2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

"Stories of Mecca", the world’s first crowdsourced film for Mecca, shares - how for the first time in history due to the COVID-19 lockdowns - if people from around the world could not travel to Mecca, their stories of Mecca could travel around the world. Presented in a vertical social media 'story' format that's mobile-first, the film replicates the journey of pilgrims from around the world – from arriving in Saudi Arabia, driving to Mecca, conducting the initial part of their pilgrimage at the Holy Mosque and the Ka'aba (Holy Stone), circumambulating, praying, offering supplication and then, proceeding to other rituals such as the circuit walks between two mountains. Shown through the eyes of real pilgrims, it's an emotional and compelling viewing experience because it isn't a film made of library images or videos. It's a film made from people's libraries - of their memories from their pilgrimage to Mecca.

Cultural / Context information for the jury

Mecca, Saudi Arabia, welcomes 2.5 million pilgrims, worldwide, in Ramadan and Eid. But, in 2020, due to the debilitating global health crisis owing to COVID-19, Mecca, for the first in recorded history, was put under an absolute lockdown, during Ramadan and Eid - for both Saudi Arabia and the world. Almosafer, a popular travel platform from Saudi Arabia (think Booking.com’s equivalent in Saudi Arabia), wanted to be top of mind when the skies opened. When we surveyed people in Saudi Arabia about the first place they’d travel to when the lockdown ends, 84% said it’d be Mecca. We did not want to do a generic COVID-19 washing film in Ramadan. And we did not want to pick library videos or stock images to create a generic Mecca film. We wanted to tap into people’s personal libraries – their personal memories and stories of Mecca when they could travel to Mecca.

Tell the jury anything relevant about the direction. Do not name the director.

SOLUTION: Though budgets were negligible, stock libraries were an absolute NO. People's libraries were a YES. Crowdsourcing attracted those memories. Each contributor who expressed interest and shared initial photos and videos, was communicated with, one-to-one, by the director. The brief was simple: "Share your favourite moments in Mecca that you'd love to bring to the world." STORY: The film needed to replicate the journey of a pilgrim – from arriving in Saudi Arabia, driving to Mecca, conducting the initial part of their pilgrimage at the Holy Mosque and then, proceeding to other rituals. So, the entire journey of Mecca was mapped out. And then, the footages received were mapped atop that journey. Finally, from 12 hours of footages, came one connected story. EDIT: Edited into a vertical format social media ‘story’ with an original evocative soundtrack, the film shows a journey to Mecca and the pilgrimage itself, through people’s eyes.