NAEEM MAHMOOD

GODS OF THEIR OWN RELIGION

Naeem Mahmood is a passionate creator based in London who excels at making bold and thought-provoking films. His audacious talent was even recognized by STAR WARS and THE EMPRIRE STRIKES BACK producer Gary Kurtz, who became his mentor in 2007.

It’s no surprise that Naeem is an award-winning director, with his work screened at numerous international film festivals and broadcast on platforms such as Apple TV, Amazon Prime, BBC, and ITV Network. Considering the impact we anticipate from Naeem’s latest production, GODS OF THEIR OWN RELIGION, on freedom-seekers and Binema fans alike, we’re thrilled to delve into its backstory and explore Naeem’s incredibly creative mind in this short interview.

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What began as a pipe dream and a wild vision for a gang of relentless young filmmakers during lockdown has now manifested through sheer heart, unwavering determination, and an awe-inspiring team of creatives.

 — Naeem Mahmood —

🎙️ BFF: The film’s title “Gods of Their Own Religion” is quite provocative. What meaning were you aiming for with this title in relation to the story’s
narrative?

💬 Naeem: The film centers around a gang, the last of a breed of free-spirits in a technocratic-totalitarian Britain. Society is governed by a “priestly class” of technical experts – scientists, engineers, and technologists who are possessed by an ideology of technocracy. Their new totalitarian movement is a fanatical religious cult whose aim is to remodel the nature of man and society. The pious are those who follow the State’s commands with unquestioning obedience. The sinners are the non-believers. They are the heretics who stand in the way of the so-called “greater good”.

🎙️ BFF: The film opens with a powerful quote from the poet Rumi about the nature of reality versus illusion. What drew you to use this particular quote as a thematic anchor for the story?

💬 Naeem: GODS OF THEIR OWN RELIGION was shot during the height of lockdown, when the majority of the world meekly surrendered to the absurd and obscene restrictions. As a consequence, I suffered enormous ridicule and abuse for daring to go where others feared to tread. It was during this period, shooting the film in the most testing conditions, without a budget or script, that it dawned on me…the body is the vehicle we use to experience this reality, but it is not the real ‘I’ we identify as. It was this realization and freeing of the spirit that enabled me to make the impossible achievable.

The characters in the film are enslaved because they identify themselves with their body and their name, when these are only vehicles and symbols for what they really are – Infinite Consciousness. They are imprisoned in the realms of the five senses when they are ‘All That’ is. As Bill Hicks put it:**“There is no such thing as death; life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves.”

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In a world where the majority of men have surrendered the throne they were made to sit upon… Ricki Hall is KING.

 — Naeem Mahmood —

🎙️ BFF: In the scene where Kid unmasks C2, we see a parallel flashback of a boy also being unmasked, then 10 minutes later we see the full scene of the boys unmasking in school. What did you intend to convey through this symbolic unmasking?

💬 Naeem: The stranglehold of the controlling negative forces is choking the very life from the children. They are being robbed of their identity and their autonomy. Their doubting, inquisitive, and imaginative minds are being suppressed. The masks are symbols of a muzzled, silenced, subservient, self-policing population. The unmasking is a breaking of this spell, an overcoming of the hypnosis of fear. For a brief moment C2 experiences a glitch in his programming, remembering who he truly was.

🎙️ BFF: There is a scene with the technocrat and the boy. The technocrat says: “It’s time for us to step in to do what God couldn’t do. The only limit is our own willingness” Then he hands the boy what looks like an ipad/Iphone. The boy then throws it back at the technocrat… what this represents?

💬 Naeem: The technocratic cult depicted in the film is built on the belief of a future where humanity transcends biological limitations – where aging, illness, and death are no longer inevitable. The sales pitch is that an AI connection to the human brain will make them superhuman when the plan is to make them sub-human and post-human.

