Director: Ali Mustafa Producers: Nicholas Davies-Jones, Serkan Sami Darende
The Last Prayer documents stories of survival and loss in New Zealand's worst terrorist attack in which fifty worshipers gathered at two mosques in the quaint city of Christchurch, were killed just before Friday prayers on March 15, 2019. Interviews of victim’s families and survivors as well as community leaders and residents of Christchurch. The Last Prayer is film of first--‐hand accounts of New Zealand’s worst terrorist attack and the response to the tragedy that united a country against hatred.
Biography:
Ali Mustafa is a Canadian video-journalist originally from Pakistan, currently working as correspondent and presenter for Turkey’s public broadcaster, TRT World. He has produced content for Al Jazeera English AJ+, VICE News, CBC News and CNBC since 2004. In the past decade Ali has reported extensively on Syria’s war and the refugee crisis, Turkey’s security challenge vis-à-vis the PKK and the war in Afghanistan and the Taliban. Ali graduated from Columbia University with degrees in Politics and Journalism. He is an adjunct professor of digital journalism practice at Northwestern University in Qatar.
Nicholas Davies-Jones has specialized in launching media channels work that has seen him live in Iran, China, Libya, Qatar and Turkey. His reporting has seen him travel internationally where he has found the dead alive, the dead hanging from lampposts, survived Libya’s militia’s and filmed families fleeing war and conflict. Comfortable reporting or producing, Nick always finds the editorial mark chopping up his footage. He goes the extra mile news gathering and is relentless in pursuit of the most accurate narrative. Working on The Last Prayer was one of the most difficult stories he’s ever produced.
Serkan Sami Darende started pursuing his passion as a video journalist. He is currently working at Turkey's international news channel TRT World as a News and Program Cameraman. He has been to many war-ridden countries and danger zones to show what's not been told. As well as in news, Darende also has experience in documentary. He has worked on multiple documentaries on the rise of the far-right movement and the refugee crisis in Europe, which also won the London City Film Awards. Overall, Darende is passionate about visual arts and the art of narrating a story with images and video.
