Hajj: the journey of a lifetime [Widescreen]

Join a group of British Muslims including a father and his son, a university student and a Harley Street neurosurgeon (both women) as they make their spiritual journey of discovery on a pilgrimage to the 2001 hajj in Saudi Arabia, along with 20,000 other Britons. For Muslims everywhere, the ultimate goal is to make the hajj at least once during their lifetime. This spiritual journey is the basic premise of an entire religion and sees impoverished African Muslims mixing with their incredibly wealthy Western counterparts. The film covers the entire event from the preparations in England before flying off to Saudi Arabia, their arrival and bus trip to Mecca and the days that follow which take them to Mina and Mount Arafat where they undergo many rites and ceremonies before finally returning to Mecca and flying back home. Interspersed throughout the documentary we are given an insight into each of these traveller’s thoughts and aspirations, through their own personal commentary, of what hajj means to them, their expectations and their actual experiences and why they have embarked on such a pilgrimage. For the Saudis this annual event requires an enormous amount of preparation providing food, water, electricity and tent accommodation for over 2 million pilgrims for the 6 days of the hajj. There are some amazing images throughout the film particularly the circling of the Kabah, but the one overwhelming factor is the patience and good humor of the pilgrims and the spirituality which seems to embody them as a whole in their united belief in Islam. Narrated by Art Malik.