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Taqwacore
chronicles the nascent Muslim punk rock movement in America. It was
inspired by the work of Michael Knight, who converted to Islam in
rebellion against his white-supremacist father. He went on to pen the
novel The Taqwacores (a term combining the Muslim concept of God
consciousness with hardcore punk), a manifesto for disillusioned
Islamic teens. Soon young Muslim musicians were contacting him and a
tour idea was hatched. The film follows Knight and a variety of young
subversives on tour as they shock and awe spectators in the U.S. before
bringing their music to Lahore. They break every taboo along the way,
from staging a lesbian thrash act at an Islamic convention to stomping
on the American flag. As Knight exclaims, they’re giving the
finger to both sides. The film charts their brave, foolish, and often
exhilarating attempts to navigate the gap between their cultures and
their countries, their religion and their individuality.
Not available outside the U.S.
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