War Room.’—AP Love, Forgiveness and Pride
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L i f e s t y l e FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2015 UN-backed documentary ‘Human’ aims to capture the world ith wars, atrocities and the desperation Why do some have too much and some too little? of refugees dominating the daily news, Why is humanity despoiling the Earth? “I know it is Wit’s easy to feel despair about human not going to change with a movie,” Arthus- nature. French filmmaker Yann Arthus-Bertrand Bertrand said. “But I am doing my job.” Funded by hopes to restore movie-watchers’ faith - or at least French charity the Bettencourt-Schueller awaken their compassion - with “Human,” a docu- Foundation, “Human” will have a wide cinema mentary that compiles the extraordinary stories of release and TV broadcast later this month in ordinary people from around the world. Arthus- France, and will be distributed free to charities, Bertrand, the aerial photographer behind best- community groups and local authorities willing to selling coffee-table book “Earth From Above,” arrange screenings. interviewed hundreds of people from more than It’s backed by the global heft of Google - 60 countries, including Rwandan genocide sur- vivors, American army veterans, Syrian refugees, Afghan farmers and the president of Uruguay. Victims and perpetrators tell stories of killing This photo provided by courtesy of AFFIRM Films/Provident Films shows a scene from the and vengeance, while other subjects speak of film, ‘War Room.’—AP love, forgiveness and pride. The subjects are pre- sented in close-up and without context - we never even learn their names. The aim is to make view- ‘War Room’ filmmakers build on ers look these disparate strangers in the eye and listen to their words. “I think the only way to make people think is through emotions. Not through previous faith film successes the brain - through the heart,” the director said during an interview at the Venice Film Festival, where “Human” plays for the public on Saturday. aith-based movies that succeed at the box To generate buzz about “War Room,” all parties The documentary - endorsed by United Nations office shouldn’t be a surprise anymore, but relied on the traditional grassroots marketing Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon - screens inside F“War Room,” a Christian family drama techniques that have proved successful for oth- the UN General Assembly hall in New York the about marriage, has proved to be somewhat er Christian films, including longstanding rela- same day. miraculous. After “War Room” nearly beat tionships with religious leaders nationwide. One The onscreen interviews are interspersed with Director Yann Arthus Bertrand poses for por- “Straight Outta Compton” in its opening week- effort involved organizing a free date night for aerial shots of cities and deserts, oceans, forests traits at 72nd edition of the Venice Film end, it defied expectations in its second week in pastors and their wives to see the film in its and crowds, whose almost abstract beauty gives Festival in Venice, Italy. — AP theaters and rose to the top spot over the holi- entirety, so that they could choose whether or viewers a chance to pause and digest what they day weekend. Its strongest day wasn’t the open- not to endorse. have heard. Arthus-Bertrand shot more than 2,500 which will devote a Google Doodle and a mini-site ing either. It was Labor Day - a full 11 days after Both Peluso and Kendrick partially attribute hours of footage over two years, speaking to more to it on Saturday - and accompanied by an array “War Room” was released - that saw the most the wild success to prayer, too. “We have than 2,000 people. He says the interviews rein- of online clips, resources and background infor- people buying tickets. learned that if you pray first the outcome is so forced his view that “everybody has something to mation. Arthus-Betrand says he hopes viewers will “That’s just not supposed to happen,” said much better,” said Kendrick, an ordained minis- say. Everybody.” The first cut of the movie was 12 emerge from “Human” thinking, “I like people Rich Peluso, senior vice president of Sony’s ter and member of Sherwood Baptist Church in hours long. With some regret, the director has more at the end of the film than I did before.” He AFFIRM Films, which produced “War Room” with Albany, Georgia, where he and his brother cre- trimmed it to just over three hours. “There were so says he knows it might sound “naive and utopi- Provident Films. “I could certainly fudge it and ate videos to support ministry needs. “This many strong stories we cut,” he said. “(But) people an,” but he remains an optimist about the human tell you how smart