There is no doubt that cinema has a great role to play in the society. There is also no doubt about the importance of freedom for artists, innovators and movie producers. This short essay deals with the impact of external funding on the nature of movie production, particularly in the Arab-Islamic world, but generally in the Third World as well.
While nothing can capture the spiritual surge experienced by physically being there, photographer Ali Kazuyoshi Nomashi has
captured awe-inspiring sites through the means of his camera lens. This acclaimed Japanese photographer who has worked for National Geographic and is a revert to Islam has indeed made a major contribution to the information on Mecca, Medina and the Hajj available in print.
