A documentary by British-Iraqi director Hoda Yahya Elsoudani tackles the Sunni-Shia divide from the perspective of two young sisters. Raised in the UK, the 30-year-old filmmaker was born to Iraqi refugee parents fleeing war, and she has always been fascinated by issues pertaining to identity. Elsoudani self-identifies as a “Sushi” not because one parent is Sunni and the other Shia, she says both were “just Muslim,” but in the sense that she does not want to be labeled as either.

This documentary follows the journey of two young journalists – Niamh (aged 10) and her sister Sofia (aged 8) as they try to wrap their heads around something incredibly serious and weighty: the sometimes-bloody Sunni – Shia conflict that has been going on for decades.

The girls talk to religious figures, scholars, well known clerics, believers, political pundits, the public and more, all in the hope of understanding this absurd conflict and its routes. As they continue on the road of discovery, the two journalists soon realize that what unifies us as Muslims is far greater and more powerful than our differences.

Directed in a light-hearted and innocent way, the film tackles a series of hard hitting and pertinent points without causing offence or apportioning blame. It offers the audience a chance to consider how religious choices and practices may appear to the outside world, all through the eyes of these two innocent sisters. This refreshing documentary takes us back to our routes and reminds us of the simplicity of practicing the religion of Islam.

Source: Middle East Eye