay poet Federico García Lorca.

7.8

The Saragossa Manuscript

Feb 27, 1966

During the Napoleonic wars, a Spanish officer and an opposing officer find a book written by the former's grandfather.

4.0

The Spanish Golden Age

Jun 29, 2016

A journey through the Spain of the Baroque, the glorious 17th century, an unfortunate era of endless wars and political tribulations; but also of great painters and sculptors who created astonishing pieces of art: el Siglo de Oro.

7.2

The Cave

Oct 18, 2019

Deep beneath the surface in the Syrian province of Ghouta, a group of female doctors have established an underground field hospital. Under the supervision of paediatrician Dr. Amani and her staff of doctors and nurses, hope is restored for some of the thousands of children and civilian victims of the ruthless Syrian civil war.

7.8

Islam and the Future of Tolerance

Dec 11, 2018

In the thick of a controversial war of ideas, two enlightening figures, Sam Harris, an atheist and a critic of religion, and Maajid Nawaz, an Islamist-turned-liberal activist, partake in an engaging dialogue on the state of Islam, its potential reform, the militant ideology of Islamism, and where all this lays in a secular world.

7.0

Globe Trekker: Chinatown

Apr 2, 2007

In this special edition of Globe Trekker Chinatown, Lavinia Tan, Justine Shapiro and Megan McCormick travel worldwide to explore the magic and mystery of Chinatowns across the globe. Lavinia Tan begins the journey in Malaysia and Singapore where overseas traders led the earliest migrations of Chinese people. The journey continues from there to the United States, where Justine Shapiro visits San Francisco. Megan McCormick explores New York s Lower East Side, home to the largest Chinatown in the Western Hemisphere. After a short trip to London s Soho district, Lavinia Tan ends this journey with a visit to Hong Kong exploring the world famous film industry and the 21st century migration of Chinese back to their homeland.

6.0

Yo soy Arturo Fernández

Jul 7, 2019

A gentle portrait of the mythical Spanish actor Arturo Fernández (1929-2019) in the hour of his passing, in his own words, through his latest interviews, not previously broadcast, and the words of those who knew him thorough decades of charming and good performance on stage, his true home, as well as in cinema and television.

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0.0

Anton Habovštiak - Oravským chodníčkom...

Jan 1, 1995

No overview available.

10.0

Les Enfants de l’ovale... Un essai qui transforme !

May 24, 2012

No overview available.

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0.0

Saint Paul

Jun 29, 2003

This one hour documentary, presented by former Olympian Jonathan Edwards, dissects the story of St Paul, and aimed to reveal the background to the story of Paul.

6.4

The Greatest Story Ever Told

Apr 9, 1965

From his birth in Bethlehem to his death and eventual resurrection, the life of Jesus Christ is given the all-star treatment in this epic retelling. Major aspects of Christ's life are touched upon, including the execution of all the newborn males in Egypt by King Herod; Christ's baptism by John the Baptist; and the betrayal by Judas after the Last Supper that eventually leads to Christ's crucifixion and miraculous return.

7.1

Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages

Sep 4, 1916

The story of a poor young woman, separated by prejudice from her husband and baby, is interwoven with tales of intolerance from throughout history.

7.1

Land Without Bread

Dec 1, 1933

An exploration —manipulated and staged— of life in Las Hurdes, in the province of Cáceres, in Extremadura, Spain, as it was in 1932. Insalubrity, misery and lack of opportunities provoke the emigration of young people and the solitude of those who remain in the desolation of one of the poorest and least developed Spanish regions at that time.