“A Beginner’s Guide to Andalusi Calligraphy” Director/Producer: Zakariyya Whiteman Director of Photography: Jose Iglesias Sound Recording & Mastering: Pablo Garcia Lastra Script & Research: Medina Whiteman & Zakariyya Whiteman Cast: Abdallateef Whiteman, Emin Alzueta, Hashim Cabrera, Pablo Beneito, Mariam Gracia Mechbal, Amina Gonzalez & Jose Miguel Puerta Vilchez. “This is the story of a calligraphic script that is almost extinct, yet which was once a crucial part of the most extraordinary cultural flourishing of the Middle Ages. We trace its journey from its origins in Madinah to its pinnacle in Al-Andalus, where we look at the rich context it evolved in. How did this once ubiquitous style fall into disuse, and what remains of it today?”

Al-Andalus, that golden era of the Islamic arts and sciences, would never have reached its full splendour were it not for the role played by Andalusi calligraphy. Its bold, graphic elegance belie its simplicity, which enabled Andalusi Muslims to reproduce millions of books, creating some of the most impressive libraries of the era. With scribes in all the major cities of Al-Andalus dedicated to translating and copying classical texts, the importance of a practical script was paramount. What was needed was not a decorative or monumental script, but rather a simple, efficient style of handwriting that would be easy to write and to read. The use of paper as opposed to vellum or parchment, which were expensive and took much more time and effort to produce, meant that the contents of these manuscripts were now within the reach of the masses, leading to unusually high literacy rates among everyday Andalusis. With the persecution and expulsion of Muslims from Spain, along with the sinister machinations of the Inquisition, the evolution of the Andalusi script came to an abrupt end. Millions of books were destroyed or stolen. Owning an Arabic manuscript became a crime punishable by death, which led to a diaspora of the surviving volumes, as far afield as West Africa and the Balkans. Traces of Andalusi heritage can be found wherever the exiled Andalusis fled to, bringing their books and their stories with them. In this film we pick up the trail of a present-day practitioner of Andalusi calligraphy, one of the last remaining custodians of this style, with whom we explore its origins and evolution. From the history of the script to the techniques and materials involved, it is the story of how something as simple as pen and paper can transform the lives of individuals and societies at the broadest level, conserving and conveying that most valuable of treasures: knowledge.

Zakariyya Whiteman (Zak) is a freelance director and producer based in Granada, Spain. He has worked on a number of documentaries, corporate videos and short films, as well as an array of multimedia projects. Other areas of activity include audio production, graphic design, photography and visual arts. He is currently directing and producing the Travelling Light series, for the Muslim Academic Trust, in Cambridge, UK. Samples of recent productions may be found here: www.youtube.com/mishkatmedia Barzakh is a new, independent production label that aims to create quality content with Islamic themes. As the audiovisual branch of Alia Multimedia (www.alia.pro), our collective experience covers all aspects of multimedia creation, including audiovisual production, motion graphics, as well as design for print and web. Our intention is to produce and distribute material for Muslims and non-Muslims alike, metaphorically speaking 'bridging the gap'. Our hope is that we will be able to supply TV channels around the globe with quality content on a variety of subjects.