Why would intelligent, successful people give up their careers, alienate their friends, and cause havoc in their families...to become Catholic? Donald Johnson travels around the country to get the story for himself.
Okht-o-Reda (2023)
The movie Okht al-Reza (Reza's sister) narrates the journey of the Lady of Dignity, Hazrat Masoumeh PBUH from Madinah to Qom. While portraying the events of the Prophet's path, her time, Ma'mun's conspiracies and efforts for her martyrdom, the work tries to express a mystical narrative of the character of Hazrat Masoumeh. It deals with the story of this journey, and includes passages about the political and social atmosphere of the time, where the general atmosphere of the storytelling is somewhat close to the documentary.
The Small Hours (2019)
In Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, tradition, memory and folklore, walk the streets on the shoulders of a people who proudly displays a legacy rooted in their culture for centuries.
For the Bible Tells Me So (2007)
An exploration of the intersection between religion and homosexuality in the U.S. and how the religious right has used its interpretation of the Bible to stigmatize the gay community.
A Goy Guide to World History (2014)
Spanning over 2,000 years, this study looks at the complex relationship between Jewish and Catholic thought from a social and historical perspective. Examining different significant moments for both religions throughout the centuries, this commentary on the book analyzes and explains the conflicts that have arisen between the two religions since their beginnings.
The Atheist Delusion (2016)
Having to prove the existence of God to an atheist is like having to prove the existence of the sun, at noon on a clear day. Yet millions are embracing the foolishness of atheism. “The Atheist Delusion” pulls back the curtain and reveals what is going on in the mind of those who deny the obvious. It introduces you to a number of atheists who you will follow as they go where the evidence leads, find a roadblock, and enter into a place of honesty that is rarely seen on film.
Daughters of Wisdom (2007)
An intimate portrait of the nuns of Kala Rongo, a rare and exceptional Buddhist Monastery exclusively for women situated in Nangchen, in remote and rural northeastern Tibet. These nuns are receiving religious and educational training previously unavailable to women, and playing an unprecedented role in preserving their rich cultural heritage even as they slowly reshape it. They graciously allow the camera a never-before-seen glimpse into their vibrant spiritual community and insight into their extraordinary lives. Some shy, some outspoken, all are committed to the often difficult life they have chosen, away from the yak farms and herding families of their birth. It is the story of their spiritual community, one that couldn't have existed 20 years ago but is thriving today.
Religulous (2008)
Commentator-comic Bill Maher plays devil's advocate with religion as he talks to believers about their faith. Traveling around the world, Maher examines the tenets of Christianity, Judaism and Islam and raises questions about homosexuality, proof of Christ's existence, Jewish Sabbath laws, violent Muslim extremists.
We're All Angels (2007)
The story of rising stars Jason and deMarco, two attractive pop stars - both Christian and gay - and lovers. They sing Christian rock, including dance remixes. They are gay and they have been a couple for four years. They talk about their childhood and youth - Jason belonged to a Pentacostal church, deMarco was raised Catholic. They and their parents talk about family, coming to terms with sexuality, and the changing views of homosexuality within some churches. Jason and deMarco's particular mission is to reach gay youth with an anti-suicide message, helping them to reconcile the spiritual with the physical.
Púlpito e Parlamento: Evangélicos na Política (2016)
From a small family from the outskirts of São Paulo to the National Congress, a documentary about how political discourse is born, grows and is founded among evangelicals.
Manifest Destiny Jesus (2021)
Documentary on gentrification, colonialism, and the way that minorities have been repressed through a lack of representation.
Kidneys for Jesus (2003)
The Jesus Christians are unusually committed to their faith. They give up everything they own - including, now, their spare kidneys. For a year, journalist Jon Ronson has exclusively followed the group as they attempt to donate their kidneys to strangers in the UK and the US. But who should they give them to? Where can they advertise? Will the hospitals, the media, and the potential recipients see their gesture as a miracle, or as the self-destructive act of a controversial religious movement? Presented by Jon Ronson.
Hajj: The Journey of a Lifetime (2001)
For Muslims everywhere, the ultimate goal is to make the Hajj at least once during their lifetime. This spiritual journey is the basic premise of an entire religion and sees impoverished African Muslims mixing with their incredibly wealthy Western counterparts. This documentary follows some of the 20,000 Britons who make the journey to Mecca, unravelling the mysterious aura that surrounds this remarkable event. Combining the wondrous backdrop of Mecca with intriguing interviews that provide a previously undocumented view of Islam, Hajj will enchant both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
Homeland Gone (2020)
Lebanon is a country hijacked by sects, money, and power. While citizens long for a collective identity to thrive as a community, politicians use the sectarianism for their corrupt ambitions. Unless there is a change, Lebanon will be lost forever.
Rumi: The Wings of Love (2005)
Creened in several international film festivals, as well as the Musée de L’Homme in Paris, this film takes viewers into a secret world rarely seen by outsiders. Nearly eight centuries after his death, Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, Sufi master and mystical poet, is ever-present in the whirling ceremony of today’s Mevlevi dervishes. The Halveti zikr, Mevlevi semas, and the Gharib, or secret, sema-not seen for over 100 years-were filmed in Cairo, Istanbul, and the Garden of Rumi in Konya. This unique footage set to Mevlevi music is enhanced by interviews with Sheikh Abu Bakr Siraj ad-Din (Martin Lings), Islamic philosopher and author Seyyed Hossein Nasr, and Sheikh Omer Tugrel Inancer, who reveals the hidden meaning of the reed flute.
The Circles of Remembrance (2008)
The Circles of Remembrance is an 82 minute journey into what is usually a hidden world of Sufism. This documentary explores "zikr" ceremonies in Cairo, Istanbul, Morocco, and the U.S., along with interviews with some of the most prominent Sufi scholars and musicians, on the outer and secret meaning of the remembrance of God. Martin Lings, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Gai Eaton, Sheikh Ali Gomma, T.J. Winter,and Tosun Bayrak are among those interviewed.
Hail Satan? (2019)
The story of The Satanic Temple, a controversial movement that combines religion and activism with the apparent purpose of questioning the basic foundations of US society.
We Are Here (2019)
Family comes in many shapes and sizes. And this family are bound by the urge to make change. This film follows individuals from an international order of queer nuns as they live their lives, just a little larger than most. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence stand proudly across the globe as a beacon of self-acceptance and self-expression, but not everyone agrees with their message. The judgement they face may be challenging but their intentions are clear: to spread joy, end stigmatic guilt and do it all in a habit.