By Navid Akhtar
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| Filming in Mina |
Navid Akhtar is a television producer/director and a member of Channel 4's Hajj
team in Mecca. Each day this week he sent a Postcard from Saudi.
All the pilgrims needed to leave Mina today after one final stoning
ritual, then get back to Mecca by sunset. If they don't make it by
then, they need to return to Mina, spend another night there, and
do the whole ritual again the next day.
We had our own filming conundrum: film the pilgrims as they departed Mina,
then beat them back to Mecca to record their arrival. We were yet again
stuck in the worst traffic jam you have ever seen coming into Mina. We
worked out it was about 50,000 coaches, all empty and on their way to pick
up the pilgrims.
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| Traffic in Mecca |
Filming in Mina worked out well, but the return to Mecca was looking
disastrous. That is, until a fleet of emergency vehicles with flashing blue
lights ahead of a cavalcade of official-looking vehicles made quick progress
through the crowds. Turns out it was an entourage for Saudi Arabian
princesses returning from Hajj themselves. We decided to tag along behind
them in a rather audacious manoeuvre, which saved us loads of time.
It's our last day following the pilgrims, and for the first time I was able
to catch up with many of my relatives here. I headed off to meet them in
their hotel, they had walked from Mecca to Mina, and thankfully all were
well.
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| Mohammed Alawadi - heading
home as a hajji |
All our pilgrims are doing very well, they seem to have grown emotionally
and enjoyed the experience. It's been a roller coaster ride for them and us, the film crew in the past few weeks, but now it's back to the roller coaster lifestyle in London. At least it's not as bad there.....is it?
But before that, it's my chance tomorrow to do my own prayers. I'm looking
forward to it, to giving thanks everything has gone well and everyone is okay.
And finally I got a text message from home from an old friend saying I
should watch the Hajj on Channel 4 as it is so good....little do they know
eh?
Read Navid's postcards from Day Four
| Day Three | Day
Two | Day One
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Live at the Hajj