The filmmaker and his subjects are to be commended for their honesty, yet there's an overwhelming sameness to their stories that impedes the film's dramatic value.
Comment
08/08/08
A Jihad for Love (2007)
74
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:31
Fresh:23
Rotten:8
Average Rating:6.5/10
Consensus: This powerful documentary explores an important subject -- homosexuality in the Muslim world -- with humanity and courage.
Theatrical Release:May 21, 2008 Limited
Synopsis: In a time when Islam is under tremendous attack from within and without, A Jihad for Love is a daring documentary filmed in twelve countries and nine languages. Muslim gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma... [More]
Director: Parev Sharma
Get This Movie
Rent DVD
Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.
Buy DVD
Reviews for A Jihad for Love
Makes an invaluable contribution by recording the names, faces, and stories of gay men and women struggling to reconcile their religion with their sexuality.
06/27/08
Properly promoted, the honest humanity of this festival fave has the potential to attract crossover crowds.
05/23/08
Covering more than half a dozen countries, Sharma stretches himself too thin, and as a result the documentary seems sketchy; he would have done well to present on-screen some of the background information in his production notes.
12/09/08
For various reasons, many of the subjects are interviewed with their faces blurred or hidden, understandably preserving anonymity but maintaining a distance that's unfortunate.
07/24/08
To be called a monster and then be stoned to death is pretty much as bad as it can get.
08/29/08
The film is propelled by tales of Muslims wrestling with their faith and sexual identity.
08/01/08
The accounts are powerful, but so many of the interviewees' faces are blurred to preserve their anonymity that it feels like you're watching A Jihad for Love through a shower curtain.
05/23/08
A powerful, important documentary.
05/21/08
A much-needed reminder that the foundation for any great religion is love and tolerance.
05/21/08
As it examines the point where sexuality and Islam meet in seven very different cultures, the film becomes far more universal than we expect.
05/22/08
director Parvez Sharma sets out across the world to find out what it means to be gay and Muslim. In most cases, it means trouble.
04/29/09
[An] important but rudderless documentary.
07/18/08
More than the question of whether the mainstream religions can ever accept homosexuality, Jihad For Love shines a light on religious devotion, a powerful thing for some, even in the face of persecution and death.
07/18/08
With each familiar story, you wish Sharma dug a little deeper into the issue. Still, his message conveys.
09/04/08
A Jihad for Love is a courageous documentary on the plight of gays in the Muslim world, and it reveals how the devout attempt to reconcile their sexual orientation and their faith.
08/01/08
Top CriticParvez Sharma shares the fundamentalist Muslim perspective, which will look depressingly familiar to anyone who has seen the other films.
05/23/08
Parvez Sharma’s brave documentary about homosexuality in the Muslim world presents a brutally honest, eye-opening look at gay and lesbian individuals who continue to practice their religion, despite its blunt, often violent rejection of their orientation.
05/19/08
A Jihad for Love is a dispatch from the outer limits of marginalization: a documentary on devout Muslims struggling with their homosexuality.
05/21/08
Had Sharma dug deeper, the documentary would be more compelling
08/12/08
What’s Hot On RT
Fresh Links
Featured
History of Disney Animation 
MSN Movies offers a little background on the success of Disney Animation.
90 Years of Screen Vampires
TIME takes a look back at the history of vampires on film.
Virtuoso Vistas of Lovely Bones
Techland examines the visual splendor of Peter Jackson's upcoming film.
Recent Headlines as TV Movies
AOL put together a list of 10 recent news items that would be perfect as TV Movies.
The Death of Original Thought
Hollywood.com's C. Robert Cargill explores how remakes and reboots have warped our thinking.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!
IGN RSS Feeds