we are and how we predict- entire movie has been prayed over from begin- have to go to the toilet, people have to go to eat.” condition. “I was so pleased when I saw these ed this but no, everybody is surprised.” This is ning to end. We’re seeing it now with what is “Human” is a passion project for the 69-year-old refugees coming (into) Germany and this guy the latest success from Christian filmmakers and happening - there are no Hollywood stars in the director, who says he has found that with age with a sign: ‘Welcome,’” he said. “I was crying, in brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick, whose film, Alex and I are unknowns. We don’t live in “you like to go to essential things, to go to what is fact. This is when you put your humanity before 2008 film “Fireproof” earned over $33 million on Hollywood. We haven’t been to film school. But important.” your fear.” — AP a $500K budget, and 2011’s “Courageous,” we have prayed and prayed that God will use which took in $34.5 million on a $2 million this film to inspire people to begin to pray.” Local authorities budget. “War Room” is already well on its way to The film wants viewers to reflect on funda- surpassing both. Broader audience mental questions: Why is there war and hatred? As of Tuesday, “War Room,” which cost $3.5 “War Room” also boasts a primarily African million to produce, has earned $28.7 million. American cast, which isn’t the norm for Christian Many are seeing it multiple times and bringing films. “(The African American community) so back their family and groups of friends, Peluso embraced it because it was just an American Argentina film examines Bergoglio’s said. Also, when the film came so close to beat- family, period. There were no race issues. It just ing “Compton,” there was a concerted effort by was a great opportunity to engage in a beautiful life before elected pope AFFIRM and religious leaders to encourage sup- story,” Peluso said. Their strategy now is to keep porters to turn out and help make it No. 1. “It’s the buzz going while the movie enters more hen a shout of “Habemus papam!” - 2013. An Argentine- Spanish production, the just a great story of a film that really filled a void markets. “War Room” will add more than 115 Latin for “We have a pope!” - rang out film explores key elements of Bergoglio’s life in the marketplace, with a message that the screens this weekend and will likely continue Wonscreen, viewers at a theater in the from his ministry to impoverished slum dwellers audience could really get behind,” said Paul expanding. Argentine capital erupted in a standing ovation to his fight against poverty, prostitution and Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box Internationally, the film is boasting record recalling the emotional moment when one of drug trafficking. office tracker Rentrak. numbers in Mexico, Australia, and New their own was named as the new Roman It also shows personal moments such as the Zealand, and soon it’ll be released in Canada Catholic pontiff. “Francis: Father Jorge,” which time his grandmother gave him a book on St Traditional metrics and South Africa. Plans also include more main- premiered here Tuesday night, portrays the life Francis of Assisi, the humble friar who dedicated “There is a huge contingency of the stream marketing, securing Christian radio play of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop his life to helping the poor. The volume had a American population who do not go to movies. for the film’s song “Warrior” and capitalizing on of Buenos Aires, before he became pope in profound influence on Bergoglio and ultimately They have been burned too many times,” the fan testimonials that now populate the help inspire him to take the name Francis after Stephen Kendrick said. “Christians love good film’s social media pages. But while the finan- assuming the papacy. The film is expected to movies, but too often their faith is ridiculed or cial success shines a spotlight on the film and arrive in Spanish theaters next week and then mocked... Alex and I are trying to make the kind spreads awareness to a broader audience, for open in Italy. Based on the book “Francis: Life of movies that we want to go see.” The percep- Kendrick, money isn’t the point. “We don’t and Revolution” by Elizabetta Pique, a Vatican tion that successful faith-based films seem to make movies to win awards and, actually, mak- journalist close to the pope, it stars Argentina’s come out of nowhere is born out of the reality ing money is not the priority either,” he said. Dario Grandinetti, best-known for his role in that they are very difficult to track accurately. “We are ministers and our goal is to inspire peo- Pedro Almodovar’s “Talk to Her,” in the title role.