Bisha -- The Awesome Fire Test

Produced by Elia Sides and Nira Sherman-Sides

The Bedouin of the deserts of Arabia and the Middle East have developed a system of law and order called Haj El Orfi - The Law of Knowledge - which evolved from their harsh environment and has been passed down orally for generations. The Bisha ceremony is the ultimate ordeal for revealing the truth. Suspects lick a white-hot iron pan with their tongues. If they are scorched, it shows they are lying: if not, they have unequivocally proven their innocence.

This film tells the stories of three individuals who choose to undergo the Bisha. One has been accused of handing over a tribesman to the Israeli Secret Service. One has been accused of murder, and one woman has been accused of adultery for which the penalty is death. She maintains her innocence and undergoes the Bisha in order to save her life. We watch them attempt to vindicate themselves through this awesome ritual.

Bisha is a riveting exploration of this unusual custom. The film also delves into other aspects of Bedouin culture -- the role of honored elders, the exorcism of demons, rituals of mystic sects, and other practices of the Bedouin law system.

52 min. Video or DVD. Sale $295. Video rental $75.