THE ARAB INITIATIVE

As a part of the Danish government's "The Arab Initiative", one of Europe's leading experts on Islam, the Danish scholar, Dr. Jakob Skovgaard-Petersen, is sent to Cairo with his family. His mission is to create a dialogue between the Middle East and Denmark. Complicated by the crisis following the Danish Mohammad cartoons, his brief is to mediate between differing political attitudes and cultural perceptions. In a visually engaging style, The Arab Initiative, invites us into a number of dialogues discussing related themes on religion and politics. Lotte Mik-Meyer's perceptive documentary never lapses into prejudice and simplification. Her film follows Skovgaard-Petersen in his private and professional activities, presenting poignant moments with his family as a complement to his work as a troubleshooter. It offers an intriguing insight into a highly topical conflict in which wise, innovative approaches like Skovgaard-Petersen's seem absolutely essential.

Director: Lotte Mik-Meyer
Photographer: Henrik Ibsen
Producer: Sara Stockmann
Editor: Sara Reither
Composer: Frithjoj Toksvig
Sound Engineer: Morten Groth Brandt
Executive producers: Louise Kjær, Anne Regitze Wivel
Distribution: Barok Film + dox-on-wheels
Release: 2008
Duration: 58 min.