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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Contact: Elizabeth Mullen |
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THREE GREAT FILMS OF SUBSTANCE TO BE SCREENED WASHINGTON – Rumi Returning, James Carrol’s Constantine’s Sword and Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North are slated for public viewings at Washington National Cathedral. Rumi Returning Rumi Returning outlines the key events in the of Sufi mystic and poet, Rumi. The film beautifully illustrates the life of the best-selling poet in the United States and richly communicates Rumi’s messages of love, tolerance and passion for God (who he calls “the Beloved.”) Sufism and the Islamic world of the Middle Ages are brought to life through portrayals of Muslim architecture, art, clothing and dance. A question and answer period follows the screening. Presented by the Cathedral’s Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation. James Carrol’s Constantine’s Sword James Carroll, author, columnist and filmmaker, makes an impassioned case that religious belief can move to new levels of maturity through historical study and critical thinking. Carroll will host a screening and discussion of the new film, James Carrol’s Constantine’s Sword, directed by Oren Jacoby, which explores the roots of religiously inspired contempt and violence. In his book of the same title, Carroll traces the development of the racial anti-Semitism of the Holocaust rising from early Christian anti-Judaism. The film also shows how faith-inspired prejudice and violence have pervaded Christian-Jewish-Muslim relations since 1948, and even more so since 2001. It documents fundamentalist Christian evangelizing in the American military and its influence on American policy. This event is a Special Advance Screening in partnership with First Run Features before the national theatrical release of the film in April 2008. Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North Traces of the Trade is a feature documentary in which director/producer Katrina Brown tells of her New England ancestors, the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2008 and was recently purchased by PBS. For more information on the films, click on links above or call (202) 537-6200. Washington National Cathedral is located at the intersection of Wisconsin and Massachusetts Avenues, N.W. ### | |