A heartbreaking new film tells the beheadings 10 years ago this week of 21 Coptic Christians at the hands of ISIS-Islamic radicals.
And yet the film, easily entitled “The 21”, also tells the moving story of The incredible faith of the martyrsHow they were diligent until the end – and never denied their savior until death.
Producer Mandi Hart said: “I don’t know that I ever come across, in the course of 40-one days of captivity, how many nanoseconds of opportunities they had to save their own lives. And for a man, all 21 of them were Until the end faithful. “
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Hart and the team of more productions presented the 13 -minute film at the International Religious Freedom Summit In Washington, DC, last week. It was a shocking memory of how the events of 15 February 2015 shocked the world – one, for the pure horror of the staging, and two, because the Islamic radicals filmed the brutal Slays.
As a way to mitigate the horror and improve the spirit of hope, “the 21” tells the story through animation -intercut with real ISIS -Propaganda images.
Ten years ago, ISIS Radicals discovered 21 Coptic Christians. A new film with animation tells the story of the fascinating depths of the men’s faith. (AP)
But it is the images of the animation that gives the more impact. The animation is in the style of Orthodox iconography – the paintings of the saints and from Jesus That adorns the iconostas, the screens for the altar, on the ship, the sanctuary and the dome of every orthodox church in the world.
Hart said: “We knew we wanted a project that would reflect the cultural distinctive character of The Coptic TraditionIn particular the iconography. ”
She shouted his ‘function’, as well as his architecture and community – and “the symbolism, colors, shapes and the way in which iconography was all about making an icon.”
“The fact that they were all faithful to the end is simply remarkable.”
In a recent episode of “Lighthouse Faith” PodcastProducer Mandi Hart spoke more about making “The 21” – and the transforming power to learn about what these men have endured for their faith.
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They were simple workers from Egypt, who worked in Libya, when ISIS members kidnapped them and demanded that they denounce their faith in Jesus Christ, the only condition to secure their freedom.
The men refused. The men were tortured and abused for a month and a half. Then they were placed in Oranje Jumpsuits and paraded with a sandy hill where masked, knife-waving radicals held them and took their lives.
The terrorists hoped that “at least one of the men” would revoke – would save themselves by denying “Christ,” said the producer of the new film, “The 21.” “None of them did it.” (Istock)
Hart said that the most barbaric part of the story is actually not in the new film.
“They were actually beheaded one by one,” she said. “And Isis did thatIn the hope that … will be killed in that horrible way, at least one of the men would convince to repeat themselves, to save himself by denying Christ. And none of them did it. And actually one of the men asked to be the last. ”
“It’s one thing to talk about faithfulness. It is another to see it demonstrating in close -up.”
Hart added with emotion: “There are no words (about) the depth of (their) faith. And it has been extremely challenging and also personally substantiated. I can’t imagine in that position – and the fact that they were all Trust at the end is just remarkable. “
Hart has deliberately not viewed the ISIS images of the beheadings. It was just too much to take. But director Tod Polson did that.
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He said to Fox News: “The original video made by ISIS is surreal. I only saw it once, but … (it is) burned in my memory forever. It is as heartbreaking as inspiring. Inspiring because the sacrifice So from the martyrs is total.
Polson also said: “A lot of The families of the martyrs Play the original ISIS video in their houses on a loop. One of the complaints they have is that ‘the 21’ is not violent enough. They want people outside their community to know what their men have experienced. “
A hunter of the Islamic state of Iraq and the Levant (Isil, also known as ISIS) has a flag and a weapon in a street in the city of Mosul, 23 June 2014. (Reuters photo)
ISIS filmed their horror with the purpose of propaganda and power, in the conviction that they would herald a new caliphate for the glory of Islam.
But transcripts from interviews from ISIS members of the authorities revealed that there were also other supernatural forces at work on that Sandy Hill.
This is new information.
On that sandy beach ten years ago, those men may have witnessed God’s Holy Army.
Said Hart: “In the interviews with the former ISIS members, talks in particular about earthquakes. He talks about shady figures and some of the figures wearing swords, dressed in certain ways the martyrs accompanied, especially when the martyrs on were the beach. “
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The movie shows those supernatural events.
The shady figures appear as angels of lightMaybe even Jesus himself.
Reports are that one of the radicals (not depicted) came to faith and was baptized. He continues to hide, according to the producer of the film. (Istock)
On that sandy beach ten years ago, those men perhaps witnessed God’s Holy Army and the forces of Satan in their old struggle.
And at least one member of ISIS was shaken to the core.
Hart said that an ISIS member was so terrified of what he saw that he was fled. Reports are that he came to faith and was baptized. He continues to hide, according to Hart.
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The bigger story has been the representation of the depths of the faith of the entire Coptic community. “Coptic” means Egyptian. The header is one of the original Christian orthodox churches.
They have been a continued church for 2000 years.
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And some scholars, Hart said, think they had millions of martyrs in the course of their history, past and present.
The 21 Martyrs asked that Jesus would forgive their murderers – just as Jesus said, while he was crucified, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”
The 21 Martyrs asked that Jesus would forgive their murderers – just as Jesus said, while he was crucified, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Istock)
At a time when it is more acceptable to publicly benefit the name of Jesus than to praise him, the film shows the power of that name – and how the men trusted it for strength, for hope.
Hart thought about the bigger good that came from such an evil.
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She said that London’s Coptic Archbishop, Archbishop Angaelos, told her to think about when that former ISIS member who became a believer dies.
Those 21 Coptic men will welcome Him in heaven if their brother-outdators can only become one people born in Christ by nature.
