The Mosque Next Door (2017)

For many non-Muslim Australians, the mosque is a symbol of growing fears that Islam is antithetical to the Australian way of life, even dangerous. But many Australians have never stepped inside a mosque, let alone seen what goes on there. Now with exclusive, unprecedented 24/7 access for the first time, this 3 x 1-hour observational documentary series goes inside one of Australia's oldest mosques, the Holland Park Mosque in Brisbane, to join a community rarely seen from the inside. We meet its cricket-loving patriarch, mosque leader Imam Uzair; his best mate and community fix-it man, Ali Kadri; as well as a diverse congregation, including outspoken change-maker, Galila Abdelsalam and fourth generation mosque-goer Janeth Deen. Filmed over the course of a year like no other, we join our larger-than-life cast as they tackle Islamophobia, extremism, and a host of everyday adventures, challenges, romance and tragedy. As their mosque comes under increasing pressure, both from inside and out, this is a never-before-seen look at a community on the frontline of seismic change in Australia and the world today.