Documentary Film
Our next project, currently in pre-production…
Ḥakīm is a feature documentary film celebrating the few authentic living “ḥakīms” or masters of Traditional Islamic Healing and Medicine (TIHM). Never before presented in the media, ḥakīms practice primarily throughout the Islamic world from Morocco to China, with a few to be found in Western countries. Our target audience is all those interested in medicine, healing, Islam, U.S.-Muslim understanding, and international documentaries – a wide general audience from multiple demographics.
In centuries past, TIHM was the standard-bearer for medical practice in both Muslim lands and Europe. Much of what we know as modern medicine has its roots in the discoveries and achievements of Muslim physicians. This great art of healing, historically passed on from master to disciple, has largely been lost in the contemporary world and is all but unknown in the West. Ḥakīm takes the viewer on a quest to meet the last few supremely accomplished masters reputed to have attained the “iḥsān” or perfection of TIHM.
The story has immediate relevance to today’s challenges. Like other traditional healing arts about which modern researchers are now learning, TIHM is based on the premise that the soul, not the body, is the most fundamental consideration in treatment, and that the physician’s spiritual connection is central to medical practice and teaching. As a highly successful model of holistic healthcare, TIHM offers valuable lessons to modern medical practitioners. The revival of TIHM also offers a specifically Islamic success story, one which could infuse the moderating influence of spirituality where religious extremism distorts lives and faith.
Ḥakīm fosters understanding between the West and Islam. It speaks of shared values in medicine and a shared benefit in reexamining and reviving traditional medical knowledge. Much as the Hippocratic Oath binds physicians to dedicated and ethical practice, TIHM’s ḥakīms exemplify a commitment to healing as unconditional service pursuant to the highest standards.
