SACRED

There is power in prayer. SACRED, an international team effort shot by more than 40 filmmaking crews in 25 countries, captures the religions, rites of passage, and spiritual rituals of our global community. Stories flow fluidly from one corner of the world to the next, illustrating how different cultures celebrate and commemorate three distinct chapters of life: Initiation, Practice, and Passage. On the film’s journey, we meet such people as: a Haitian mother submerging herself in a rushing waterfall while chanting for a healthy pregnancy; a young monk taking a vow of silence at a monastery in Myanmar; Louisiana prisoners finding freedom behind bars; and an elderly Ethiopian man in search of a handful of holy soil before his dying day. SACRED, which is an incredibly moving portrayal of faith at work around the globe, provides a window into the deep-rooted beliefs that allow our society to cope, survive, and thrive. (Various languages with subtitles) —A.B.