Written by Shannon Langas. Photo courtesy of IMDb.
In his personal documentary, “Crows are White,” director, writer and producer Ahsen Nadeem travels to a secluded Buddhist monastery in an attempt to navigate his own struggles with love, family and his Muslim identity. There, Nadeem meets Ryushin, a low-ranking monk who is criticized by the other members of his order for being too materialistic, and the two men bond over their apparent lack of faith.
Nadeem has been hiding his lack of adherence to Islam from his parents, while Ryushin has been hiding his dislike of monastic life from his order so that he can continue to take care of his grandparents. Through conversations with Ryushin, Nadeem draws a parallel between the monk and himself. The two share desserts and heavy metal music while asking if they’re on the right path for their lives in scenes that manage to be both comedic and heart-wrenching.
“Crows are White” is a film concerned with contradictions and gray spaces. Nadeem uses family photos, documentary footage and home video to stitch together an image of his childhood, both good and bad. He speaks in equal measure of the fond memories he has of praying as a child in Saudi Arabia and the pain he felt chafing against the restrictions of his traditional household. When asked how he moves forward with contradictions in his own life, Nadeem replied, “Isn’t a character without contradictions a little dull and boring?”
In a Q&A session following the film, Nadeem said that even though “Crows are White” is a deeply personal work, the movie speaks to universal themes.
“We’re all wearing different masks for different audiences,” he said. “We’re all kind of entangled in the same type of dance.”
The struggle to balance love and tradition, bear familial expectations and discover one’s own identity is something that any viewer can relate to, and Nadeem’s artful execution makes “Crows are White” relatable, poignant and a must-watch film for this year.
