Stephen MARSHALL
Due to clashes between Christian and Islamic groups and religious conflict and jealousy triggered by September 11, war zones all over the world are expanding with a frightening speed. What is the origin of this brutal, exclusivist conflict between the two religions? Aaron, who comes from a typical Christian family, sets out on a mission to convert all Muslims of the world to Christianity. Khalid comes from Ireland, and he has been a proponent of Jihad since his conversion during a trip to Saudi Arabia. In a timeline that begins with the Bush administration¡¯s War on Terror and ends with Obama¡¯s inauguration, the camera follows these two people across Pakistan, Lebanon, UK and USA. In the end, these two young men are invited to a religious debate, never backing away from defending their respective faiths without sympathy for the other¡¯s religion. In a place set up by the producers, these two fundamentalists engage in a fierce discussion, arguing why one religion is superior to the other, and what problems the other's religion is riddled with. As this discussion goes on, what we witness is not a religious belief in peace and harmony, but an ominous proof that the conflict between the two religions may only accelerate. Religions have been turned into weapons wielded in political warfare, and politics itself has become a means of profit. Is it NeoLiberalism, with its focus on economy rather than people, that stands behind this trend in which religions are forced into war zones and two young men waste away their lives? (HUH Eun-kwang)
Stephen MARSHALL
Stephen is an author and Sundance award-winning director. In 1995 his global VHS news magazine Channel Zero became an underground hit and one of the first successes of the smallformat video revolution. In 2000 he co-founded Guerrilla News Network (GNN), which became a primary web destination for young alternative news seekers. His first feature documentary, Battle Ground: 21 Days on the Empire's Edge, won the Silver Hugo for Best Documentary at the 2004 Chicago International Film Festival and This Revolution, his first narrative feature, premiered at Sundance 2005. Holy Wars (2010) Peace Wanted Alive, Revolution Theory (2009) A Thousand Suns (2009) This Revolution (2005) Battle Ground: 21 Days on the Empire¡¯s Edge (2004)
Distribution / World Sales Smuggler
Address 1715 N.Gower St. Los Angeles, CA 90028, USA
Tel 323 817 3300
E-mail nick@smugglersite.com