Closer To God

Directed by Annette Berger

People have different ideas on how to get closer to God. The makers of this fascinating Swiss documentary follow two Pakistani men. One is a dervish or mystic, undertaking a life-long pilgrimage with heavy metal rings on his legs. He walks through the desert until his feet are raw, praying at every shrine he comes across along the way. The other is the custodian of a centuries-old musical tradition, for whom the idea of God lies in self-knowledge, insight and harmony with the environment – a harmony that he strives to achieve through life-long study and passing on his knowledge to new generations. In Pakistan, it is impossible for them to act together as the risk of attacks means any large meetings are prohibited. The film follows the men as they visit impressive holy sites, as well as in their everyday conversations, and provides a beautiful, sideways look at Pakistani society.