First-ever feature documentary on founding of the Bahá’í faith to premiere nationwide
Directed by award-winning documentarian and co-founder of Chicago’s Media Process Group Bob Hercules, “The Gate: Dawn of the Bahá’í Faith” will be broadcast on ABC affiliates across the country May 13
(Chicago — 7 May 2018) Spring Green Films today announces the nationwide broadcast premiere of The Gate: Dawn of the Bahá’í Faith on Sunday, May 13 on ABC affiliates across the country, in partnership with the Interfaith Broadcast Commission.
This first-ever feature documentary about the founding of this new world religion and the Prophet who announced it will also enjoy select theatrical screenings in Chicago, Los Angeles and other major cities before embarking on a coast-to-coast screening tour. Additionally, the film’s new trailer debuts today at www.thegatefilm.com.
As the world suffers from the divisive forces of strife and intolerance, a new Faith advocates the oneness of humanity’s major religions as a path toward world peace.
The Gate: Dawn of the Bahá’í Faith is the groundbreaking documentary that tells the amazing, true story of the Prophet Herald known as The Báb, His message and the origins of a new era in world religion.
Directed by Peabody Award-winning filmmaker and co-founder of Chicago’s Media Process Group Bob Hercules (Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise; Forgiving Dr. Mengele) and executive produced by Chicago-based entrepreneur and philanthropist Steve Sarowitz, The Gate combines dramatic reenactments with interviews of renowned historians, religious scholars and experts in the Bahá’í Faith to celebrate the brief, exciting life of a Prophet and the indelible impact His message continues to have on the world today.
ALSO READ: MPG shoots reenactment of Bahá’í persecution in Spain.
Filmed in Spain, Israel, the U.K. and the U.S.A., The Gate transports viewers back to 1844 Persia when the Prophet Herald known as The Báb (or “the gate” in Arabic) experienced a revelation of God and declared himself to the faithful. Interspersed with striking reenactments of the persistence and persecution of His early followers are interviews with leading academic and faith experts including Dr. Joy DeGruy (author of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome), Nader Saeidi (professor of Bahá’í Studies at UCLA) and Bahá’í actor/artist Rainn Wilson (The Office), who often speaks publicly about the impact his faith has had on his life and career.
The May 13 broadcast premiere of The Gate, narrated by Yaani King Mondschein (Mad Men, NCIS), marks the first time a nationwide audience will have the opportunity to discover The Báb and the Bahá’í Faith through the universally embraced medium of documentary film.
Following the May 13 broadcast premiere, the film will come to stations across the country in the following weeks; check local listings for broadcast dates and times in your area, or visit www.thegatefilm.com.
As home to the only Bahá’í House of Worship in North America, Chicago enjoys a unique connection to the Faith, and as such the film’s world premiere will be hosted on Saturday, May 12 at the Art Institute of Chicago.
The Art Institute was the site of the first public mention of the Baha’i Faith in America, when Reverend Henry Jessup addressed the World Parliament of Religions there (then the World’s Congress Auxiliary Building) during the 1893 World’s Fair.
Attendees to the May 12 event in Chicago, as well as at events in Los Angeles, San Francisco and other select cities, will screen an extended version of the film and enjoy post-screening Q&As with filmmakers and film participants. For tickets and more information on these screenings across the country, visit www.thegatefilm.com.
Send your film news to Reel Chicago Editor Dan Patton, dan@reelchicago.com.