The smartphone is a stepping stone in preparing the young for the assimilation of human consciousness into AI, behind which is the very force that has been orchestrating the perceptual enslavement of humanity all along – what some may call ‘Satan.’**As people seek out each latest gadget or ‘upgrade’ they are unknowingly being seduced down the trail to the end of humanity. Get the population addicted to technology, especially the young who are the prime target as they will be the adults at the time the assimilation is planned to be imposed. The boy’s innate spirit recognizes this evil. the discarding of the smartphone represents a rejection of their nefarious plans.

🎙️ BFF:  Independent films often have more creative freedom than mainstream productions. Did this independence allow you to take bigger creative risks which you couldn’t in a studio system?

💬 Naeem: Definitely. We threw away the rule book when making “Gods of Their Own Religion”. We by-passed all the bureaucracy and red tape that comes with getting permission to make a film and restricts creativity, draining you in the process. For instance, we were never going to get permission to film at Heathrow Airport but I was determined to shoot at that location. And when you dare to go outside the box, a path opens up and we were able to shoot at Heathrow without incident.

It was pure, unadulterated creative freedom which enabled me to produce my most meaningful and satisfying work to date. A ‘making of’ documentary NO BUDGET NO SCRIPT NO PERMISSION captures the entire production process – essential viewing for any creative wanting to get their projects made on minimal resources.

🎙️ BFF: Do you have any personal advice for independent filmmakers who in their works would like to show the topics that neither the mass media nor traditional cinema want to touch?

💬 Naeem: Don’t hold back, go all out! Be bold, daring and express your vision with gusto. Make each frame an act of rebellion, and every narrative a revolution. Your project will take a life of its own and find an audience as many are craving authentic voices that dare to uncover what often remains unsaid.

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Become the director of your own life and not the follower of someone else’s script.

 — Naeem Mahmood —

🎙️ BFF:  Bitcoin community values individual sovereignty, censorship resistance, and fighting against centralized control. Were you at all influenced or inspired by similar philosophical ideas?

💬 Naeem: Certainly. For me, all of the above is our natural state, it’s all within me. Some of us have just forgotten. To govern ourselves, to express our uniqueness, to question, to push back against tyranny, to be free… it’s who we are.

🎙️ BFF: The film’s trailer editor, Yannis Stergioulis, is an avid Bitcoiner. Did you have any interactions with him or the Bitcoin community that shaped your perspective while making this film?

💬 Naeem: Actually, Yannis came on board during post-production. From the beginning, we’ve had a pleasant working relationship. We had many insightful interactions, particularly with regards to shaping the trailer. Not only is he an immensely talented editor, he also has an open mind which is a powerful quality when it comes to creativity.

GODS OF THEIR OWN RELIGION was made at a time when
hardly anyone was challenging the ‘pandemic’ narrative. So there were not many people to draw inspiration from. I had to very much rely on my own intuitions, gut feelings and heart consciousness. I happened to briefly be in Beijing in January 2020 and could see the madness unfolding. So when I got back to the UK a few days later, I had an inkling of what was coming to the West.

🎙️ BFF:  Naeem, your story sounds intriguing. we’d love to chat with you more sometime again, we still have many questions in mind. In the meantime, the last question for this interview. What do you expect from BFF24 (Bitcoin FilmFest 2024) and how do you feel about taking an active part in it?

💬 Naeem: I’m honored to be invited to take part at BFF24! I’m expecting to be shown what the future of film festivals can look like – unconventional, fresh and exciting, an alternative to the insipid festival circuit. I’m also looking forward to connecting with beautiful souls, building meaningful relationships, exchanging inspiration, knowledge and good times!

🎙️ BFF: Thanks, Naeem! For this conversation and your dedication since the beginning. Wishing you success in both your personal and professional life, and hoping our paths cross again.

💬 Naeem: The pleasure is mine. Thank you!

The trailer you we’re presenting here was created by Yannis Stergioulis (X: @YannisSter), a professional trailer editor and colorist with over 20 years of experience.

If you want to watch this film, visit the project page directly (Naeem Mahmood-Gods Of Their Own Religion), or go to IndeeHub Studio.

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